Given Balaam's reaction and the fact that he obeys God, I tend to think this isn't the first conversation Balaam has had with God. Maybe that's why he has a reputation for having the power to bless or curse and have it stick. Maybe Balaam gets his power from God. I know we have a problem with Balaam's profession. But God often speaks and deals with people outside our comfort zone. He interacts with thieves on the cross, prostitutes, lepers, the insane, even Republicans (Oops, sorry, I meant publicans). God speaks to and saves who He will. Let's never presuppose what God will do. Odds are we'll guess wrong.
God speaks to Balaam and he obeys. How many of us can say that?
Even when Balaam attempts to push God a little and see if he can accept some of the riches he's being offered, God corrects him instead of killing him. That's significant. I don't think God is just using Balaam to achieve His purposes. There's something more here. Balaam has the courage to speak out for God when it's not popular. He defies the king's wishes when he speaks for God and curses the Moabites. He does it three times. God even puts a prophecy of Christ's coming in Balaam's mouth.
All of this makes it even odder when, in the readings yet to come, Balaam will plot to seduce God's people. What happened to Balaam? He knows how powerful God is. He's had a brush with one of the Lord's angels and has prophesied to the King regarding God. So why does he try to go against the Lord? Is Balaam the prototype preacher gone bad? What was he thinking?
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