THE STORY OF BALAAM 1) As the people were getting close to entering the promised land, the devil devised a new war not through leaders and kings, but through Balaam the prophet. He asked that a curse befall them just like Balak, king of Moab, requested. 2) Balaam did not belong to children of Israel, as is shown in verse 11, neither was he a member of the people of Balak [24]. Most likely he belonged to the Midian people, allies of Moab. Some historians believe that he was a true prophet for a temporary period of time because of his good natured relationship with God (22:9,12-32-32:16). He uttered some very deep prophecies. (23,24). As for the early Church, she believed that he was a sorcerer and fortune-teller [7]. God used him to accomplish His objective (to extract from the eater food). He accepted the rewards of divination [8], and asked for altars for Baal to be built (22:41; 23:1). 3) Balak was terrified from God's people, he portrayed them as being an ox that licks the nations just as he grazes the grass, of the fields (22:4). He fights by word of mouth while he is preaching and praying, that is why he asked Balaam to use that same weapon, i.e. the mouth of curse. 4) The divine command came to Balaam, not to curse the people [9,12], interacting with Him directly or through the idols of Balaam. 5) Balak repeated his request by sending more honourable princes [14], and by trying to allure him with expensive gifts [18], and his reply came back, a firm refusal to curse God's people. But it seems that his desire for greed overtook him, and he asked his visitors to spend the night so as to find out God's will. God deserted him because of his deviant heart (22:20; Ezek 14:4). God used Balaam's donkey to rebuke him for his deviant heart [22-23], so that the mute beast may become the executer of everyone who thinks that he is wise. Balaam-being a seer-started an argument with his donkey just like he did before with other animals and birds. God chose to rebuke him back using his own methods. From the symbolic side, Origen believes that the angel who appeared to Balaam, depicts the Angel of God who was leading His people (Ex. 23:43), Balaam represents the non-believers, his name denotes "vain people." As for the donkey it refers to the simple Church that serves . The Church that reveto them what they cannot perceive.
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