Daily Thoughts from Numbers: If God Be For Us (24:14-25)

And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

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, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:  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.  Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.  Israel is doing valiantly.  And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!”

Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,

   “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.”

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,

   “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock.  Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive.”

And he took up his discourse and said,

   “Alas, who shall live when God does this?  But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;  and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.  (Numbers 24:14-25 ESV)

Before Balaam leaves he feels compelled to prophesy concerning Moab, Balak’s kingdom, and a couple of other power-houses in the region.  Like the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15 who crushes the head of the serpent, Israel’s king, unnamed but powerful, will crush the head of Moab and the surrounding territories.  Amalek, the Kenites, and Kittim will reap destruction from God.

The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 is fulfilled in stages with an expectation of one final and ultimate fulfillment in the end days.  Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Genesis 3:15 prophecy but along the way there are offspring of the woman (Eve) who win in conflict over the offspring of the serpent.  The serpent’s offspring are unwitting pawns in Satan’s program to destroy God’s promised seed, the Messiah, in order, he hopes, to defeat God’s kingdom.

All the kingdoms mentioned by Balaam were subdued to some degree under Joshua’s leadership and then 400 years later more completely by king David.  One day the Lord Jesus will subdue all kingdoms under his own.  How Israel came to possess this prophecy we do not know, but it serves still as an encouragement that when God is with you none can stand against you.  And it is a foretaste of Christ’s coming victory.

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).