The appointment of Balaam comes at a time when he portrayed the uttermost fidelity with the first family.
He is a disciple of partisan politics ever since he came out openly supporting the ruling party National Resistance Movement through offering of his public address system. I don’t know what is at his heart but at least I can see that he is interested in leadership.
He has been living and acting like a smart beggar (I remember one time during a television talk show he was referred to as “a useful idiot”), wanting and yet not desperate which has qualified him the space to reach the state house.
Balaam is now a minister, a best friend to the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) as well as the first son Lt. Gen MK, at the same time he is now seen as a homeboy while at state house.
He can freely sip and drink from the pot inside the corners of those chambers of the fountain of honour.
Biblically, Balaam means the Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites (Numbers 31:8; compare. 16).
He resided at Pethor (Deuteronomy 23:4), in Mesopotamia (Numbers. 23:7). It is evident that though dwelling among idolaters he had some knowledge of the true God; and was held in such reputation that it was supposed that he whom he blessed was blessed, and he whom he cursed was cursed.
When the Israelites were encamped on the plains of Moab, on the east of Jordan, by Jericho, Balak sent for Balaam “from Aram, out of the mountains of the east,” to curse them; but by the remarkable interposition of God he was utterly unable to fulfil Balak’s wish, however desirous he was to do so.
The apostle Peter refers (2 Peter 2:15, 16) to this as an historical event. In Micah 6:5 reference also is made to the relations between Balaam and Balak.
Though Balaam could not curse Israel, yet he suggested a mode by which the divine displeasure might be caused to descend upon them (Numbers 25).
In a battle between Israel and the Midianites Balaam was slain while fighting on the side of Balak (Numbers 31:8).
The “doctrine of Balaam” is spoken of in Revelation 2:14, in allusion to the fact that it was through the teaching of Balaam that Balak learned the way by which the Israelites might be led into sin.
Balaam was constrained to utter prophecies regarding the future of Israel of wonderful magnificence and beauty of expression (Numbers 24:5-9, 17).
The way forward for Balaam is now to embrace the opportunity and secure it by preparing to stand as an area Member of Parliament for Masindi where his ancestry hails from.
This will widen his delegate integrity as well as his business empire and more importantly it will also be a proof that his appointment and leadership is from God.
Balaam is aggressive in what he wants to achieve, he is a man that can lie, slow down flat on the ground like a cat hunting a mouse and waits for the perfect moment to scoop his pray.
He started with vibing “bivulu”, arresting the minds of the adolescent worldly youth. He moved to preaching to them what he believes in politically and we have seen many of them starting to follow him and now, with the ministerial appointment, it is like he has been handed the whole sea of the young generation and the old men who refused to mature.
In Balaam’s legacy we see that he has caught the prey. He is now a juice worth the squeeze to President Museveni. Balaam! Remember thy creator and ancestry in the days of thy political carrier.
The writer is an Ass. Prof of Theology at LWITIS, a Church planter and a Preacher at Joy Baptist Church.
Email: abookihope@gmail.com
Tel: +256782086010
Great piece of work