The title and approach is adjusted in order to address more of the biblical text regarding God speaking to Balaam and the motives that led Balaam to obey and then dishonor God by leading the Isrealites to sin. My TARGET for the session is to emphasize: "When God gives specific directions, they should be followed with a pure heart."
Help Your Group with the Context:
Consider using the following to help capture the context of what is taking place in the passage.
Balaam arrives on the scene because the Moabites felt threatened by the Israelites. Numbers 22:1-7 (CSB) states:
The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous, and Moab dreaded the Israelites. So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field.”
Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab’s king at that time, he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. Balak said to him: “Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land and are living right across from me. Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed.”
The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him.It’s important to understand who is involved in this event.
- Balak – was Moab’s king. On the map you will see that the Israelites bypassed Edom and is now camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. Balak felt threatened and reached out to the elders of Midian.
- Elders of Midian –The Midianites were the descendants of Midian, one of the sons of Abraham and his second wife (after Sarah’s death), Keturah. They were nomadic in nature but also inhabited the land south of Edom and east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and her family were Midianites and his father-in-law was “a priest of Midian” (Exodus 2:16). The Israelites employed Moses’ Midianite brother-in-law, Hobab (Numbers 10:29), to guide them through the wilderness. When the Midianites joined forces with the Moabites in order to hire Balaam to curse Israel, their relationship with Israel began to sour. Later the Midianites and the Moabites would be defeated by the Israelites because of their treachery.
- Pethor – The negotiations with Balaam took place across a long distance of approximately 400 miles. Balaam’s hometown, Pethor, was north of Moab and was most likely situated near Carchemish where the Euphrates and Sajur Rivers come together.
- Balaam – He was a heathen diviner whose reputation and fame had spread across the region. He possessed some knowledge of the true God as indicated by his prayers but, most likely, he listened to many gods based on the circumstances. While Balaam did seek and hear from the true God, his heart was not right with God, and eventually he showed his true colors by betraying Israel and leading them astray.
Be sure to check out the discussion questions and other helps.
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