Numbers 24:1

This great chapter is the climax of the Balaam narrative, culminating in glorious prophecy of the Star that in "the last days" would rise out of Jacob, a manifest reference prophetically to Him who is called the Bright and Morning Star. Critical denials that there is any prophecy here should disturb no one. How can people who do not believe there is any such thing as predictive prophecy be expected to see even the plainest prophecy? The tragedy of this age is that "scholars" who have first been intellectually castrated in some unbelieving seminary are by the thoughtless being consulted for their opinions on such Scriptures as this chapter. Even in the dim light of pre-Christian gloom the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls enthusiastically accepted the Messianic import of this chapter. Also, the Jewish scholars of all ages read the passage as a promise of the blessed Messiah. The proof of this lies in the behavior of a false messiah, Bar Kochba, who led a Jewish revolt against Rome (132-133 B.C.). The name assumed by this imposter was Bar Kochba, meaning "Son of the Star."[1] It was the general understanding of the Hebrew people that the holy Messiah would be "the Star" of this chapter, and Bar Kochba called himself "Son of the Star" to take advantage of this widespread conviction. Like so many prophecies, this one also is fulfilled twice. King David of Israel who defeated and subjugated Moab was the first fulfillment, but David himself was an eloquent type of the Greater David, the Christ, who is the ultimate and glorious fulfillment of it.

This chapter contains the remaining five of the seven oracles making up the prophecies of Balaam: Oracle III (Numbers 24:2-9), Oracle IV (Numbers 24:15-19), Oracle V (Numbers 24:20), Oracle VI (Numbers 24:21,22), and Oracle VII (Numbers 24:23,24). There is no solid evidence of any kind that the shorter oracles at the end were added subsequent to the times of Moses. After the usual manner of all the holy prophets, God's judgment upon other nations besides Israel were included along with prophecies of the Chosen People.

"And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said,"

These lines are merely an introduction to Oracle III, but several things of particular importance are revealed. The mention of the Spirit of God coming upon Balaam attributes a higher value to the remaining five oracles than that which belongs to the first two, in which it was merely stated that God "put a word" in Balaam's mouth. Also, the omission by Balaam of the usual pagan procedure of going to some appropriate place to look for "signs," enchantments, or omens, shows that Balaam recognized the utter uselessness of such customs. God, of old, gave to the prophets clear and unequivocal statements which depended in no way whatever upon the deductions, conclusions, and assumptions of the prophets. We are indebted to Keil for providing the following quotation from Hengstenberg:

"The Church of God knows from the Word what God does, and what the church must do in consequence. The wisdom of the world resembles augury and divination, but the Church of God which is in possession of His word has no need of it, and it only leads its followers to destruction, from inability to discern the will of God. To discover this with certainty is the great privilege of the Church of God."[2]

"And he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes ..." (Numbers 24:2). This means that the tents of Israel were arranged "according to the orderly distribution of the camp, as set forth in Numbers 2,"[3] thus identifying the time of this episode as being within the period of the wilderness journeyings. It appears to us as a picayune objection indeed that finds in the word "dwelling" (Numbers 24:2) "the picture of an Israel firmly settled in the land."[4] One wonders just what word Noth would have chosen to describe Israel's tenure in that wilderness for some forty years! Of course, there is absolutely nothing inappropriate in the use of the word "dwelling" in this reference. One finds exactly the same use of tabernacles (also translated dwellings) and tents synonymously in Numbers 24:5 below.