Big Picture Question: Who protected God’s people? God protected His people from their enemies.
Key Passage: Exodus 20:117
Unit Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.
Christ Connection: Fourteen hundred years after Balaam announced Jesus’ birth, wise men followed a star to the place where Jesus was born. The wise men worshiped Jesus as King. (Matthew 2:2)
People believed that when Balaam cursed or blessed someone, it would be so. Balak, king of Moab, called on Balaam to curse the Israelites because he was afraid they would overtake him and his land. Balak offered a reward to Balaam for his services.
God warned Balaam to not curse the Israelites because God had blessed them. Initially, Balaam listened to God, but it’s not for nothing that he developed the nickname “the prophet for a
profit.” Balaam traveled to talk to Balak about the situation. He hoped to get a greater reward from Balak.
So God sent the Angel of the Lord with a sword to enforce Balaam’s obedience. At first, Balaam did not see the Angel, but his donkey did. The donkey stopped three times, and Balaam became so angry that he said, “If I had a sword, I would kill you!” Then God opened Balaam’s eyes to the one who did have a sword—the Angel.
Balaam obeyed God; he spoke in four clear messages, insisting that God would bless the Israelites. One of the ways God would bless the Israelites is found in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise
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