Considering Conscience:
Finding Relevance in the Story of Balaam
The Rev. Christopher A. Barber
Lessons: Numbers 5:1-35;
New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 131, 133
T
he Book of Numbers reveals a fascinating snippet of the life of a man
named Balaam. Balaam was a soothsayer or a sorcerer (really a wizard)
from Syria, and the story of him and his donkey is compelling and confusing,
but the Heavenly Doctrines have revealed a new detail about the literal story.
This information, coupled with the teachings on the internal sense, reveals
a powerful depiction of a person’s conscience hard at work. Before we look
at that, however, it is important that we have a clear idea of the main things
leading up to this strange event.
Balak, king of Moab, and the elders of a neighboring land, Midian, have
become greatly concerned at the recent settlement of the Israelites on the
Plains of Moab, which was just on the other side of the Jordan, where Israel was
gearing up to take the Promised Land. Both Balak and the elders are terrified
of what might happen to them at the hands of Israel. The text says they are
“exceedingly afraid” and “sick with dread.” (Numbers 22:3) They see the size of
Israel, and fear for their crops, their homes and their lives.
So Balak hatched a plan: There was a sorcerer that the king had heard
about and he knew that he did quality work. If the sorcerer could be hired to
come and curse Israel, Balak the king could launch a military attack and then
maybe, just maybe, Israel would be weakened to a point where they could be
defeated. Moving forward with this plan, Balak sent messengers, payment in
hand, to summon the sorcerer. (Either they were desperate enough to send
payment upfront, or what is more likely, Balaam’s reputation as a competent
wizard preceded him.)
When the messengers arrived, they delivered Balak’s message:
Please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me.
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