Balaam’s First Oracle
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” Num 23:29Jud 1:111Ch 15:261Sa 15:222Ch 29:212Ki 18:22Exo 20:24Exo 27:1-8
So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Num 23:14Num 23:30
“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” Num 23:15Gen 22:13Gen 22:2Gen 22:7-8Gen 8:20Lev 1:1Num 22:31-35Num 24:1
So Balaam went off to a barren height, and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” Num 23:16Eph 2:9Luk 18:12Isa 58:3-4Jhn 16:2Mat 20:12Num 22:20Num 22:9
Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.” Deu 18:18Jer 1:9Isa 51:16Isa 59:21Num 23:16Jhn 11:51Luk 12:12Num 22:20
So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: Deu 23:4Num 22:5-6Num 23:18Num 24:3Job 29:1Mic 2:4Num 24:15Num 24:23
“Balak brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the mountains of the east.
‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me;
come and denounce Israel!’
How can I curse what God has not cursed? Num 23:23Isa 44:25Num 23:20Num 22:12Isa 47:12-13
How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, Deu 33:28Deu 32:8Exo 33:16Est 3:8Ezr 9:21Pe 2:92Co 6:17Amo 9:9
and I watch them from the hills.
Behold, a people dwelling apart,
not reckoning themselves among the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacob Gen 13:16Psa 37:37Psa 116:15Rev 14:132Co 5:12Ti 4:6-8Gen 22:17Isa 57:1-2
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous;
let my end be like theirs!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!” Neh 13:2Num 24:10Num 22:17Num 23:7-8Psa 109:17-20Num 22:11
But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?” Num 22:38Num 23:20Num 23:26Num 24:13Pro 26:25Num 22:20Rom 16:18Tit 1:16
Balaam’s Second Oracle
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” Jas 3:9-10Psa 109:171Ki 20:231Ki 20:28Jos 24:9Mic 6:5Num 22:41
So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Deu 3:27Deu 34:1Deu 4:49Hos 12:11Isa 1:10-11Isa 46:6Num 21:20Num 23:1-2
Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.” Num 23:3Num 22:8
And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.” Num 23:5Num 22:35Num 24:1
So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. 1Sa 3:17Jer 37:17Num 23:26
“What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: Jdg 3:20
“Arise, O Balak, and listen;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
God is not a man, that He should lie, 1Sa 15:29Jas 1:17Mal 3:6Heb 6:18Tit 1:2Luk 21:33Rom 11:29Hab 2:3
or a son of man, that He should change His mind.
Does He speak and not act?
Does He promise and not fulfill?
I have indeed received a command to bless; Jhn 10:27-29Num 22:12Gen 12:2Gen 22:17Isa 43:13Num 22:18Rom 8:38-391Pe 1:5
He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
He considers no disaster for Jacob; Psa 23:4Mat 1:23Jer 50:20Rom 4:7-8Exo 29:45-46Isa 38:17Psa 46:11Hos 14:2-4
He sees no trouble for Israel.
The LORD their God is with them,
and the shout of the King is among them.
God brought them out of Egypt Num 24:8Deu 33:17Exo 20:2Job 39:9-11Psa 22:21Exo 14:18Exo 9:16Num 22:5
with strength like a wild ox.
For there is no spell against Jacob Luk 10:18-19Jos 13:22Mic 6:4-5Num 24:1Psa 64:9Rom 16:20Gal 1:23-24Mat 12:27
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What great things God has done!’
Behold, the people rise like a lioness; Gen 49:27Gen 49:9Num 24:17Num 24:8-9Rev 5:5Zec 12:6Amo 3:8Deu 33:20
they rouse themselves like a lion,
not resting until they devour their prey
and drink the blood of the slain.”
Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” Psa 2:1-3
But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” Act 5:29Num 22:182Ch 18:13Act 4:19-20Num 22:381Ki 22:14Num 23:12-13Num 24:12-13
“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.” Rom 11:29Isa 14:27Isa 46:10-11Job 23:13Num 23:13Num 23:19-20Pro 19:21Pro 21:30
And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. 1 Num 21:20Psa 106:28
Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” Num 23:1-2
So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.