Blessing to God's People

"Blessing to God's People" - Numbers 23:1-12 Balak, king of Moab and Balaam, pagan prophet of the territory of Moab (Numbers 31:8) were busy doing Israel as much damage as possible while Moses and the elders of Israel do not seem to notice anything that happens. God throws away the enemy's plans and changes into blessing the curse that Balak and Balaam planned.

I. Plans are begun to curse Israel.

A. The people are oblivious to everything.

1. They are on their way through Moab, without imagining all that has been plotted against them.

2. In life there are always great preparations to curse.

3. It was to commit the God of Israel to forsake His people and to side with Moab.

4. In his sacrifice it was as if God desired to eat the flesh of calves and drink the blood of rams.

5. This was not faith or obedience.

6. The curse is changed into blessing, absolute, and total power of God who controls everything.

7. Balaam retreats to a height alone and Balak stayed there according to Babylonian custom.

8. But Balaam harbored the idea that Jehovah would meet him, since being aware of his sin and knowing that God had met him in anger the previous time.

9. (V. 3) He had reason to speak in doubt: "Perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me."

10. The truth is that whatever his intention, God was determined to make "him an instrument of His glory" and of Israel, and so "God came to meet Balaam" (vv. 4).

11. God was going to compel him "to pronounce in honor of Jehovah and Israel a praise so stupendous, that it would leave forever without excuse "all those who" would take up arms against the Israel of God and the God of Israel.

12. (V. 4) Upon meeting God, Balaam boasted of the preparation he had made: seven altars I have prepared, and, on each altar, I have offered a calf and a sheep.

13. All these sacrifices were great abomination to God, but God to fulfill His own design (plan, thought, purpose, intention) "put word in the mouth of Balaam."

14. Balaam pronounced his blessing in the very ears of Balak.

15. He declares and he is included in this blessing that Israel is saved, beyond the reach of the poisonous curse darts he prepared for them.

16. He acknowledges that his design was to curse them; that Balak called him from Aram, his country, and that he came with this intention (vv. 7).

17. (V. 8) He acknowledges that the attempt has failed and confesses his own inability to put it into practice.

18. He cannot utter against Israel a single bad word: How can I curse those whom God has not curse? (V. 8)

19. Balaam does not imply that he does not want to curse, but that he cannot curse.

20. Clear confession: a) of the weakness and impotence of his magical powers and b) of the sovereignty and dominion of the God Almighty.

21. He comes to say that he cannot do more than God allows him to do.

22. Of the inviolable security of God's people.

23. (V. 9) He declares that Israel is blissful: he is peculiar (his own, different from others) and happy to be different from the rest of the nations. From the rocky peaks I will see them.

24. It seems that it was a great surprise to Balaam to see such an extensive camp with such excellent signs of discipline, of good order and so harmonious distribution, when it is very probable that it would have been presented to him as a rough and disorderly mob, infecting the surrounding countries (around another) in parties of vagabonds.

25. (V. 10) A formidable company that no one could tell: Who will count Jacob's dust?

26. Balak was concerned with the great number of the Israelites (22:3).

27. He notices first: the dust of Jacob no doubt alluding to the seed of Jacob, which had been prophesied to be as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 28:14); secondly, the number of a quarter of Israel, alluding perhaps to the formation of the people into four squadrons.

28. (V. 10) Let me die the death of the righteous, that is, of the Israelites, and my last (end, last period of life) be like yours.

29. First, all men must die, even the righteous must die: Let me die the death of the righteous.

30. Second: Blessed are the righteous, not only while they live, but also when they die.

31. Third: It shows that his religious opinions are better than his practical resolutions (solving a solution to a difficulty).

32. Die like the righteous, but he does not live the way of the righteous.

33. They want their end, but they don't want their way or what is the same, they wanted to be holy in heaven, but sinners on earth.

34. As if Christianity was only a religion "for good to die."

35. (V. 11) His reaction was intended to honor God with his sacrifices and to "obtain from God" a favorable response according to his wishes.

36. Seeing that God has not responded as he intended, he forgets Jehovah.

37. Balaam comes to tell him that he had no choice but to pronounce what God "had put in his mouth" (V. 12). Amen.