Balak

Balak was the king of Moab who hired the diviner Balaam to curse Israel before their advance into Canaan (Numbers 22–24). Fearful of Israel's military prowess after their defeat of Sihon and Og, he sent messengers twice to Balaam with increasingly generous offers of reward, and when Balaam arrived, took him to three different high places overlooking the Israelite camp, expecting that a change of perspective would enable a curse. Each time Balaam pronounced blessings rather than curses, and Balak's frustration grew: 'I called you to curse my enemies and behold, you have blessed them these three times!' (Numbers 24:10). Micah 6:5 recalls Balak's scheme as a foil to God's saving acts: 'that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.'