Numbers 24 Devotional

Blessing Was His Pleasure

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.”Numbers 24:17 (BSB)

By the third oracle Balaam stops looking for omens. He sees that blessing Israel is what the LORD wants, and as he looks out over the tribes encamped below, God's Spirit comes on him (24:1-2). He sees tents spread out like gardens beside a river, like cedars beside the water (24:5-6). He ends with words that echo God's first promise to Abraham, with blessing for Israel's friends and a curse for their enemies (24:9; Genesis 12:3).

Then Balaam sees someone far in the future: a star from Jacob and a scepter from Israel, a ruler who will crush Israel's enemies (24:17-19). A diviner hired to curse ends up announcing a coming king. Yet the chapter's deepest note comes first. Blessing Israel was not something God did reluctantly. It pleased him. Blessing every family on earth through Abraham was his plan from the start, and he still delights to bless those who come to him today.

To think about: Do you picture God as reluctant to bless you, and how does this chapter challenge that picture?