King Balak of Moab had sent for the prophet Balaam to come and curse the Hebrew children. He thought that this would turn the battle into his favor.
Balaam had a little run in with the angel of the Lord who told him to only say what God told him to.
Numbers 22:36,41- And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
Balak took the prophet up into a mountain where he worshiped his god, Baal. He showed Balaam the children of Israel.
Numbers 23:1-4a- And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. And God met Balaam:
Balaam built seven altars and then went to meet God and hear what He had to say. God told Balaam to go back and tell the king...
Numbers 23:8- How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
Instead of cursing the children of Israel, Balaam blessed them. This did not make Balak happy! He tried again three times. Balak and Balaam both seemed to think that God was going to change his mind. But He didn't.
Numbers 24:10-11- And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
Balak told Balaam that he should flee away because he was very angry. The king blamed God, and said that he wasn't going to reward Balaam at all.
II Peter 2:15- Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Balaam told Balak how to turn the tables on the Israelites. You see, Balaam wanted the reward.
Revelations 2:14- But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Balaam told Balak that if he could send some of his people into the camp of the children of Israel, and get the Hebrew children to start worshiping Baal that God himself would punish them.
Numbers 24:25- And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place:
and Balak also went his way.
I'm sure that the king rewarded the prophet handsomely for this information. And he wasted no time in putting this plan into action.
Numbers 25:2-3- And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
Numbers 31:16-Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
God sent another plague to start killing off the Israelites for their sin. Then, he told Moses how to obtain forgiveness for this sin.
Numbers 25:4-5- And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
All the people that had gone and worshiped the false god, Baal, were to be killed. That was the only way God would stop the plague.
Numbers 25:8b-9- So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
24,000 people had started to worship the false god. That's a lot of people who were willing to turn their backs on God and start doing wrong! And God wasn't going to let them get away with sinning.
But, what about Balaam? Joshua led a battle at Balaam's home town. They won the battle and destroyed the Midianites.
Joshua 13:22- Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
No one gets away with sinning. Sometimes years pass before we reap the full consequences of our actions, but God promises in Galatians 6:7- Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
