Numbers 22:5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou bless is blessed, and he whom thou curse is cursed.
The children of Israel are sound asleep one night, in their tents, but unbeknownst to them, their enemy is scheming, and plotting to put a curse upon them. In the dead of night, ambassadors are sent from one of the surrounding nations, to tap Balaam for the purpose of casting a magic spell over the Hebrews.
Balaam tries on several occasions, without success, he being driven by the prospect of great reward, yet time and time again, his nefarious purposes are all signally defeated. Finally, he’s at his wits end, for try as he might, he just cannot poke holes in the guard God has set about His people.
He then retires with shamefacedness and failure, as his plots and efforts sink into oblivion. Yet, the very prospect of temporal gain drives him to think things over, to see if there might be a chink in the armor somewhere. As he studies intently the events of the past days, as He rehearses in his mind, the words God forced him to speak, he stumbles upon something which grabs his attention, and because of this, he determines to try to understand the link between cause and effect.
Numbers 23:21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!