Numbers Chapter 23
The Prophecy of Balaam
A. The first prophecy.
1. (Numbers 23:1-3) Sacrifice and preparation.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height.
Balaam began his ritual preparations by commanding Balak to build seven altars and to prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice. This was an excessive number, symbolizing an attempt to impress or manipulate the divine. Both men participated in offering a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam then told Balak to remain by his burnt offering while he went to a desolate height, anticipating that the Lord might meet him there. His words, “perhaps the Lord will come to meet me,” reveal that he did not have the intimate certainty of God’s presence as Moses did, but rather approached God like a pagan diviner hoping for a sign. Balaam’s approach reflects superstition rather than true faith. The desolate height was chosen to create an atmosphere of isolation and spiritual expectation, a setting in which Balaam thought divine communication might occur.
2. (Numbers 23:4-6) God meets Balaam and sends him back to Balak.
And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
Surprisingly, the Lord met Balaam. Even though Balaam’s motives were corrupt and his heart covetous, God sovereignly chose to speak through him. Balaam proudly announced his ritual acts to the Lord, emphasizing the seven altars and the sacrifices he had performed, as if to gain favor through them. Yet God was not impressed by his ceremonies or offerings. Instead, the Lord placed His own message into Balaam’s mouth, overriding his intentions. The phrase, “the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth,” emphasizes divine control—God took command of Balaam’s speech so that His truth, and not Balaam’s desire for reward, would be declared.
When Balaam returned, Balak and all the princes of Moab stood anxiously by their sacrifices, expecting that Balaam’s rituals had earned them a favorable prophecy. They were ready to hear what their money had supposedly purchased. Yet they were about to learn that no amount of wealth or ritual could change the will of the true and living God.
This section demonstrates that God is not limited by human corruption. He can speak truth even through an unworthy vessel. The same God who opened the mouth of a donkey in the previous chapter now opened the mouth of a prophet with the heart of a hireling. Spiritual power or prophetic speech, therefore, is not proof of godliness. As the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”
3. (Numbers 23:7-10) God’s word to Balak through Balaam.
And he took up his oracle and said:
“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! A people dwelling alone,
Not reckoning itself among the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”
Balaam began his first oracle by addressing Balak directly, recounting how the king of Moab had summoned him from Aram in the east to pronounce a curse on Israel. The term oracle here refers to a prophetic utterance, a message given under divine compulsion. The content of the message immediately contradicted Balak’s intentions. Instead of pronouncing a curse, Balaam declared the impossibility of cursing those whom God had not cursed.
a. “Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel”:
God knew exactly what Balak wanted. Balak sought a spiritual advantage, believing that if Balaam—reputed for his supernatural influence—cursed Israel, then Moab could defeat them in battle. Balak viewed spiritual power as something that could be bought or manipulated. Yet the God of Israel cannot be bribed or coerced. This reveals the spiritual blindness of pagan kings who think divine favor operates like earthly politics, where power is bought and sold.
b. “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?”
Balaam confessed the futility of his mission. No matter what incantations he spoke, he could not pronounce a curse where God had declared blessing. Divine sovereignty ruled over all. Balaam recognized that he was powerless against the will of the Almighty. His words show that spiritual power does not reside in the prophet but in the God who speaks through him. Balak’s money, sacrifices, and political pressure were wasted efforts because no man can undo what God has decreed. As Romans 8:31 declares, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
c. “For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.”
From his vantage point, Balaam looked upon Israel spread across the plains. The Spirit of God caused him to perceive Israel as a unique people, distinct from all other nations. Israel’s identity was not derived from worldly alliances or cultural assimilation, but from divine election. They were a people dwelling alone, separate because they belonged to God. This separation reflects God’s command in Leviticus 20:26: “And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine.” The phrase “not reckoning itself among the nations” emphasizes Israel’s distinct calling. Even in dispersion and exile, Israel would remain unlike any other nation, preserved by God’s covenant promises.
d. “Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number one-fourth of Israel?”
Rather than pronouncing a curse, Balaam blessed Israel with a prophecy of fruitfulness and vast growth. The imagery recalls God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 13:16: “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.” Balaam saw Israel’s multitude and declared that their population was beyond human comprehension. This was a direct affirmation of God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises.
e. “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his!”
Balaam concluded his prophecy with a wish that he might share the blessed destiny of God’s righteous people. This statement reveals a tragic irony. Balaam admired the peace and security of the righteous but had no desire to live the life that produced such an end. He wanted the reward of righteousness without its repentance or obedience. This mirrors the attitude of many who envy the blessings of God’s people yet refuse to walk in God’s ways. Scripture warns against such hypocrisy. Proverbs 14:32 declares, “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.” Balaam would later perish among Israel’s enemies (Numbers 31:8), proving that his wish to die the death of the righteous was empty sentiment without true conversion.
4. (Numbers 23:11-12) Balak’s disappointment.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!” So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”
Balak was furious. He had hired Balaam to curse Israel, not to bless them. His outburst, “What have you done to me?” shows that he viewed the prophecy as personal betrayal. Balak’s frustration was rooted in unbelief; he thought the prophet could manipulate divine will for profit. He failed to understand that the word of God cannot be controlled by man.
a. “What have you done to me?”
Balak’s disappointment was natural from a worldly standpoint. He invested heavily in sacrifices and in Balaam’s services, expecting a curse that would weaken Israel. Instead, Balaam’s pronouncement exalted Israel and declared their divine favor. To Balak, this felt like a complete failure of his plan.
b. “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”
Balaam’s reply was both a defense and a lament. He acknowledged his obligation to speak only the words God placed in his mouth. Yet there is a tone of regret, suggesting that Balaam himself was displeased with the outcome. His heart still longed for Balak’s reward, but God’s word overruled his desire. This demonstrates that even a man with wrong motives cannot thwart God’s purposes. The Lord had turned a curse into a blessing, confirming His unchanging covenant promise in Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.”
B. The second prophecy.
1. (Numbers 23:13–17) Preparation before the prophecy.
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.” Then the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
Balak’s determination revealed both spiritual blindness and desperation. After the first prophecy failed to yield a curse, he believed that perhaps a change in perspective might change the outcome. Balak thought geography could influence divinity. He led Balaam to the field of Zophim, meaning “the watchers,” located at the top of Pisgah, a high vantage point overlooking Israel’s camp. Balak instructed Balaam to look upon only part of Israel, hoping that seeing fewer people would make them seem less formidable and more vulnerable to spiritual attack.
Once again, Balak and Balaam built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar, repeating the empty ritual of sacrifice. Despite the repetition of ceremony, Balaam once more declared that he would meet the Lord apart from Balak, showing that even in his corrupt state, he knew divine revelation could not be commanded by man. When the Lord met Balaam again, He placed His word in Balaam’s mouth, demonstrating complete control over the prophet’s message. God was using this unfaithful man to display His sovereignty. When Balaam returned, Balak, still clinging to hope, asked eagerly, “What has the Lord spoken?” showing his refusal to accept God’s clear answer from the first prophecy.
This episode exposes the folly of those who think divine truth can be bent to human desire. Changing the location, the ritual, or the offering cannot alter the decrees of the Almighty. God’s word stands independent of all human manipulation.
2. (Numbers 23:18–24) God’s second word to Balak through Balaam.
Then he took up his oracle and said:
“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a King is among them.
God brings them out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox.
“For there is no sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’
Look, a people rises like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”
This second oracle is one of the most powerful declarations of God’s immutability and faithfulness in all of Scripture. Whereas the first prophecy emphasized Israel’s unique position as a separated nation, this one proclaimed the character of Israel’s God.
a. “Rise up, Balak, and hear!”
The Lord, through Balaam, rebuked Balak and called him to attention. God was about to instruct him concerning His nature. The statement “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent” stands as a foundational truth of divine immutability. Man lies and changes his mind; God never does. As Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Balak needed to learn that no ritual, persuasion, or price could make God revoke His promises to Israel. When the Lord blesses, His blessing is final. Balaam testified, “He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” Divine decrees are irreversible because they are based on God’s eternal nature, not human merit or circumstance.
b. “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.”
This statement does not mean that Israel was sinless, but rather that God chose to view His covenant people through the lens of grace. Their sins were covered under His atonement, and therefore He did not impute their iniquities against them. This principle anticipates the truth of justification, that God declares His people righteous because of His covenant mercy. Psalm 32:1–2 states, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.”
Balaam further declared that “The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” This was prophetic, pointing forward to the day when Israel would have a true King—the Messiah Himself—whose presence brings victory and rejoicing. The “shout of a King” signifies the triumphal cry of divine leadership and victory.
c. “God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.”
The deliverance from Egypt was the definitive act of divine power and covenant faithfulness. God’s strength was compared to that of a “wild ox,” translated “unicorn” in the King James Version. The Hebrew word reem appears nine times in the Old Testament and refers to a powerful, horned animal, symbolizing might and conquest. Whether the creature was a rhinoceros, an auroch, or a now-extinct wild ox, the point remains that God’s power is untamable and overwhelming.
d. “For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel.”
This statement completely dismantled Balak’s reliance on occult power. All his sacrifices and enchantments were useless against the people protected by the living God. No curse or spell can succeed against those who are under divine blessing. As Isaiah 54:17 declares, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.” The nations would one day look upon Israel and exclaim, “Oh, what God has done!”—a recognition that their success was not through human strength but divine grace.
e. “Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion.”
Balaam’s prophecy ended with imagery of strength and conquest. Israel was compared to a lion and a lioness—symbols of courage, power, and victory. The nation, empowered by God, would not rest until its enemies were subdued. The statement, “It shall not lie down until it devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain,” points forward to Israel’s future triumphs in Canaan and, ultimately, to the victory of the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, who will reign over all the earth.
3. (Numbers 23:25–26) Balak’s disappointment.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!” So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
Balak’s frustration now reached its peak. His plea, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all,” reveals his utter despair. If Balaam could not bring a curse, he at least wanted silence. Yet the word of God cannot be silenced.
a. “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
Balak’s statement shows the futility of opposing God’s will. He was powerless to manipulate or even contain the word of the Lord. It is reminiscent of Psalm 33:10–11, “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever.”
b. “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
Balaam’s answer reaffirmed that he was under divine compulsion. Even though he still desired Balak’s favor and reward, Balaam could not go beyond what God permitted. God overruled Balaam’s greed and turned his words into blessings. This entire episode underscores the sovereignty of God over human will. Even a corrupt prophet and a pagan king cannot frustrate the eternal purposes of the Almighty.
