When Balaam was asked to curse Israel, God gave a pretty clear NOPEIf you don’t remember the story, King Balak of the Moabites comes to Balaam and says, “I want you to climb up on this mountain above the camp of the Israelites and curse them for me so that they aren’t a threat to my people.” And he offers Balaam a lot of money to do this.And Balaam prays about it repeatedly and begs God for permission to do this. And like I said, God shot it down. At least at first.When He actually allowed Balaam to go up on that mountain, it was with the stipulation that he could only say what God allowed him to say.Now, what was the big deal with Balaam going up on this mountain? If some guy wants to climb up on a big hill and yell his head off saying mean things about you, what’s the harm in that? I mean, we might kind of scoff at him and say, “what an idiot,” but we probably aren’t that worried about it. Cory Booker got up and yelled his head off for 25 hours straight. Didn’t have any effect on my life and probably not anybody else’s either. As the old saying goes, sticks and stones could break my bones, but words can never hurt me. So why should we care about Balaam doing the same thing?Well obviously, Balak thinks it would be pretty significant; he’s willing to shell out a lot of money only to have Balaam curse the Israelites. And God clearly didn’t treat Balaam’s attempted curse on the people of Israel as empty words or hokey superstition.Was there something deeper going on behind Balaam’s actions?I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. Turn to Numbers 23, and let’s get weird.Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here:https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.0:00 - Introduction2:00 - Failed Curses10:30 - A Successful Curse19:00 - The Doctrine of Balaam22:25 - Next Time & Mailbag24:45 - Corrupting the TabernacleIf you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.comHosted by Luke TaylorIf you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

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