Irrevocable Word: God’s word is irrevocable. He speaks with no regrets and does not change (23:19). He Himself declared it: “I, the LORD, do not change” (Mal. 3:6). This is vividly seen in the story of Balaam. Balaam was a diviner from Pethor, a Mesopotamian city,[1] and his fame as a soothsayer had spread widely. Balak, the king of Moab, knew of him and thus sent a delegation from Moab and Midian (a neighboring people). They went to him with the fees of divination to get him to curse Israel (22:6-7). But the LORD would not allow it (22:35). Balaam could not curse the people of the LORD (23:8) because His blessing was irrevocable (23:20). Once God has chosen to bless, it was final. His blessing is unalterable and this is no less true in salvation (Rom. 8:28-30).

Messiah: In his oracles Balaam envisions Israel’s Messiah as the king, the lion, and the seed.[2] The last of these is most striking, since the references to the Messiah as the “seed” nearly dies out by the end of Genesis, but it comes back alive here as do the imageries of “scepter” and “lion” (Gen. 49:9-10). With these two additional metaphors, Balaam highlights a specific Messianic expectation: His total victory over the nations (24:17-20). Christ is not only the lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), but also the lion who crushes all His enemies (24:8, 17; Gen. 3:15; Rev. 19:15). Indeed, Christ comes to save and to judge. The gospel call of Scripture has always been to embrace Christ as Lord and be saved in His name (Rom. 10:9). All who refuse and resist Christ will face Him as their enemy and judge.[3]

[1] Balaam later called this region Aram (23:7) which is indeed by the Euphrates river (22:5).

[2] The Messiah is described as the king (23:21; 24:17), the lion (24:9), and the seed (24:7).

[3] To him who submits there is grace (Mt. 11:28-29; Jam. 4:4-7), but to him who refuses Christ, there is a sure judgment (Mt. 3:12; Acts 17:30-31).