The vain attempt to curse

"The vain attempt to curse" - Numbers 24:10-25 When you hate, you loath because you abhor for some reason. There is already hatred, and the worst is wished to it. It's something that doesn't let anyone be happy. Well, what a great danger in life. Let us learn and be able to flee from such great evil.

I. Balak wants to curse the people and seeks Balaam.

A. Balaam completely abandons what Balak wanted to do to God's people.

1. It was fitting that Balak was angry and had a lot of annoyance.

2. He kicks him out of his presence, dismisses him to his country and denies him the honours he had promised to him.

3. It was good for Balaam to escape.

4. Balaam tells him that there is no need to bother; he had already warned him.

5. Giving him hope, Balaam offers him as if he were in control of the prophecies and offers him the ultimate prophecy.

6. The office of the prophets was to bless and prophesy (admonishing or encouraging) in Jehovah's name.

7. Balaam fulfills the office of prophet admirably well, as God directed him to do so, since, although he was as he was, the prophecy, nevertheless, was true. (Numbers 24:16) He saw the vision of the Almighty and even, as it says before: Know the knowledge of the Highest.

8. With all this, Balaam does not really fear God, nor does he love Him or exercise true faith in Him.

9. So close to Heaven can a man come and yet stay out!

10. Balaam saw the vision of the Almighty but was not transformed into "the very image of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:8).

a. We can keep our face "uncovered" by confessing and forsaking sin, being totally frank with God and with "ourselves."

b. To drop the veils of sin, of pretense, "of all hypocrisy, of false appearances, of every half-measure, of all “yes, but no”.

11. Balaam issues a prophecy about the one who was (v. 18) to be the crown and glory of Israel, who is: 1.) David, the type, and figure under whom the hosts of Israel "behaved manly."

12. This was fulfilled when David defeated Moab and subdued them (2 Samuel 8:2).

13. At that same time, the people of Edom were also subjected to the dominion of Israel (2 Samuel 8:14).

14. (V. 17) The Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, is the one mainly alluded to as a foretaste (before, anticipated) in prophecy because it was the will of God that reference was thus given to His first coming, long before it occurred, not only so that the Jews would know, but also other nations, as well as the Gospel would have to extend far from the limits of the land of Israel.

15. It is predicted here: (a) That His coming will not be yet for long: I will see Him, but not now (V. 17): "He beheld it in vision, but at a great distance," since 14 to 15 centuries were to pass.

16. That it would come out of Jacob, as STAR and as scepter, which denotes (indicates) His glory and splendor: The shining star of the morning (Revelation 2:28), by whose brightness (radiance) were to be guided the wise men (Matthew 2:2) who, no doubt, knew in some way this prophecy, the scepter (as a symbol of power and dignity) denotes His power and authority, for He will have dominion, and His kingdom will be eternal. (Daniel 2:44; 7:14); (Luke 1:33).

17. That His kingdom will be universal and victorious over all opposition (Psalm 2:8-9; Revelation 2:27; 19:15) which is typified (organized) in David's victories over Moab and Edom, because Christ was to be king, not only of Israel, but of the whole world.

18. (Exodus 17:14, 16) (Numbers 24:20) These are the Amalekites (Amalek), they were head of nations for being the first to attack Israel, Balaam signed the future destruction of Amalek, as Moses had written almost forty years earlier.

19. The Kenites (Numbers 24:21) had privileges, which nature itself had served them admirably.

20. (Numbers 24:24) Prophecy that goes ahead to the time of the Greeks and the Romans, since the coasts of Kittim are none other than those of Italy.

21. The introduction to this parable is noteworthy: Ah, who will live when God does these things? (Numbers 24:23)

22. (Numbers 31:8) Balaam was killed by Israel. Amen.