The Is'ra-el-ites were now encamped on the plains of Mo'ab on the east side of the river Jor'dan, their camp reaching back five or six miles toward the high plateau of this area. They looked eagerly across the river to the land promised to their fathers, no doubt expecting the LORD to tell them to cross the river at any moment.
But the time had not yet come for Is'ra-el to occupy the land of Ca'naan. There were other territories east of the Jor'dan to be conquered, and the LORD had some important lessons to teach them before they would be ready to conquer the land west of the river.
In much of their recent travels the Is'ra-el-ites had occupied certain parts of the territory of the Mo'ab-ites, and had crossed their borders without opposition. Instead, the most friendly relations had been enjoyed by both nations, and the Mo'ab-ites had sold food and water to the children of Is'ra-el.
But the defeat of the two strong kings of the Am'o-rites, and the conquest of all their territory by the Is'ra-el-ites, had brought suspicion and fear to the heart of Ba'lak, king of the Mo'ab-ites. The army of Is'ra-el numbered 601,730 warriors who had shown great courage and skill in fighting the Am'o-rites. Ba'lak feared that they might attack his own people, and dared not meet them in open battle.
In a small territory near Mo'ab there lived a people called the Mid'i-a-nites. They were a different branch from those of the same name who had given shelter to Mo'ses during the forty years of his exile from E'gypt. This branch had settled on the grassy plains between the lands of the Mo'ab-ites and Am'o-rites before the days of I'saac and Ja'cob. They were stock-raisers, and traded with the caravans which passed through their land. No conflict between them and the Is'ra-el-ites had occurred up to this time. The Mid'i-an-ites were neither very strong nor warlike. In their early history they had been defeated by the E'dom-ites, and later were subdued by Si'hon, who made them subjects of the Am'o-rites.
Ba'lak's alarm was without cause, for the Is'ra-el-ites had shown no unfriendliness whatever toward his people. The LORD had instructed them not to harm the Mo'ab-ites, and they had carefully obeyed His order.
Knowing that he could not defeat the Is'ra-el-ites in battle, Ba'lak took a course which he hoped would deprive them of the protection and aid of God which had been so manifest in their battles against the Am'o-rites. There was a magician among the Mid'i-a-nites whose name was Ba'laam, and who also possessed the gift of prophecy. He claimed to speak with God, and to have the power of reading the future. Ba'lak decided to have this magician utter a curse against Is'ra-el, and in this way to offset the special favor which they enjoyed from the LORD.
In those days some men were given the power to bless or to curse others, and Ba'laam probably had such power. The most gifted man of God, however, could not bring a curse upon others without reason. No man can curse those whom God is blessing.
