Numbers     בְּמִדְבַּר 
(BaMidbar - in the desert)

The word "devote" in this passage means so much more than the casual reading of it delivers in the English language: "Then Yahweh heard the voice of Israel and gave the Canaanites over; so they devoted them and their cities to destruction. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah." (Nu 21:3).

The word devote is from the Hebrew חָרַם (ḥā·rǎm): devote to God, i.e., give a gift exclusively to God, which (once given) must then be destroyed so there will be no human use made of it. "Nevertheless, anything which a man devotes to Yahweh out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own possession, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to Yahweh." (Lev 27:28)

Such was the sacrifice to Yahweh, of these cities who God delivered into their hands. The children of Israel prayed that God would do so, and for His glory and complete reward, they received none of the spoils of the victory, but rather "devoted" it all to Him.

Despite this, the pattern of complaining persisted. No matter how many lessons the children had to learn, their petulence persists. We cannot make this accusation without reflecting on our own nature, as God intends for us to see this accordingly. The Bible is not written merely to be cathartic for a people who were once and nevermore again inadherent to a covenant. No, it is an honest admission unlike any other book from any other religion, truthful in the declaration of the unfaithfulness of its own. If we are to learn from it, we too must recognoze our own consitency in the same thing - our inconsistency and patterns of petulently complaining to God when we don't get our way, even though He has been faithful throughout the ages, time and time again demonstrating both His lovingkindness and His justice.

So despite having just prayed a vow to Yahweh that if He would deliver their enemies into their hands, they would respond in devoting them to Him, the people forget His faithfulness and complain that God has not not provided what they want - verse five is the epitome of a paradox when they declare there is no food, yet in the same sentence they say "we loathe this miserable food." God, having just provided what they need, now endures their complains, even lies, about what they want. Hypocrisy at it's finest. The response is more poignant than even the children of Israel could have imagined - "So Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died." (v6)
In Matthew 7:9-11, Christ responds to the problem of hypocrisy, and the context of His response is nearly identical to Yahweh's, but who among those listening understood that Christ was reminding them of the Israelite's hypocrisy in the wilderness, and when their Father had given them snakes:

“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Whether the disciples understood, or those listening to Christ in that day, or the Pharisee to whom they reported, or many later readers of Matthew's Gospel, remains to be seen, but the children of Israel appeared to have gotten the point (at least temporarily), as vv10-13 details further travels,continuing toward the Promised Land, confirmed in the Book of the Wars of Yahweh (vvvv14-15). The Bible does not need any extra biblical validating sources, but this is a reference that the Jews would have known to be a historical record of their people. In this case, it would not have been the record validating the Bible, rather the Bible validating the record. The Book of the Wars of Yahweh is a book we no longer have access to, but with it having been cited in the Bible, "this citation at a minimum" would have been an indisputably accurate historical record.

Beginning in verse 21, we see the fullness of the Amorites' iniquity come due. This statement is only meaningful when put into the context of Yahweh's covenant to Abram from Genesis 15. Now that the Israelites are 400 years removed from Abraham, and having been led out of Egypt where they had been enslaved and mistreated for all that time, the Amorites stood between them and the Promised Land (Canaan). This is what God spoke to Abram in Genesis 15:13-16

"Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. “But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

As you read Numbers 21:21-35, you can see a glimpse of God's providential plan working throughout the Bible, because God's promise to Abram in Genesis 15 is fulfilled with specificity here.

Here are some observations to consider in navigating this chapter:
v4 “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”
This expression would have reflected the observations the Moabites had of how the Israelites had consumed all of the nations in their path that had opposed them as they approached Midian and Moab. Their devastation of the Amorites, including overtaking their cities for themselves would be something the Moabites would fear, thinking of the Israelites as a ox who would consume all that was theirs, leaving them desolate.

v5 "So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River."
Balak, the king of Moab, sent messengers to summon Balaam, who was living in Pethor, near the Euphrates River. This location is in Aram Naharaim (Mesopotamia), which is in modern-day northern Syria near the Turkish border. The distance between Pethor and the plains of Moab, where the Israelites were camped, is estimated to be approximately 360 to 400 miles. This would have been a long and arduous journey, likely taking around 25 days on foot or by camel.

v15 "Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more honorable than the former. And they came to Balaam." Based on the distance and how long it would have taken for the messengers to return from Balaam, to King Balak, and then go back to Baalam, this would have been possibly 2 months later.

v16 “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the command of Yahweh my God."
Despite this righteous phrase even being later declared by Balaam, he had a complicated relationship with God. He wrestled with declarations of faith that contradicted his actions. In Numbers 31:16, Balaam is blamed for advising the Midianite women to lead Israel into idolatry and immorality, resulting in a devastating plague among the Israelites. In Deuteronomy 23:4–5, Balaam is mentioned as someone who was hired to curse Israel, but God turned his curse into a blessing. In Nehemiah 13:2, Balaam is again mentioned as someone who attempted to curse Israel, but God intervened. And in 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, and Revelation 2:14, he is condemned for leading people astray for financial gain. In Joshua 13:22, Balaam is finally killed by the Israelites during their conquest of Midian.

Beginning in v22, we read of the Angel of Yahweh. The Angel of the Yahweh was a manifestation of the presence of the Lord Himself. Beginning in Numbers 22:22, we also read of one of the most unique messengers in the Bible - a talking donkey.

Why would God choose to speak through Balaam? Almost any question that begins with “Why would God…” is flawed in the very concept of believing we can know the mind of God. Yet, God purposes for us to know Him, and He demonstrates His nature in the ways that He does things, oftentimes in ways that are unexpected. Balaam is an unexpected prophet. Writers of the New Testament condemn Balaam’s motives as leading others astray for personal gain:

- 2 Peter 2:15-16 – Peter warns against false teachers who follow "the way of Balaam," describing him as someone who "loved the wages of unrighteousness" and was rebuked by a donkey for his wrongdoing.
- Jude 1:11 – Jude condemns those who have gone "the way of Cain," "rushed for profit into Balaam’s error," and "perished in Korah’s rebellion," linking Balaam’s actions to greed and corruption.
- Revelation 2:14 – Jesus, in His message to the church in Pergamum, warns that Balaam "taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality," showing how Balaam’s influence led to spiritual downfall.
- And here in Exodus 23, Balaam instructs Balak to build seven altars and prepare a sacrifice, which he does. These sacrifices are made by a pagan, on pagan altars, to obtain a curse against God’s people. Yet Yahweh still gave Balaam his oracle.

One consideration of “why” can come from the perspective of who was asking originally. Balak was asking for a prophet of Yahweh - to petition the God of the Israelites - to curse “the Israelites.” We know that God isn’t surprised by anything, so the irony of this didn’t catch Him off guard. But certainly, He intended for us to see this. God could have responded with silence. Had He, it likely would have escaped mention in the biblical canon. But by responding in this manner, God also demonstrates what we still see of His nature today. People who place their trust in themselves and the world continue to call out to God when they find themselves up against enemies and obstacles they find insurmountable. The nature of God is to remain faithful to His providential will and the covenants He has already established. That was true for the Israelites Balak faced. And it holds true still today. When Balak was looking for an answer from God, to use in a way that was contrary to God’s will, He answered. It didn’t matter that the prophet was less than perfect. Today, people with unrighteous motives will try to twist the Bible – God’s Word, to accomplish their purposes against God’s people. God’s covenant with His people is already set, and the outcome has been determined. So is the destruction for those who continue to oppose, resist, and refuse God.

Numbers 24:1 marks a turning point for Balaam. Previously, he sought omens or enchantments to receive divine messages (Num.22:7; 23:23), but in this instance, he chooses not to—instead, he simply looks toward the wilderness. In verse one, he sees that it is good in the "eyes of Yahweh" to bless Israel. In verse two, "Balaam lifted up his eyes"... "and the Spirit of God came upon him." The transition between Numbers 24:2 and Numbers 24:3 is significant because it marks a shift in Balaam’s prophetic experience. In verse 2, Balaam sees Israel encamped according to their tribes, and at that moment, the Spirit of God comes upon him. This is different from his previous encounters, where God simply put words in his mouth (Numbers 23:5, 23:16). Here, Balaam is fully overtaken by divine inspiration, which suggests a deeper level of prophetic revelation.


The phrase "took up his discourse" in Numbers 24:3 is translated from the Hebrew word "mashal" (מָשָׁל), which can mean a parable, oracle, or prophetic utterance. This term is distinct from the previous instances where Balaam simply spoke the words given to him by God.
One key difference is the use of "neum" (נְאֻם), for “oracle” in this passage, which is often reserved for divine declarations—it appears in prophetic literature when God is speaking directly. This suggests that Balaam is now delivering a formal, Spirit-inspired oracle, rather than merely repeating what was placed in his mouth. Additionally, the phrase "whose eyes are opened" implies that Balaam is experiencing a visionary state, unlike his earlier encounters where he relied on external omens.
This shift in language indicates that Balaam is no longer just a messenger—he is now fully immersed in divine revelation, speaking with prophetic authority rather than through his previous methods of divination.
The oracle that follows clearly blesses Israel, but more so, it reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant, just as Yahweh declared to Abram in Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. " This oracle concludes with, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you”(v9).


“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together…” (v10). Balak’s response is consistent with a recognizable authoritative gesture from that biblical era, and is also seen in Ezekiel 21:17. “And I will also strike My hands together, and I will cause My wrath to be at rest; I, Yahweh, have spoken.” The gesture of striking hands together as a sign of frustration or dismissal appears in various ancient Near Eastern (ANE) contexts, and this was likely understood as a forceful expression of frustration or rejection.


In Balak’s frustrated efforts to have Israel cursed, he now declares that instead, Balaam has “blessed them repeatedly these three times!” (v10). Balak is referring to the three distinct blessings that Balaam pronounced over Israel, despite Balak’s repeated attempts to have them cursed:

1. (Numbers 23:7-10) – Balaam declares that he cannot curse Israel because they are set apart by God. He marvels at their vast numbers and affirms that they are a righteous people, blessed by God.

2. (Numbers 23:18-24) – Balaam emphasizes that God does not change His mind or revoke His blessings. He describes Israel as strong and victorious, comparing them to a lion that will not be defeated.

3. (Numbers 24:3-9) – This time, Balaam does not seek omens but is fully overtaken by the Spirit of God. He speaks of Israel’s prosperity, strength, and divine favor, reinforcing that they are blessed beyond measure.


Balak’s frustration in Numbers 24:10 stems from the fact that Balaam has done the exact opposite of what he was hired to do—instead of cursing Israel, he has blessed them three times. So Balak proceeds to dismiss Balaam. However, Balaam will not leave without getting to say what he intends. Or rather, he will not be going before completing what the Spirit of God purposed him to prophesy. After first rebuking Balak for presuming him to do anything other than what he first asserted (vv12-13), Balaam builds upon the previous oracle from vv4-9. But now, the words carry an even greater weight.
In Numbers 24:4-9, Balaam describes Israel’s strength, prosperity, and divine favor. In Numbers 24:15-24, his vision expands beyond Israel’s immediate blessings to future events, including the rise of a ruler and the downfall of surrounding nations. This includes the Messianic prophecy in Numbers 24:17—"A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel," pointing to a future king who will bring judgment and victory.


Following this declaration, they part ways (v25). Other than being recalled for this encounter with Balaam (Joshua 24:9), we never hear of Balak again in Scripture. But Balaam’s role is far from complete.