Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Yesterday, Bailim and his donkey arrived on their journey to meet with Balak, king of Moab.

It was an ancient belief in the Canaanite culture that you could speak things into existence.

So Beloque hired Bailum to curse the Israelites

because he was afraid they would defeat him and take the land of Moab.

But at their first stop, God gives Bailum a word to speak about Israel, and much to Bilak's dismay, it's a blessing.

In 23-9, Balim references Israel's set apartness, calling them a people dwelling alone and not counting itself among the nations.

Baloch doesn't like the sound of this, so he says, let's take a look at them from a different angle.

Maybe you'll see something worth cursing then.

But the same thing happens, Bailum can only pronounce blessing. In 2320, he says his words don't

have power to undo what God has done. Our words may have an impact, but they can't

overrule the plan of God. Nothing is weightier than his will. And not only

does Bailim know that now, but in 24-1 we also see that through this experience,

he abandons the sorcery he has relied on and learns to seek God's face instead.

But it's only temporary. But for now, the spirit of God was empowering

his words, not evil spirits. But the lock is still not satisfied, of course, and he's

like, third time's a a charm let's go do this

again but how about this time you don't say anything good or bad he's really

grasping at straws here but again bailum has nothing but good words, and in fact, words that are terrifying to

Belock, because they go against everything he was hoping to hear.

He says, he shall eat up the nations his adversaries and break their bones in pieces.

Yikes. But Bailum reminds him that he can only say what God tells him to say.

...