Balaam was a pagan prophet whom King Balek hired to curse Israel while they were camped at the Jordan River in northern Moab, preparing to enter the land of Canaan.
* Balaam was from the city of Pethor, which was located in the region around the Euphrates River, about 400 miles away from the land of Moab.
* The Midianite king, Balek, was afraid of the strength and numbers of the Israelites, so he hired Balaam to curse them.
* As Balaam was traveling toward Israel, an angel of God stood in his path so that Balaam's donkey stopped. God also gave the donkey the ability to speak to Balaam.
* God did not allow Balaam to curse the Israelites and commanded him to bless them instead.
* Later however, Balaam still brought evil on the Israelites when he influenced them to worship the false god Baal-peor.
See in Reader
