Num 23:1 | KingComments | STEP | As a starting point for the curse, burnt offerings are made. Perhaps Balak heard of the sacrifices Israel offers to their God. He wants to imitate this and thereby appease God with regard to his wish to curse God’s people. He is completely blind to what the burnt offering represents. It reminds God, as it were, that the people are not pleasant to Him in themselves, but that He accepts them on the basis of the value of the burnt offering. The burnt offering speaks of the Lord Jesus in His complete surrender to the glory of God. For this reason God does not see the believers in their failure, but sees them in the Lord Jesus. They are made pleasant “in the Beloved” ( ). Thus God thinks of His people at the end of the wilderness journey. This is also evident from the blessing He lets Balaam pronounce. Before Balaam pronounces his words, he first wants to meet the LORD. That is, as usual, he wants to meet a demon to consult him. For him the LORD is no more than one of the demons with whom he usually communicates to consult them ( ). We do not read that he meets God, but that God meets him. The initiative comes from God again ( ). There is no discussion either. God does not respond to what Balaam says about the sacrifices, but gives him a word in his mouth and sends him back to Balak.

‏ Numbers 23:1

Preparations for the Curse

As a starting point for the curse, burnt offerings are made. Perhaps Balak heard of the sacrifices Israel offers to their God. He wants to imitate this and thereby appease God with regard to his wish to curse God’s people. He is completely blind to what the burnt offering represents. It reminds God, as it were, that the people are not pleasant to Him in themselves, but that He accepts them on the basis of the value of the burnt offering.

The burnt offering speaks of the Lord Jesus in His complete surrender to the glory of God. For this reason God does not see the believers in their failure, but sees them in the Lord Jesus. They are made pleasant “in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6). Thus God thinks of His people at the end of the wilderness journey. This is also evident from the blessing He lets Balaam pronounce.

Before Balaam pronounces his words, he first wants to meet the LORD. That is, as usual, he wants to meet a demon to consult him. For him the LORD is no more than one of the demons with whom he usually communicates to consult them (Num 24:1). We do not read that he meets God, but that God meets him. The initiative comes from God again (Num 22:9 ; 20). There is no discussion either. God does not respond to what Balaam says about the sacrifices, but gives him a word in his mouth and sends him back to Balak.