Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: The Lord give Israel some victories against the Moabites, the people rebel again and are bitten by snakes and many of them die, Israel repents and asks Moses to pray for them, Moses prays for the people and God tells him to make a snake to put on a pole so the people can look and be healed, a prophet named Balam is summoned by a king to curse Israel and does not fully obey the Lord, and the Lord nearly kills Balam, but he is protected by his donkey.
The king of the Canaanites fights against Israel and takes some prisoners, so Israel makes a vow and tells the Lord if He will deliver them into their hands, they will utterly destroy their cities. The Lord listens, and they fulfill their vow.
Israel journeys from Mt. Hor by the Red Sea to go around Edom when "the soul of the people [becomes] very discouraged," and they speak out against God and Moses, using the same words as before ("There is no food or water!"), with the addendum, "And our soul loathes this worthless bread!" So the Lord sends fiery serpents and many of them die. Then, the people come to Moses, repent, and ask him to pray for them. The Lord tells Moses to fashion a serpent and set it on a pole, so that when anyone bitten looks at it, they will live.
Israel moves on and camps in the wilderness east of Moab, then in the wilderness by the Amorites, and then on to Beer, which is at the well where Moses gave the people water. There Moses sings a song, speaking to the well and telling it to spring up; he also tells the people to sing to it. They wind up at a place overlooking a wasteland. They send a message to the kind of the Amorites asking if they can pass through the land without eating or drinking anything. But he refuses and gathers his people against them, and they fight, but Israel wins and takes possession of his land. And they dwell in all the cities and villages of the Amorites.
Then, Moses sends people to spy out another city of the Amorites, and they take it as well. Then, they journey to a place named Bashan, and the king of Bashan battles against them. The Lord tells Moses that He has delivered the king with his people and land into their hands, and Israel prevails and kills all of them, and they take possession of his land.
Then, they move and camp in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho. Then, Balak king of the Moabites hears all about Israel, and his people are afraid. Also, Moab tells the elders of Midian that Israel will take over everything, and Balak sends messengers to a well-known prophet named Balaam and asks him to come and curse Israel for him so he can drive them out of the land. So the elders of Moab and Midian depart with a diviners fee and go to Balaam with Balak's message. Balaam greets them and tells them to lodge there for the night and that "[he] will bring back word to [them] as the Lord speaks to [him]." God speaks to Balaam and asks who the men are, and Balaam tells Him. The Lord tells him not to go with them or to curse the people, because they are blessed.
The next day, Balaam gives the men God's message. When they return to Balak, he decides to send more and even nobler princes than before to ask Balaam again to curse Israel, this time with a promise of a reward. But Balaam says he would not do it even for all of Balak's house. However... he tells them to stay the night again. (Is he being double-minded? It seems so.) God comes to Balaam at night and tells him to go with them, but only to speak what He says to them. The next day, Balaam saddles his donkey and goes with the men to Balak. Then, God's anger is aroused because he has gone, and the Angel of the Lord stands in his path to fight him. Balaam is riding on his donkey with his two servants next to him, and when his donkey sees the Angel with a drawn sword, she turns aside into a field, and Balaam strikes her. Then, the Angel stands in a narrow path between vineyards. When the donkey sees him again, he pushes Balaam against a wall, crushing his foot, and he strikes her again. Then, the Angel goes further on in a narrow place having no escape. When the donkey sees the Angel the third time, she lays down under Balaam, and he strikes her with his staff. At this point, the Lord opens the donkeys mouth, and she asks Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?" Balaam says, "Because you have abused me! If I had a sword I would kill you!" She responds, "Am I not your donkey? Have I ever done this to you before?" Then, the Lord opens Balaam's eyes, and he sees the Angel of the Lord with a drawn sword. Balaam then falls on his face, and the Angel rebukes him for striking his donkey. He says He has come to fight against Balaam because "[his] way is perverse against the Lord." He says if it were not for his donkey, he would surely have killed him and let the donkey live. Balaam admits that he has sinned. He says he will turn back, but the Angel tells him to go with the men to Balak, only speaking what the Lord tells him.
When Balak hears Balaam is coming, he goes to meet him at Moab and asks him why he did not come the first time. Balaam says he has come but has no power and can only say whatever God gives him to speak. They journey together, Balak offers him oxen and sheep, and he takes him to the high places of Baal in order to better observe the Israelites.
Thoughts/Discussion Questions:
The Lord still gave Israel small victories; even though they chose to wander in the wilderness, He never forsook them.
God does not ask us questions because He does not know the answer. He asks them to test us. And yet.... He already knows our answers; He just wants the issue to come out and be dealt with. Balaam's actions showed that he was not only being double-minded, but walking in the fear of man (people-pleasing) rather than the fear of the Lord.