Can You Hear From God?

Note: I started this post a year ago; finally got back to it!

Reading through The Daily Bible, I am coming to the February 12th reading on this 2nd day of March [2025]. Remember, I did not get this Bible until February 1st. I just read Numbers 22:1-24:25. This is the account of King Balak hiring Balaam to curse Israel for him.

Hold on!

I warn you, this is a longer than usual post because I want you to really read and see the blessings Balaam spoke for the Israelites because they also pertain to all who belong to Him, in Christ Jesus

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Balaam

Balaam is a soothsayer, a diviner, and a spiritualist. He uses pagan ritual to search for omens. Balak has heard what the Israelites did to the Amorites, completely destroying them. He wants to give great wealth to Balaam to have him curse Israel and save his kingdom.

Altars

We’ve all heard and remember the story of Balaam’s talking donkey, but there is so much more to this passage of  Scripture. I found so much more than I remembered! Did you know that altars were built and sacrifices offered before each blessing came forth?

Balaam told the king to build seven altars and sacrifice a bull and a ram on each of the altars. Must be others knew about the sacrifices God told His people to offer Him. [False religions still sacrifice like this…]

Hearing/Seeing

Balaam left the king by the offerings and went aside to see if the LORD would speak to him. He realized it’s best to concentrate on God, to hear from him.

Numbers 23:5 “The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, ‘Go back to Balak and give him this word.’ ” [remember, it was rare to hear from God in the Old Testament]

Blessings and Cursings

He went back to King Balak, who was standing by the 7 altars, with all the princes of Moab. This is what the Lord spoke through him:

Numbers 23:7 …Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9  For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! A people dwelling alone,
Not reckoning itself among the nations.

Oh, Great Is Israel

10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”

Of course, this greatly disturbs the king. Didn’t I bring you here to curse them? Balaam said, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” The king said, “Let’s try doing this from another angle.”  He took Balaam to a field at the top of Mount Pisgah, where seven more altars were built, and seven more bulls and rams were sacrificed.

Reconoiter

Balaam told the king he would turn aside and see what the LORD would say.

Numbers  23:18 Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Blessings

21 “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.
22 God brings them out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox.
23 “For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’
24 Look, a people rises like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”

Angry king

This angered the king more! Balam told him he had to say whatever the LORD told him. King Balak gave him a third try, taking him to the top of Peor, overlooking the waste land. Seven more altars and sacrifices were done!

Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he didn’t resort to divination as he did at other times. He looked and saw the Israelites camped tribe by tribe, and the Spirit of God came on him with the third blessing.

Eyes Opened

Numbers 24:3 “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open:

More Blessings!

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6 Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be in many waters.“

Great King

“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.”

8 “God brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall break their bones
And pierce them with his arrows.
9 ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?”
“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He summoned Balaam to curse his enemies, but he blessed them three times (richly, if I may add)…Balak said, “I said I would reward you handsomely,  but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.”

Obedient

Balaam tells the king he warned the messengers that he could only say what the LORD says. Then, he ends with a warning of what the Israelites will do to the Moabites, along with a Messianic prophecy:

15 The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, and the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, and has the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open:

This man’s eyes have been opened the words of God, the Almighty! Have you experienced this in your own life?

Messianic Prophecy

17 “I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.

More!

18 “And Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city.”

Woes

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”

A pronouncement of judgement for Amalek.

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:
“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

Where Is Trust?

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness. Nothing can stand firm on any other rock.

23 Then he took up his oracle and said: “Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus, and they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber, and so shall Amalek, until he perishes.”

Woe to those who stand against the will of the LORD God Almighty! Look well if you think you stand… you may be about to fall.

Departure

25 So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Application

What more could they do or say? What do you say when there is no more that you can say… when you do not hear the Spirit speaking?

We must develop discernment in order to avoid the traps of our enemies. How are you doing with this?

I am learning to pause and reconoiter when I cannot hear. I pray in tongues a lot and keep forgiveness close at hand.

A Challenge

I hope you take the time to read these passages on your own. May the Spirit of God enlighten your understanding.

Blessings

May your soul and spirit be edified and instructed.  I bless you to prosper and be in health as your soul prospers. Amen.

Shalom! Until we meet again.