This Week's Scriptures: Numbers 22:2-25:9; Micah 5:6–6:8; Romans 11:25-32.

This week our Torah reading takes us to a situation in Israel's history which is frequently repeated in different forms in the nations today, and is also a challenge to us as individuals. It records the reaction of Balak, king of Moab, to the presence of the Israelites on his borders. He knew of their victories over Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, who had resisted their passage.

So in fear, he thought himself wise to call Balaam, a gentile false prophet and soothsayer, who lived in Aram, by the River Euphrates, to come to Moab (>350 miles) and curse^2,3 Israel, thereby hoping that the power of divination would enable him to defeat them in battle. Balak knew that Balaam had the power to curse using occult incantations (Num 22:6-7).

Balaam Sees with His Eyes, But Lacks Spiritual Vision

Balaam called on his gods (using seven different names) and received God's clear instruction: "Do not go to Balak. You must not put a curse³ on those people [Israel] because they are blessed" (Num 22:12). However, God also knew the evil intention of his heart (greedy, haughty, proud, hating Israel, and seeking riches and honour for himself) and had other plans, to give Balaam the spiritual vision he lacked and to turn his intention to curse Israel into both a blessing for His covenant people, and a wonderful prophetic word of the coming King, referring to the promised Messiah who would come to His people.

Balaam's proclamation, "How good are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel" (Num 24:5) is recited to this day when Jewish people enter the synagogue for Shabbat services.

God's anger was aroused because of Balaam's heart motives to curse Israel, and on his journey to Balak, the Angel of the Lord (malach Adonai, a term often referring to the Lord Jesus as the messenger of God) stood in the narrow roadway three times with a drawn sword, to oppose him. But it was Balaam's donkey who saw Him and she turned aside, then pressed herself against the wall, and finally lay down under Balaam.

When Balaam beat her repeatedly, God opened the donkey's mouth and she spoke to him: "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" (Num 22:28).

Then God opened Balaam's eyes to see the Angel of the Lord and told him that He had opposed him because his way was reckless (Hebrew yarat = contrary, perverse) before Him. Balaam was brought to acknowledge his sin (Num 22:4), and offered to turn back. But God again had other plans. Greed and hatred of Israel had blinded Balaam's vision, yet God permitted him to go to Balak - but only to speak what he was given to say.

Those with true prophetic vision today speak with fear and trembling only and exactly what God gives them to say.

God Gives Foolish and Evil Balaam Spiritual Sight to Bless His Covenant People

Thus God opened Balaam's spiritual eyes to see Israel in a completely new light. Balaam's response was a miracle: (a) he fell flat on his face before the God of Israel; (b) he saw Israel's true condition in the sight of God; and (c) he was given four wonderful prophetic oracles to confound Balak:

1. He saw God's view of Israel: a people who live apart and are not reckoned among the nations; "How can I curse or denounce² those whom God has not cursed or denounced²?" (Num 23:8). Natural sight shows a nation like any other, to be destroyed when it suits, but with spiritual sight, Balaam 'sees' that they are separate, blessed, kept for a special purpose, and distinguished from all other people by God's Presence (Ex 33:16).
2. He saw God's sovereignty in Israel: He is their King, and fulfils His promises. Natural sight shows a very large rabble, but with spiritual sight, the Lord their God is with them, and no occult powers that Balaam can use will affect them, or change God's blessing (Num 23:21-23).
3. He saw God's grace upon Israel: Israel has beauty, order and fruitfulness, like a garden. Natural sight shows a wilderness, but with spiritual sight, they are recipients of God's blessing and protection (Num 24:5-7). In addition, Balaam proclaims that those who bless Israel will themselves be blessed, and those who curse1 them will themselves be cursed3 (Num 24:9) - a confirmation of Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses^{1 you I will curse3}." Many Western nations today have turned from God and using only natural sight have cursed^1,2 Israel and come under God's curse³.
4. He saw Israel's coming King and His Kingdom (the one whose eyes now see clearly): Israel's King will be their Messiah, the star that will come out of Jacob (He will be Jewish), and the sceptre that will rise out of Israel (Jacob transformed by God to complete God's plan and purpose).

Balaam came to curse Israel but was unable to, because God had blessed them. God chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27) and He can speak to us, and our nations, through foolish Balaam. The natural man without the Spirit does not accept the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14). This same truth is effective today. Those who are foolish and curse¹ Israel (even just make light of them, consider them trifling, just a problem, yet of no importance, or who hold them in contempt or despise them), will receive the full bitter execrating curse3 of God. God is not a man that He should lie. He speaks and He fulfils His word (Num 23:19). Beware, O Man, if you would even lightly curse¹ Israel.

Our Response: A Right Heart Attitude and Spiritual Sight

Would we be true prophets, and hear God's voice, or soothsayers and fortune-tellers to know the future? Will we, like the leaders in many nations today, curse His people and suffer the wrath of the God of Israel? Many of our young people have been raised on pagan myths of Middle Earth or Harry Potter, and been enticed into occult practices 'because it's fun'. As Balaam found, this is dangerous country and he died when Israel fought against Midian, on account of enticing Israel into occult practices (Num 31:8).

Our natural vision needs to be transformed so we can see with spiritual sight. God has shown us what is good, and how to live as He requires: "to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God" (Micah 6:8); to fear the Lord, to walk in all His ways, to love Him and serve Him with all our heart and with all our soul, and to observe His commands (Deut 10:12-13), and this includes blessing Israel.

Be encouraged in this, for God will save His people Israel, because He keeps his covenant promise, and His plan is to show mercy on all mankind (Jew and Gentile) on account of their disobedience. Let us, as God amazingly did through Balaam, bless Israel His people and not curse them. When their King, Yeshua (Jesus), returns, He will bring salvation to all Israel (Rom 11:25-32). Hallelu-Yah!

Note

There are three main Hebrew words for curse, with increasing severity:

1 qaleil, to make light of, consider of no importance, to hold in contempt, to despise.

2 qavah, to malign, demean, belittle, denounce, despise.

3 aror, to bring a bitter, execrating curse.

This Week's Scriptures: Numbers 22:2-25:9; Micah 5:6–6:8; Romans 11:25-32.

Author: Greg Stevenson