Numbers 24:1-13, “When Balaam saw that it
pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for
omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
(2) And Balaam lifted up his eyes
and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon
him, (3)
and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the
son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, (4)
the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the
Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:
(5) How lovely are your tents, O
Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! (6) Like palm groves that stretch afar, like
gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees
beside the waters. (7) Water shall flow from his buckets, and his
seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his
kingdom shall be exalted. (8) God brings him out of Egypt and is for him
like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,
and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his
arrows. (9) He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like
a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed
are those who curse you." (10) And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam,
and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, "I called you
to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. (11)
Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, 'I will certainly honor
you,' but the LORD has held you back from honor." (12)
And Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you
sent to me, (13) 'If Balak should give me his house full of
silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do
either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak'?”
Balaam’s life and understanding has been dramatically challenged by
virtue of Balak’s request to come and curse the people of Israel. Prior to
this, Balaam was a medium, a seer, who sought to negotiate between men and the
spirit world. But as Scripture so clearly teaches us, there is only one God,
secondly that we are not to consult with those who claim to have access to the
spirit world and thirdly, seeking to call up spirits or evoke the favour of the
gods is a very dangerous thing that will bring more evil and harm than it will
good. This had been Balaam’s way, looking for omens, seeking to consult with
spirits and to request the help of the spirits.
Through Balak’s request, Balaam had his eyes opened! He had several
encounters with the only true living God. He had heard God speak to him, he had
seen the angel of the LORD and been struck with terror, and God had spoken
through him several times. Balaam had encountered something far greater than
ever before and had not been able to do anything or say anything other than
what God had told him. Even when faced with the threats of Balak, the potential
of not just losing a great financial reward, but also possibly his life, Balaam
continued to obey God.
In this passage Balaam delivers two more oracles, and they would have
been very hard for Balak to hear.
The first oracle centres around Israel and the God of Israel. The
nation is described as beautiful, plentiful, prosperous, great, powerful,
mighty in war and like a lion that is not only fearsome but also unstoppable
when in full stride. God is described as being Israel’s deliverer, the one who
saved them out of Egypt in His great power. What would have been frightening
for Balak to hear, is when Balaam declares that God is using Israel as His
weapon, with which He will punish and overthrow the godless nations. Finally,
Balaam declares that God had chosen to bless the people of Israel and
therefore, anyone who would come against them, oppose them, will ultimately be
coming against God, and as a result will be cursed by God.
The second of these oracles would have been even harder for Balak to
hear, for in this final oracle Balak hears about his impending doom. God is
about to act in divine judgement and power against the nations that stand
against His people. They will be laid low, reduced to rubble, overcome,
crushed, destroyed! God will show the nations His power and that His blessing
is upon Israel.
Any hope Balak had of defeating the Israelites had vanished, and thus
he and Balaam parted company.
As with the previous chapter, we see again God’s sovereignty and
faithfulness to His covenant promises. What God has planned and purposed cannot
be hindered or thwarted by man, furthermore, if any man should seek to stand in
God’s way, God will remove them.
There, however, is a gem hidden in this chapter, one that points back
to Genesis 3 and points forward to John 19. Look at verse 17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but
not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of
Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of
Sheth.”
The language in this verse is distinctly messianic, whilst the
immediate context is that of the coming destruction of the godless nations, it
also has a future and ultimate context in Christ.
We see language here speaking of a star rising up, who will have great
power, power to conquer and not just conquer but crush the head of his enemies.
The link to Genesis 3:15 and the promise of the one who would crush the head of
the serpent is clear to see. As is the final work of Christ on the cross, whereby
he defeats the devil, sin and death, when He crushes all his enemies and breaks
the curse, in that cry of victory, “It
is finished”, John 19:30. God’s covenant promises and sovereign purposes
are being revealed once more and as always they point to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This chapter should lead us to joyful worship as we see God’s
faithfulness and rejoice in the fact that He has done this work. The Star has
risen, the Conqueror has come and the victory has been won. We should further
rejoice in the fact that God has graciously allowed us to share in Christ’s
victory and receive its benefits and blessings. Christ’s victory has become our
salvation, so that instead of being justly crushed under God’s wrath, we are redeemed
and saved by Christ.
All-wise, sovereign and merciful God, how
we rejoice today in the knowledge that what You purpose to do, will come to
pass. We thank and praise You, that in eternity past You purposed to show grace
and salvation to us through Christ. The joy and hope we have today is a result
of You having been faithful to this purpose and promise and have brought it all
to pass through Christ. Thank You that because of Christ we are not just spared
from Your wrath, but are also able to share in the victory of Christ. With
great joy in our hearts, we look forward to the day when we shall see the Star
out of Jacob, the serpent-Crusher, and the Conquering King for ourselves. May
we adore You and trust You for the days to come, resting in Your sovereign mercy
and faithfulness. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment