In Numbers we meet Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates. A Prophet that teaches us that the power of spiritual blessing and curse is that of God alone, man has no power.

Balak , King of Moab sent for the renowned prophet to come and help him. He was threatened by his distanced family, the Israelites, as they grew in numbers and might close to his cities.

Balaam repeatedly tells king Balak that a prophet can only do what God tells him to.

Have you ever asked God for an answer or guidance with your desired outcome in mind? Only wanting Him to confirm your desire?

This is exactly what happened with Balaam. He was so flattered by a King asking him to come help and not just for honour, but for a substantial amount of money as well. He was desperate to go!

Balak did not stop asking and Balaam decided not to settle for the first no from God. He asked again. This time God said: If you are so blinded by the desire to go, and if the desire is so overwhelming that you cannot accept that My no is a no… Go! But do not say anything of yourself. Only repeat what I tell you to say.

Blinded by his own desires, Balaam could not see the angel along the way. He had to be shocked back to reality by a talking donkey. His eyes were opened, and he saw the angel standing before him with a drawn sword.

A reminder of the angels at the entrance of the garden (protecting His household) with the purpose of keeping out not to invite in. By this, God is clearly showing that continuing on this journey is not a wise decision.

The angel did not stop him but repeated the conditions – only say what God tells you. Do not let your own desires dominate God’s authority.

In Moab, King Balak took him to 3 mountain tops overlooking the Israelites camping in their tribes. On every mountain, 7 altars were built and 14 sacrifices were brought. But these sacrifices did not change God’s mind. The purpose of sacrificing to our God is not to change His mind but to enable us to draw closer to Him, so that we become more like Him. In order for His will to become our will and to make us worthy image bearers.

On each mountain, the blessing for Israel poured out of the mouth of the prophet Balaam. It climaxed in Numbers 24:5-9: “How good are your tents, O Yaʽaqoḇ, your dwellings, O Yisra’ĕl! Like wadis that stretch out, like gardens by a river, like aloes planted by יהוה, like cedars beside waters. He makes water flow from his buckets, and his seed is in many waters. His sovereign is higher than Aḡaḡ, and his reign is exalted. Ěl who brought him out of Mitsrayim is for them like the horns of a wild ox; he devours nations, his enemies; and he breaks their bones, and with his arrows he smites. He bowed down, he lay down like a lion. And, like a lion, who would rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.”

This was not only a blessing upon Israel, but it ended with a firm warning not only for Balak and Balaam, but for every single one of us.

I cannot begin to imagine Balak’s emotions when Balaam proclaimed the blessings God had in store for Israel. I imagine that this left the powerful king Balak speechless as they both went their own ways without speaking a word after this revelation.

The warning must have been watered down by Balaam’s desire for reward.

It is not clear when Balaam gave Balak the advice of compromise, but in Numbers 31:16 we learn that the sin Israel was drawn into which led to a plague killing 24000 was due to the advice of Balaam to Balak.

The advice was, you cannot curse what God had blessed, BUT you can have Israel bring a curse on themselves by sinning against God.

Balaam’s life spiral down from the prophet of God to dying by the sword (Jos 13:22). Not a peaceful death, nor an honourable death of a Martyr. He was met on the road by an Angel with a Sword and he died by the sword.

How is Paul linked to Balaam? Although their stories are total opposites, there are a lot that link them undoubtedly.

Saul (later also known as Paul), although he was an Israelite, was also from the nations, born in Tarsus. As the custom was, he was sent to Jerusalem as a young adolescent to study under the Pharisee Rabbi Gamaliel.

From his letters recorded in the Bible, we know that for Saul, God was the centre of his religion, the focus of his life. He did not serve to gain anything from the relationship. His life’s mission was to get the whole world to believe in God and obey Him. That all will have an intimate love relationship with our Creator.

He was a tentmaker and used this trade to support himself financially while travelling the world, spreading the gospel of the Kingdom. Saul was a man in service of God, not a prophet like Balaam, but a pharisee.

Where Balaam suggested compromise, that led to contamination and sin, the mission of the Pharisees was to protect the children of Israel from contamination of the sins of the gentiles. Saul was a scholar, totally dedicated to his religion, to his God and protection of his faith and, above all, the Name of God.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Christianity grew under Israelites in Israel and under those in exile, living in other countries. Peoples from many nations became followers of the Christ. The disciples of Jesus did not fail in their mission to go and disciple the world. Like Israel became a threat for king Balak, Christians became a threat for the Sanhedrin. The Persecution of believers started.

Saul was most probably present when Peter defended the gospel in front of the Sanhedrin and his mentor, Gamaliel, had to calm the crowd. (Acts 5:27-42). He held the witnesses – stoners – clothing at Stephen’s stoning. (Acts 7:58) He was dedicated to the proses of eradicating all followers of the Way – Christians – in the name of God.

Saul changed from a witness to a persecutor of Christianity, not for money or fame like Balaam, but to protect his faith.

Like Balaam, Saul had an encounter on the road as he was on a mission. His donkey did not see an angel, but he saw a light so bright that he fell on his face. Then he heard the voice of Jesus and his whole life changed.

Where Balaam could not see the angel and his eyes were opened , Saul saw the light, and he was blinded. Saul’s spiritual blindness of the Messiah manifested in the physical when He encountered Jesus.

King Balak received Balaam with great expectation, but Ananias at first did not want to receive the pharisee with the bad reputation. Hesitantly, he received him after God told him to do so and gave him a glimpse on the future of Saul, the advocate for Jesus and Christianity.

Like the Spirit of God came upon Balaam at Mount Peor, the spirit came upon Saul when Ananias laid his hands on him and prayed for him. (Acts 9:7)

Ananias was rendered speechless like Balak on Mount Peor when Saul began to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues. He not only became one of the Christians he persecuted up to now, but he had become the biggest advocate for Christ in the nations.

Paul went on to write 13 of the New Testament books. 13 being the numeric value of love in Hebrew, for all these were written in love, with love, mercy kindness and grace being part of his image as he reflected God through Jesus to the world.

Although not penned down in the Bible, it is universally accepted that Paul died as a martyr for Jesus.

What can we learn and apply from these two totally opposite “stories” with so many parallels?

We can here God’s voice and even have intimate conversations with Him, but still be blind for His will and vision.

Even the greatest amongst us can start up high and spiral down spiritually if we put our own will and desires before that of God.

Paul never turned against the pharisees after he become a Christian. In Acts 23 when the High Priest Ananias confronted him, he did not react and saw himself as no longer part of them. He said in Verse 6 b : “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”.

Let us not persecute our brothers and sisters in Christ for small doctrinal differences but take hands and spread the Gospel of the Kingdom to the whole world.

We can have unity despite our diverse doctrines. We have the privilege of serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Unity we can stop the correction of doctrines but conquer the world for Him and His Kingdom.

Let’s turn the tide and make our towns, our provinces, our country a Godly country again. One worthy of a Godly government. One worthy to stand before the throne and get a reward. Together, we can turn the world to our creator.

All to the glory of our King, our Saviour, our Lord!