The story of Balaam
You know the story of Balaam and the donkey — but do you know why and how Balaam deceived Israel into idolatry?
Don’t believe me? Here is the proof: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.”
The well-known story
It all starts with Israel’s victorious campaign, conquering all the Amorites and Canaanites along the way, which leaves the Moabites afraid enough to ask the Midianites for help.
But why would either nation feel threatened? The Moabites have a promise that Israel will not invade them, since they are descended from Lot; and the Midianites have little reason to worry either, since Moses was married to the daughter of one of their priests, and the Midianites are themselves descendants of Abraham. Fear, it seems, overrides all of that.
So the Moabites send messengers to Balaam, asking him to curse Israel. The Lord makes it clear to Balaam that he is not allowed to do this, and sends the messengers back. Undeterred, the king of the Moabites, Balak, sends even more and higher-ranking officials to Balaam, who asks the Lord again.
Why would Balaam ask again? He had already heard the answer. Did he think he could change God’s mind? Apparently so — because this time God lets him go. But going comes with consequences, as the story with the donkey makes clear.
Balaam then appears obedient, blessing Israel just as God wants. Balak, furious, sends him away, and there the story seems to end. Or so you would think.
The situation with Baal-Peor
Immediately after that, the Moabites and Midianites throw a feast for the Israelites, resulting in sexual immorality and idolatry.
How could this happen? God is angry and commands Moses to kill the leaders who allowed this to happen. But instead, Moses is disobedient: he tells the judges to kill only the people who actually committed idolatry. As a result, a plague kills about 24,000 of the Israelites, and it is stopped only when Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, intervenes.
In the aftermath, God commands Moses to destroy the Midianites.
Did Moses fail to take this seriously? That seems unlikely; perhaps he was simply more hesitant, given how to deal with his father-in-law’s people.
Even so, it takes a long time before Israel finally fights against the Midianites — Moses’ last action before he dies. Israel kills all the Midianite men and the women who had deceived them.
But there is a surprise waiting in the account: Balaam is among those killed — he had been staying with the Midianites all along.
What happened?
So what was actually going on? Balaam was unhappy that he could not finish his commission and please Balak, king of the Moabites. As long as God stood with Israel, there was nothing Balaam could do directly. But if he could drive a wedge between God and Israel — or even provoke God to turn against His own people — he would have accomplished his task after all.
So he arranges a feast, and through it draws Israel away from God toward the Midianite women.
It was Balaam’s pride that brought about his own downfall, but it was Moses’ leadership — or lack of it in that moment — that led to the death of so many Israelites.