Numbers - A Journey Through the Wilderness , Sarah Barry
A STAR FROM JACOB
Passage: Numbers 24:10~25  
Key verse: 17
10 Then Balak’s anger burned(A) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(B) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(C) but you have blessed them(D) these three times.(E) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(F) I said I would reward you handsomely,(G) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(H) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(I)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(J) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(K)
Balaam’s Fourth Message
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(L) of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,(M)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.(N)
A star will come out of Jacob;(O)
a scepter will rise out of Israel.(P)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(Q)
the skulls[a](R) of[b] all the people of Sheth.[c]
18 Edom(S) will be conquered;
Seir,(T) his enemy, will be conquered,(U)
but Israel(V) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(W)
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(X) and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”(Y)
Balaam’s Sixth Message
21 Then he saw the Kenites(Z) and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,(AA)
your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur(AB) takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23 Then he spoke his message:
“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[d]
24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(AC)
they will subdue Ashur(AD) and Eber,(AE)
but they too will come to ruin.(AF)”
25 Then Balaam(AG) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Footnotes
- Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
- Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
- Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
Cross references
- Numbers 24:10 : S Ex 4:14
- Numbers 24:10 : Job 27:23; 34:37; La 2:15; Eze 21:14; 22:13; 25:6
- Numbers 24:10 : S Nu 22:6
- Numbers 24:10 : S Nu 23:11; S Dt 23:5
- Numbers 24:10 : ver 3-9; Nu 23:7-10, 18-24
- Numbers 24:11 : ver 14, 25
- Numbers 24:11 : S Nu 22:17
- Numbers 24:12 : Nu 22:18
- Numbers 24:13 : S Nu 22:18
- Numbers 24:13 : S Nu 22:20
- Numbers 24:14 : S Ge 49:1; Nu 31:8, 16; Mic 6:5
- Numbers 24:16 : S Nu 22:9
- Numbers 24:16 : Ge 14:18; Isa 14:14
- Numbers 24:17 : Rev 1:7
- Numbers 24:17 : Mt 2:2
- Numbers 24:17 : S Ge 49:10
- Numbers 24:17 : S Ge 19:37; S Nu 21:29; S Dt 23:6; Isa 15:1-16:14
- Numbers 24:17 : Jer 48:45
- Numbers 24:18 : 2Sa 8:12; 1Ch 18:11; Ps 60:8; Isa 11:14; Am 9:12
- Numbers 24:18 : S Ge 14:6; Dt 1:44; Jos 12:7; 15:10; Jdg 5:4
- Numbers 24:18 : Ob 1:2
- Numbers 24:18 : S Ge 9:25
- Numbers 24:19 : S Ge 49:10; Mic 5:2
- Numbers 24:20 : S Ge 14:7; S Ex 17:14
- Numbers 24:20 : Dt 25:19; 1Sa 15:20; 30:17-20; 2Sa 8:12; 1Ch 18:11
- Numbers 24:21 : S Ge 15:19
- Numbers 24:21 : Ps 37:27; Pr 1:33; Isa 32:18; Eze 34:27
- Numbers 24:22 : S Ge 10:22
- Numbers 24:24 : S Ge 10:4
- Numbers 24:24 : ver 22
- Numbers 24:24 : S Ge 10:21
- Numbers 24:24 : ver 20
- Numbers 24:25 : S Nu 22:5
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. I could not go beyond God's command (10-14)
Balaam had come to curse God's people, but he found that he could only bless them. He lost a lot.
2. The fourth oracle (15-19)
His fourth oracle points to King David, who crushed Moab and Edom (2Sa 8:2,14). And it looks beyond David to the Christ, the true star of Jacob, who would come to destroy his enemy the devil. God changed the curse into a blessing and planted hope in his people. The star that came from Jacob is still the star of hope that rises in the hearts of people who have faith in God (2Pe 1:19).
3. Who can live when God does this? (20-25)
Balaam saw that nations rise and fall according to God's sovereign hand. Balaam did not satisfy Balak, who wanted to use him to break down Israel's wall of spiritual protection. He only proclaimed God's sovereignty and blessed God's people and left.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus, the Morning Star. Protect us from the attacks of Satan.
One Word: The star of hope