“Nevertheless, the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you.”
— Deuteronomy 23:5
Numbers 22-24 recounts the story of Balaam, a seer, and Balak, the king of Moab. After the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness enroute to their promised homeland. While on their journey, some nations they encountered refused to allow Israel to cross into their territory. However, Balak, the king of Moab, went a step further: he summoned Balaam, a seer from Pethor, to curse Israel on his behalf. Baalam replied to the king’s demand with these words, “…Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the Lord speaks, I must do’?” (Numbers 23:26). After the Lord gave Balaam His consent to meet with Balak, instead of cursing Israel, Balaam blessed them—not once, not twice, but four times (Numbers 22-24)!
