Jesus Is Borg The Truth Shall Set You Free.

While the Hebrews were traveling from Egypt to invade the land that God said they could have for their own, they left a path of utter destruction in their path.

The king of one of the heathen cities they approached saw their vast size and heard about what they had done to the other cities they had passed through so he decided to call on a wizard to curse the Israelites. This wizard was named Balaam and apparently he talked with God just like the Israelite prophets. When the king's messengers told Balaam that the king wanted him to curse the Israelites, Balaam told them that he would first have to ask God about it. That night God came to Balaam and asked him, "What men are these with thee?" (Numbers 22:9) We're not sure why does God not already know who they are. Maybe he's just making conversation with his wizard. So Balaam tells God that the king has asked him to curse this group of people that are approaching the city. God tells Balaam that he is NOT to go with the king's messengers. Balaam is forbidden to curse the Israelites because they are God's chosen people and they are blessed (Numbers 22:12). Modern Christians pretend that God doesn't deal with wizards and sorcerers but here we have additional proof that this God plays both sides against each other. Balaam tells the messengers that God doesn't want him to curse the Israelites. The messengers return to their king who sends them back to bribe Balaam. This time Balaam calls on God and when God comes to Balaam this time God tells him to "go ahead and go with them but say only what I tell you to say." (Numbers 22:20)

The next day Balaam gets on his donkey and leaves with the messengers, just as God told him to do but the Bible tells us that God was angry with Balaam because he went (Numbers 22:22). What a wishy-washy God! Apparently God changed his mind overnight because he sends an angel to block the path of Balaam's donkey. After several attempts to make the donkey go, the donkey begins to talk to Balaam, asking him "Why are you beating me when I have always served you loyally?" Balaam procedes to argue with his donkey, until the angel makes himself visible to Balaam. When Balaam sees the angel he is understandably confused ("why is God blocking my path when he just told me to go with the messengers last night?") and he tells the angel "I'll go back home if you don't want me to go with them." Suddenly the angel changes his tune and he tells Balaam that he can now go with the messangers but he is to say only what God puts in his mouth. (The same thing God had told him the night before) What is going on here? Other than the obsurdity of talking animals, it seems like God has trouble communicating with his angels because this angel didn't know that God had given Balaam permission to go with the king's men the night before. Maybe there was a breakdown in the Godly message server. Heavenly e-mail must not be all it's cracked up to be!

Balaam does what God has told him to do and blesses the Israelites in the face of the king instead of cursing them like the king had desired. What is Balaam's reward for his obedience? God has Moses kill him along with all the rest of the five kingdoms of Midianites (Numbers 31:8). It really sucks to not be one of God's chosen race.