The Children of Israel are finally poised to enter into the land promised to their forefathers. The miraculous defeat of the two giant warrior-kings Sichon and Og, once entrusted by the neighboring countries with providing security to the region, compels the newly appointed king of Moav, Balak, to find a spiritual solution to stop the advances of the Divinely-assisted people. He asks the notorious Mesopotamian prophet and sorcerer Bilaam to come to his aid, promising him abundant treasure in return. Despite his awareness of the undeniable supernatural hand guiding the Israelites’ recent victories and their original exodus from Egypt, Bilaam treks hundreds of miles eager to be the solution to the Jewish problem.
After three attempts to curse the Children of Israel are involuntarily replaced with beautiful blessings and praise, the prophet claiming to know G-d’s Mind prepares for his fourth shot. As he sets his eyes on the Jewish encampment, a prophecy of an eventual redeemer from Jacob’s seed bursts forth: Like a star shining from earth’s edge, he will gather in the dispersed nation of Israel from the edges of the world. This king will end evil tyranny on the world stage and usher in a time of absolute peace. Arrogant Bilaam not only showers the nation with blessings, he’s the harbinger of G-d’s ultimate plan for humanity—the coming of Moshiach.
The annals of Tanach are filled with righteous, G-d-fearing agents of the Divine word who are imbued with the holy spirit of their Creator and committed to the precise transmission of His message. Messianic prophecies cover significant portions of the book of Yeshayah, Yechezkel and others, these accounts painting the landscape of the Moshiach reality. Why does G-d choose the rogue Bilaam, at the height of his treachery, to be the first prophet to herald the arrival of King Moshiach?
