Balaam...who IS this guy?

Numbers 22:1 - 29:40

I have to confess that reading through the story of Balaam over the weekend threw me off track a bit. I was totally confused by several points in the story:

• Who is this guy that claims to have a prophetic relationship to God?
• How is it that he knows something about which animals to sacrifice?
• Why does God tell him to go then get mad that he goes?

So I took some time to do a little digging. A couple of facts to add to the biblical narrative to help set the stage:

• Although it seems like just yesterday that the twelve spies were sent out we've come almost to the end of the 40 years in the wilderness at this point. Israel is across the Jordan from Jericho.
• Balak, king of Moab, is obviously worried about the damage the Israelites might do to him so he is looking for advantage in battle when he sends for Balaam. Balaam must have had quite a reputation because the kings men travel nearly 400 miles to get him and then another 400 to bring him back. Of course this doesn't happen overnight so you can imagine the Israelite camp is here for quite some time. At least two back and forth trips worth...
• Balaam's name translates as something akin to "destroyer" and his father's name, Beor, as burning. It is widely believed that Balaam's family business was that of "divination" and distributor of curses for hire. Also, Balaam's home, Pethor, is near the region of Haran in which Abraham spend some time. So Balaam, as a religious generalist and purveyor of all bleesing and cursings of all dieties, probably knew something of the history of of the Hebrews. (Numbers 24:1 seems to indicate that Balaam was practicing sorcery with his first few attempts at "cursing" but that the last attempt he truly utters prophecy.)

So basically we have this diviner/sorceror of some repute who is sought out by the king of Moab. He tells the envoy to spend the night so he can check in with God...and apparently God DOES talk to him?!?!? This seems crazy on the surface of things, almost as though it ratifies the practice of sorcery. But it seems to me having done some more reading that perhaps God is, instead, showing up on behalf of His people, willing to work through even the most unlikely of channels to wortk His will.

So the first group of guys ask Balaam to come back with them and his answer is...wait here and I will bring you back the answer "the Lord" gives me. Theye are sent way essentially empty handed.
The second group comes back and now, I think, Balaam is negotiating price.
(Numbers 22:18-19)
"Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the Lord will tell me."
Balaam is intimating that he has a direct line communication, a relationship with God that may allow him to change God's mind from the original answer.

I got stuck a bit on the next part which seems to say that God tells Balaam to go, then gets angry with him for going. I think God has communicated clearly that Balaam is not to go, then allows him to go because of his persistant lack of understanding with the intent all along of using the trip as a teaching moment.

This of course leads to the famous story of the talking donkey. The story is a great one but, to my way of thinking, the craziest line in the whole story has nothing to do with donkey but it is this line:
"Balaam answered the donkey, "!!!!!

So we have God, speaking to a well known sorceror, a "wise man" or "seer", who fails to see, opening up the eyes and mouth of donkey, who sees more clearly and speaks more truthfully, all within the scope of His plan for His people.

We'll get more on this guy later in scripture so I'll let him off the hook for now.

I'm sure everyone was excited to read the second census of the tribes!!!
Let me sum up...the are only about 1820 fighting men shy of where they were when they took the first census.

The feast of trumpets bit was a tough read too. Did anyone else feel like they were hearing, faintly in the background, the tune from the Twelve Days of Christmas?

Joshua being confirmed as the heir to Moses leadership is the clear sign Mose is on his way out.
Stay tuned for more action tomorrow!!!

p.s.
For a good look at some thoughts on Balaam see this link:
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2089/Balaam.htm