King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, March 05, 2025
Chapters: Numbers 22-24
Message: Numbers: Balak and Balaam
Hello My Friend,
[Curse: Malediction; the expression of a wish of evil to another, Condemnation; sentence of divine vengeance on sinners. Bless: To praise; to glorify, for benefits received; To make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns; To make happy in a future life.] As we continue in the reading of Numbers we learn that the world fears God’s people because they know where their future lies and God’s people truly are blessed and even though they get afflicted nothing and no one can separate them from God.
[Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.]
Yesterday we learned that Moses and Aaron were forbade to cross over the Jordan and into the promised land due to disbelief because Moses hit the rock at Meribah instead of talking to it, Aaron died, and the Israelites become dishearten over their long journey to the promise land. Today we learn that the natives of the land were dishearten also over the fact that the Israelites were close by.
[Numbers 22:1-4 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.]
While they camped along the plains of Moab, the king of Moab, aligned himself with the Midianites of all people in an attempt to curse the Israelites. These Midianites were not from the same tribe of Moses’ father-in-law, their territory was by the Red Sea, near Mount Sinai. Balak, feared that the only way to defeat them was for a curse to be put upon the Israelites. Among the Midianites was a known sorcerer named Balaam, who happened to also be able to talk to God, Balak sought him to put the curse on them.
[Numbers 22:5-6 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.]
Balaam was known as the psychic or “wise men” of their time, Balak’s thinking was that if God turned His back on Israel then they would powerless against them. It was not uncommon for the people to bring prophets and wise men gifts to sweeten up the offer. Well, Balak gave Balaam an offer he could not refuse.
[Numbers 22:7-11 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. 8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. 9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? 10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.]
Even though Balaam was well aware of God and His hand on Israel his love for money and fame overthrew any faithfulness to Him. Well, God, may have been angry with the Israelites who were causing the judgments through their rebellion and disrespect for God, but His faithful were still among them. God actually confronts Balaam.
[Numbers 22:12-13,15-17 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. 13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you. 15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: 17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.]
God knows what we are doing, where we are going, and exactly who we are with, and He will ask us what in the world are we doing if we are going down the wrong path. So, here is Balaam, being summoned again by Balak to come to him, this time he makes it more appealing by sending his own sons. Balaam was blessed with the gift of prophecy, and thought he could use his gift for financial and political gain.
[Numbers 22:20-23 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.]
Balaam did have enough sense to know that he cannot do anything to anyone without God’s permission, but still went with them. Now, even though God is telling him that he can go with them if they called for him, He knew that it was for ill intentions on the Israelites, which was why He got angry with him when he went with them. God, was actually attempting to stop Balaam from following them by using his donkey.
[Numbers 22:26-29 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.]
The angel of the LORD is none other than Jesus Himself, and even though God had to deal with the Israelites that did not keep Him from protecting them. Jesus, is more than just our Saviour from death and hell, He is also our Saviour from the curse of sin, the curse of the world and the curse of Satan himself. Jesus, is in a sense an angel of mercy because He attempts to keep us from sinning, which is what was going on here with the donkey, [1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.]
I do not know about you, but if I heard a donkey uttering its sounds and could understand it then I would not be arguing with it, I would be trying to figure out why I can understand it. Well, Balaam, did not even stop to think about that, but got the shock of his life when he discovered why she was so spooked to begin with.
[Numbers 22:31-33 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: 33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.]
God, knew that Balaam had ill intentions for meeting up with Balak, which was why He tried to stop him. Those whom have been saved from the curse of death upon their soul are sent out into the world to warn the lost of the curse of sin, they are not sent out to turn other Christians against God. While the saved cannot be cursed, sadly many do in fact have ill intentions toward their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Nevertheless, Jesus, will forever protect us, [Titus 1:10-11 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.]
Why Balaam was even able to speak directly to God is beyond comprehension, but He knew where Balaam’s heart truly lied, and it was not to serve Him. Right there Balaam knew that God was real and confessed his sin. Nevertheless, God, allowed him to meet up with Balak, but only to speak what He told him to say, and needless to say Balak was not very hospitable.
[Numbers 22:34-35,37-38 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. 35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour? 38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.]
This has Satan’s name written all over it, only he would guilt someone into believing that ill intentions placed on God’s people brings great honor. Balaam, sends Balak to a third place set up seven altars and offer up seven oxen and seven rams upon each of them, and when he does that stand by the offering.
[Numbers 23:1,3,-8,10-11 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 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. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 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! 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.]
Satan, is also good at mimicking God, even when it comes to the sacrifices and offerings offered up to God. He does this so that it might appear that God is with them, but notice the way that the offerings are presented, they are not as God commands. This is why we always need to try the spirits, evil spirits will always give hints that entice people to go against the Word of God, [1 John 4:1-2 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:]
What is the last end of the righteous? Eternal life with Jesus Christ. Since God was present with His people and sanctified them with the righteousness which He desires, it was a privilege to belong to this peculiar people and to share also in the final blessing of eternal life which all desire, [John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.]
Balak, saw that instead of being cursed, they were blessed, he thought perhaps if they went away from the camp and only saw the one forth of them that he could offer the same offerings and then they will be cursed. He tries a second time, this time taking Balaam to the to the top of Pisgah.
[Numbers 23:13-14,17,19-20 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. 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. 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? 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? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.]
Pisgah is the mountain God sent Moses, from the top you could see the promise land, which was Canaan before He told him that his journey was over. It is also a foreshadow of the amazing place that every saved, born again Christian will overlook as they fly over into eternity with Christ. One of my favorite hymns describes it perfectly, Sweet Hour of Prayer, [Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share, Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight. This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise, To seize the everlasting prize, And shout, while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”]
It is truly only by the grace of God, through our faith in Christ that we are saved. Let me tell you, God deals with His people His way, and no one is going to tell Him how to handle them. Praise God! And once again Balak attempts to have Balaam curse them, he took him to another area, but this time Balaam comes to some sense when he finally realizes that enchantments were not going to work.
[Numbers 24:1-2,4-5,8-9 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.]
We just read about Israel defeating the Amalekites. Agag was a common name of the Amalekite Kings, as Abimelech was of the Philistines, Pharaoh of the Egyptians, Caesar of the Romans. However, this is a prophecy of the first king of Israel, Saul, and of his conquering Agag, king of Amalek, [1 Samuel 15:7-8 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.]
Well, at this point Balak is beside himself, he was down right angry at Balaam because he knew that Israel was about to be blessed even more, [Numbers 24:10-14 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour. 12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak? 14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.]
Balaam knew that he was powerless against the Almighty God, in fact, there is a much bigger kingdom to be recognized here. God will send one KING, who is higher than all kings, one in which Christ will reign as KING. Watch. as God gives Balaam this incredible vision.
[Numbers 24:17-20,25 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. 20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. 25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.]
The one who broke the curse of death for all who open their eyes to the truth, Christ Himself the beautiful Star of Bethlehem, and He will save us from the curse as long as we believe in His perfect, sinless death on the cross, that He was buried in a tomb, and three days later arose from the dead, [Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.]
When you stop to think about the way Israel has, and still provokes God over and over again, you have to wonder why He still protects. It is a little something that we like to call grace and I do not care what era of time we are born into, God’s grace is the only thing going for any of us. We Christians are no different than Israel, we provoke God just as much as them, and yet, He still protects and keeps us just the same, [Leviticus 26:45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for giving us the power to break the curse of death and hell too, when we called on You as our Saviour, You instantly broke that curse, and anointed us with Your blood. Now, no one can touch us, not even Satan, but that does not stop him from tempting us. Lord, lead us and guide us, put Your hedge of protection around us and shield us from all his evil tactics. Help us to keep our eyes on You so that we do not fall into his temptations, give us Your strength to walk away from all evil, and even know when getting near it. And give us Your mercy and grace to suffice the day, and see us through. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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