Numbers 24. Balam’s Final Oracles

Balaam’s Third Oracle

When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 

• “When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness” implies that during the first two oracles he used some kind of ‘sorcery’

² And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, ³ and he took up his discourse and said,

• רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (ruaḥ Elohim) The Spirit of God comes upon Balaam. This does not mean Balaam was righteous, but that God chose to work through him.

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
⁴ the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty,

• Balaam’s eyes are opened and he sees the vision of God

falling down with his eyes uncovered:
⁵ How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
    your encampments, O Israel!
⁶ Like palm groves that stretch afar,
    like gardens beside a river,
like aloes that the Lord has planted,
    like cedar trees beside the waters.
⁷ Water shall flow from his buckets,
    and his seed shall be in many waters;

• Fertility and abundance: palm groves, gardens, river, aloes, cedar trees, waters flowing, seed

his king shall be higher than Agag,
    and his kingdom shall be exalted.

• Unsure who Agag is. There is an Agag in 1 Samuel 15 so this could be a prophecy for that. Otherwise it could be another king during this time.

⁸ God brings him out of Egypt
    and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;
he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,
    and shall break their bones in pieces
    and pierce them through with his arrows.
⁹ He crouched, he lay down like a lion
    and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed are those who bless you,
    and cursed are those who curse you.”

• Oracle 3: Israel is blessed

¹⁰ And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” ¹² And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, ¹³ ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? ¹⁴ 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.”

• So far Balaam has blessed Israel and cursed Balak.
• Now it’s time to look to the future.

Balaam’s Final Oracle

¹⁵ 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,
¹⁶ 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:
¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ Edom shall be dispossessed;
    Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
    Israel is doing valiantly.
¹⁹ And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
    and destroy the survivors of cities!”

• Oracle 4: The Messiah!!
  • A Messianic prophecy (the first prophecy of the Messiah by a non-Israelite prophet?): “A star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
    • Or maybe Melchizedek
  • Also 2 Samuel 8:2 records David defeating Moab, and 2 Samuel 8:13-14 describes his victory over Edom.

²⁰ 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.”

• Oracle 5: the fall of Amalek
• Amalekites first fought Israel in Exodus 17. They will be a longstanding enemy of Israel.

²¹ 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.
²² Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
    when Asshur takes you away captive.”

• Oracle 6: Kenites captive
• Asshur may be a name for Assyria
• Some Hebrew wordplay as קֵן (qen) = nest.

²³ And he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
²⁴     But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
    and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

• Oracle (final) 7: God’s power

²⁵ Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.