Article October 4, 2010 Issue

A 'Balaam' blessing

This Navy man takes a fresh look at a lesser-known Bible story.

BY RONALD F. WARNCKE

THERE'S A WONDERFULLY instructive Bible story about angels, which I love. It demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise to each of us—that He will "send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared" (Ex. 23:20).

In the story, the children of Israel had come into the land of Moab in their journey out of Egypt (see Numbers 22 and 23). Balak, the king of Moab, wanted to drive them out of the country and called upon Balaam, the prophet, to curse them. However, God's instructions to Balaam were very different from Balak's: "Thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

Nonetheless, Balaam decided to agree to Balak's wishes, acting against God's command, and he set out to curse the children of Israel. But on his way to doing so, an "angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him." At first, only the donkey he was riding could sense the angel and refused to go forward. It was then that "the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way."

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