I am late getting this weeks Parashat out due to excessive studying on Balaam who this weeks Parashat is all about. 5 years ago I read the Book of Jasher. I had remembered reading about Balaam so I went back and read everything about him in Jasher. If you have not read Jasher I highly recommend reading it especially Ken Johnson’s translation. It is a safe and accurate one.

The Bible tells us that Balaam is a prophet of God. It also tells us he uses divination. Now in the Book of Jasher Balaam’s name appears over 60 times. There is a lot more to this man than the Bible tells us. The 1st time we are introduced to Balaam in Jasher he is 15 years old, he is very wise and understands the art of witchcraft. A king asks him if he will prevail in battle and Balaam uses his witchcraft over water and images appeared of the king being defeated. Balaam begins his career of being a prophet/magician for hire at age 15. He moves from nation to nation making a name for himself and taking all he can. He then moves to Egypt and becomes a counselor and magician for Pharaoh. This is where the story really begins.

Pharaoh has a dream about a child and Balaam interprets the dream. Balaam tells the King a Hebrew child will free the Hebrews. This upsets the King and he begins to kill the Hebrew infant males. Balaam tells Pharaoh that he cannot destroy the Hebrews by fire, hard work or by the sword as there forefathers have been challenged these ways and prevailed. The God of the Hebrews saved them from these attacks. Balaam tells Pharaoh he must destroy them by water because they have not been attacked this way before.

Fast forward Moses is born living in Pharaoh’s palace he is 3 years old and he grabs Pharaoh’s crown and placed it on his head. Needless to say this got everyone’s attention. Balaam told Pharaoh he needed to kill the baby immediately and to call his counselors to advise him. An Angel of the Lord comes as one of the counselors. He says that they should take an onyx stone, and a hot coal from the fire to see which Moses grabs to determine if he knew what he was doing when he grabbed the crown. This pleased the king and the Angel of the Lord caused Moses to grab the hot coals and put them in his mouth. This saved Moses’s life and Pharaoh never considers him a threat again.

Some time later Balaam leaves Egypt and goes to Cush as an advisor to the king. The king goes off to battle and leaves Balaam and his sons to watch over his people and the city. Balaam turns the people against their king and becomes king over the city. Balaam was king for 9 years before he was defeated. He then goes back to Egypt and is the very magician Moses and Aaron face when they speak to Pharaoh.

The Israelites are now free from Pharaoh in the wilderness and in there 36 year of being in the wilderness the Amorites call Balaam to curse Moab. After Balaaam’s curse they are easily defeated by the Amorites. Hence when King Balak tells Balaam we know who you bless is blessed and who you curse is cursed.

In the 40th year in the wilderness Israel defeated the Amorites and Moab is scared. They call Balaam to curse Israel but God will not let him curse them. Balaam was not a man of God he was a man who had a desire for spiritual things. He had a gift given from God which was perverted. Balaam was about personal gain. He even tells Balak that if he gave him his palace and filled it with gold and silver he could not curse Israel. Notice how Balaam gave Balak a price? Balaam said he could not curse Israel even if .... notice Balak didn’t accept the offer?

Balaam never told the whole truth to Balak and his men. He said, “Go home! God will not let me go with you.” He makes it sound like God’s mind can be changed. He plays games with his words to manipulate situations to benefit himself. That is where we are today. God has created people and given them gifts so they can bless the world. However they have used their gifts for themselves giving over to evil becoming oppressors.

The Bible and other outside sources credit Balaam with showing the Moabites how to seduce the Israelites. Even though he could not curse them he found a way to get something for his trouble. The world is full of Balaams in the government, in churches, and every realm of influence.

At the end of this weeks Parashat Moses has Balaam killed. The Balaams of the earth are about to have their accounts come due.