This verse serves as a reminder that no earthly power can subvert God’s promises.
In Numbers 23:28, we see that “Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland” (v.28). This event takes place in the land of Moab, to the east of the Jordan River, around 1406 BC, when the Israelites were nearing the Promised Land. Balak, the king of Moab during that time, feared the growing presence of Israel, and he repeatedly tried to persuade Balaam to curse the Israelites he saw camped below. The high place of Peor (sometimes called Bamoth-Peor) was strategically situated for observing the vast desert plains, emphasizing the dramatic setting of Balak’s attempt to gain divine favor in opposition to God’s chosen people.
“Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor” (v.28) also signals a continuation of the pattern in which Balak escorts the prophet to various vantage points, hoping a change of scenery might bring a different prophecy. In the wider narrative, Balaam stands in a complicated role: though not an Israelite, he speaks with the voice of God’s truth (Numbers 22-24). Historically, Balaam’s actions appear sometime after the Exodus (circa 1446 BC) and just before Moses’s death on the edge of the Promised Land. Balak, anxious to secure Moab’s safety, seems determined to succeed by any means—a contrast to God’s unwavering intention to bless Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). The mountaintop setting also underscores the idea that human attempts to manipulate God’s will from lofty heights or spiritual vantage points ultimately fail when they contradict His plan.
Furthermore, the mention of “which overlooks the wasteland” (v.28) reminds us that the people of Israel had recently wandered in that very desert for forty years due to their unbelief (Numbers 14). Yet God had sustained them in the wilderness and was now preparing them to take possession of the land He promised. The scene on Peor foreshadows that no curse or force could prevail against those whom the Lord blessed, foreshadowing the victory God provides to all who belong to Him in faith (Romans 8:31).
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Numbers 23:28 meaning
In Numbers 23:28, we see that “Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland” (v.28). This event takes place in the land of Moab, to the east of the Jordan River, around 1406 BC, when the Israelites were nearing the Promised Land. Balak, the king of Moab during that time, feared the growing presence of Israel, and he repeatedly tried to persuade Balaam to curse the Israelites he saw camped below. The high place of Peor (sometimes called Bamoth-Peor) was strategically situated for observing the vast desert plains, emphasizing the dramatic setting of Balak’s attempt to gain divine favor in opposition to God’s chosen people.
“Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor” (v.28) also signals a continuation of the pattern in which Balak escorts the prophet to various vantage points, hoping a change of scenery might bring a different prophecy. In the wider narrative, Balaam stands in a complicated role: though not an Israelite, he speaks with the voice of God’s truth (Numbers 22-24). Historically, Balaam’s actions appear sometime after the Exodus (circa 1446 BC) and just before Moses’s death on the edge of the Promised Land. Balak, anxious to secure Moab’s safety, seems determined to succeed by any means—a contrast to God’s unwavering intention to bless Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). The mountaintop setting also underscores the idea that human attempts to manipulate God’s will from lofty heights or spiritual vantage points ultimately fail when they contradict His plan.
Furthermore, the mention of “which overlooks the wasteland” (v.28) reminds us that the people of Israel had recently wandered in that very desert for forty years due to their unbelief (Numbers 14). Yet God had sustained them in the wilderness and was now preparing them to take possession of the land He promised. The scene on Peor foreshadows that no curse or force could prevail against those whom the Lord blessed, foreshadowing the victory God provides to all who belong to Him in faith (Romans 8:31).