Numbers - Chapter 23

Numbers 23.1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. Numbers 23.2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. Numbers 23.3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. Numbers 23.4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. Numbers 23.5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. Numbers 23.6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. Numbers 23.7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. Numbers 23.8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Numbers 23.9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Numbers 23.10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! Numbers 23.11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. Numbers 23.12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth? Numbers 23.13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. Numbers 23.14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. Numbers 23.15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder. Numbers 23.16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. Numbers 23.17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken? Numbers 23.18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: Numbers 23.19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23.20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. Numbers 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. Numbers 23.22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. Numbers 23.23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! Numbers 23.24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. Numbers 23.25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. Numbers 23.26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do? Numbers 23.27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. Numbers 23.28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. Numbers 23.29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. Numbers 23.30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Numbers : Chapter 23

The Transformation of Curses into Blessings

Numbers 23 immerses us in the fascinating story of Balaam, a prophet whose actions illustrate how God transforms curses into blessings. This powerful passage recounts Balaam's first two attempts to curse Israel, attempts that resulted in divine blessings. This chapter highlights God's faithfulness to His promises and His protection of His chosen people.

The Immutability of Divine Purposes

Numbers 23 reveals the immutability of God's purposes and the futility of opposing them. Through this text, we are invited to consider five biblical passages that illuminate the enduring principles of this foundational chapter.

Illuminating Bible Passages

Romans 11:29: "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Paul echoes the principle expressed in Balaam's blessings in Numbers 23, emphasizing that God does not change His mind about His promises.

James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James affirms a principle similar to that of Numbers 23:19, concerning the immutability of God.

1 Samuel 15:29: "He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or repent, for he is not one to repent." Samuel expresses a principle similar to that of Numbers 23:19, confirming that God does not lie and does not change His mind.

Malachi 3:6: "I, the Lord, do not change. Therefore, you, O descendants of Jacob, have not been destroyed." Malachi reaffirms the principle of God's immutability as expressed in Numbers 23.

Ephesians 1:4: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Paul reflects the concept of divine election that appears in Balaam's blessings on Israel in Numbers 23.

Conclusion

Through these passages, we understand that God's Word is firm and His promises unwavering. May we always remember that, even in times of doubt, God's faithfulness shines like a light in the darkness.