Numbers 24 -- 25
Book of Numbers #12
If you cannot beat the people of God with prophecies and spiritual warfare, you can always count on a splendid party to flaunt the laws of God and open the gates of Hell with a smile, a song, and a kiss.
Balak was intent on Israel's destruction. After the fourth attempt of Balaam to curse Israel had failed, Balak knew he would not be able to vanquish his enemy in this manner. So often, we think that all we need is God's protection and all else will be fine. God does grant us his protection but he does not protect us from ourselves. Coupled with a life of prayer, is constant vigilance and a willingness to grow in the virtues, a desire to tame the defects of our fallen nature and bring every fiber of our being into subjection to God's law.
The Israelites fell headlong in Balak's trap. He offered them a party with much rejoicing and celebration centered on Baal, the God the Moabites worshiped, and Israel obliged. After all, we ought to keep neighborly relations with the people around us.
Perhaps, but not at the expense of the truth, and certainly not at the expense of God's commandments. Balak got what he wanted: God's retribution was swift and painful, and plain to the eye to see. Israel understood and repented. We, on the other hand, having lost any sense of the fear of God, often do not understand the events of our lives in the light of God, and, as a result, fail to repent.
