And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Balaam and Balak had an interesting relationship. Balak knew that Balaam had a unique ability: he could curse or bless a people and it would come to pass. Balak, being an enemy of Israel, wanted Balaam to curse Israel. So Balak sent for Balaam to be brought to him where he would request that Balaam curse Israel.
Balak and Balaam met on three different occasions. The first time they met Balak brought Balaam up to an area where he could see how far the people of Israel had spread out. Balak wanted Balaam to see the extent of the people’s encroachment into his land and then have him curse them (Numbers 22:41).
Balaam had Balak build seven altars, offer sacrifices, and wait to hear what God would have to say. Balaam went off to meet with the Lord and God spoke to him concerning what he should say to Balak. Balaam, being a man of integrity and a servant of God, would only tell Balak what God said; he would only bless or curse according to God’s command.
When Balaam returned Balak he spoke the words that God had given him. Unfortunately for Balak, they were not the words he wanted to hear. Balak wanted a curse, but God wanted to bless His people and that’s exactly what He did. Balaam pronounced a blessing of bounty over the nation of Israel.
This same scenario happened two more times. The second time Balak brought Balaam to a different place. He brought him out to a place where he couldn’t see all of the people; he could only see the outer reaches of the nation. From there Balaam pronounced a blessing of strength and victory over the nation of Israel.
First, a blessing of prosperity: a blessing of growth. Second, a blessing of strength: a promise of victory over the enemy. I can only begin to imagine how upset Balak must have been. Imagine having expected a curse on your enemy only to hear them blessed! But Balak wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Instead of recognizing that God loved Israel, he requested a third time for Balaam to pronounce a curse on the people.
This third and final time Balak brought Balaam up to a place where they were able to see the nation of Israel camped according to their tribes (Numbers 24:2); he saw the entire nation according to the God-ordained layout given in Numbers 1-3. This was where Balaam saw the nation of Israel the same way that God sees the nation of Israel. He saw them laid out to the north, south, east, and west with the Tabernacle in the center of it all. Balaam saw the cross!
After Balaam sees Israel as God sees Israel, through the cross, he pronounces the greatest blessing yet.
Friends, it is because of the cross, and only because of the cross, that God is able to bless us at all. Our blessings flow from the grace that was extended by the blood of Jesus Christ at the cross. Prosperity, abundance, victory, strength, and every good thing are found in the blessings of the cross. It is by His blood, His work, His provision, and His proclamation that we have these blessings.
Enjoy what God has given to you. He’s blessed you exceedingly abundantly with His grace. He’s restored you through His sacrifice, made you whole through His brokenness, and lifted you up with His righteousness. Look at the cross and see the blessings of God made a reality in your life!
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