Numbers 23:13-26 / God’s Enduring Blessing
📖 Scripture
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.”
14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message: “Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.
23There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”
✅ Scripture Summary
✅ Memory verse
✅ Reflection
God’s Purpose Prevails (23:13–17)
Having failed on his first attempt, Balak takes Balaam to another location, hoping that a change in perspective might yield a different outcome. As in the first instance, seven altars are built and sacrifices are made. Balak is desperate and he still believes he can manipulate divine will through persistence and rituals. However, Balaam remains bound by God’s message. This passage reminds us that no human effort can overturn God’s purposes. When God blesses, no force can undo His will. He is faithful to His Word. No matter what our doubts whisper to us, or what the enemy throws at us to make our faith waver, let us stand firm on all that God promises to be and to do for us in His Word.
Picture the scene of the sacrifices burning and Balak anxiously waiting while God’s decree remains unchanged. What promises from God’s unchanging Word do you need to remind yourself of today?
Unchanging and Faithful (23:18–26)
Today’s passage proclaims a profound truth: God does not lie or change His mind. Unlike people who are prone to wavering, God is steadfast in His promises. Balak had hoped that through persistence, he could manipulate Balaam into cursing Israel. However, Balaam acknowledges that no one can undo God’s declared blessing. God’s faithfulness is unwavering. When He speaks, He fulfills His Word. This is a comforting truth in a world filled with uncertainties. We can fully trust in God’s promises, knowing He will accomplish all that He has spoken. When we face doubts or pressures, let us look to God’s unchanging character and confidently take hold of His truth.
Take a moment to remember that the same God who declared blessings on the Israelites still declares that He is for you today. How does this change your outlook on the days ahead?
“The way we cope is by knowing God, and the way we know God is by knowing his word.”
– Courtney Reissig
✅ Prayer
✅ Essay
For His Glory and What Is Good
Living with a chronic condition can be difficult. On my more difficult days, a comfort I have is that God is who He says He is and He will never change. For Balak, these characteristics of God were not to his liking. In fact, we see in today’s passage that he became upset over God’s unwavering decision to maintain His blessing over Israel, against Balak’s personal desires.
On those days when I yearn for God to heal me of my chronic condition, my heart can become like Balak’s. In those moments, I can be so focused on wanting God to grant my heart’s desire that it is harder to accept His decision not to grant me healing. Yet, God’s sovereignty and unchangeability are realities that I am thankful for. This is because He is a good and faithful God who does things for His glory and the good of those who love Him (Col. 1:16; Rom. 8:28). Because our God never changes and continues to work things out for His glory and our good, I can rest assured that His choice regarding my chronic condition is for my good and the good of others. The same applies to all of us who love Him. In our various sufferings, we have hope because whether God chooses to take away the cause of our suffering, or chooses to let it remain, we can rest assured that His decisions are always for our ultimate good.
Written by Lisa Polite