Numbers 22:1-14 / God over All Powers
📖 Scripture
1 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,
5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
✅ Scripture Summary
✅ Memory verse
✅ Reflection
Picking the Wrong Fight (22:1–6)
The fear of the Israelites has spread throughout the land. The Moabite king readies himself for impending invasion. However, instead of readying his army, he hires out a diviner who would curse the Israelites. Little does the Moabite king know whose people he is messing with, whose plans he is trying to tamper with. If this were a movie, it would probably show a powerful king leveraging the curse of a powerful diviner, and we would fear for his would-be victims. However, the reality is that there is only one Almighty, and He is the Lord. And what the Lord has planned shall come to fruition. No curse stands a chance against Him. Christian, the same God is for you today. What do you have to fear?
What are your greatest fears in this season? Meditate on the truth that none of them can derail God’s good plans for you.
Derived Authority (22:7–14)
Moab sends an envoy of elders to try and buy the curses of Balaam. But an interesting turn of events unfolds. Even Balaam the diviner understands who holds true authority. Balaam, too, answers to God. This passage might confuse us into thinking that Balaam is a prophet of God. However, we must remember that even Satan understood that he could do nothing without God’s permission, as seen in the book of Job. The Bible is clear when it comes to power: whoever seems to hold it, there is only one to whom it all belongs. We are one step ahead of Moab since we know who holds the real power, but now we face the same question: will we obey the one to whom power belongs?
Consider a hurdle you have faced or are currently facing and see which powers you think hold influence over it. Remind yourself that God is above all of them and has control over them.
“If God is not sovereign, then God is not God.”
– R. C. Sproul.
✅ Prayer
✅ Essay
Safe in God’s Sovereignty
The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost 76 million dollars in cash to government impersonators in 2023, which is double the amount lost the previous year. The tactic used by these impersonators is simple: they act like they have their victim’s best interest in mind and instill fear into them. An expert in the field explained that fear clouds judgment, and when the emotion of fear becomes a roadblock, it can prevent many from making rational decisions.
Fear and manipulation have been the go-to fraudulent formula from the beginning. This is the basic tactic which Satan formulated against Adam and Eve. Satan impersonated God, acting as if he had Adam and Eve’s best interest in mind, and he instilled in them the fear of missing out. We all know the unfortunate end to this story.
Not much has changed since then. The sinful world in rebellion against God is never satisfied with being in rebellion alone; it continues to entice many with false promises of their best interest. But do not be fooled: a life that banks on the promises of the world is always marked by fear and anxiety. The promises of God, however, are always characterized by security and peace, for at the heart of God’s promises is God Himself. Our souls find shelter in the fortress of His sovereignty, and we can declare with all the saints, “Come what may, God is for me, who can be against me?” (See Rom. 8:31).
Written by Joe Park