Balaam, upon seeing them, was compelled to speak blessings over them instead of the curses Balak desired.
Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, was summoned by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites who were encamped near Moab as they approached the Promised Land. He had already tried multiple times to speak curses against God’s chosen people, but the LORD persistently replaced Balaam’s attempted curses with blessings, thwarting Balak’s plan. As the narrative of Numbers 24 unfolds, Scripture says of Balaam: And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. (v.2) This moment underscores that when Balaam looked upon the orderly encampment of Israel, he recognized they were set apart by God, and he experienced the undeniable power of the LORD’s Spirit stirring within him to deliver words of blessing rather than a curse.
The fact that the Spirit of God came upon him shows the transforming authority of the Almighty that superseded Balaam’s personal agenda and Balak’s wishes. Balaam wanted to earn a reward from Moab by cursing Israel, but God’s sovereignty intervened (the story of Balaam is told in Numbers 22 to 31). Though he was not an Israelite, Balaam found himself speaking the truth of the LORD, illustrating that God can use anyone, even those with mixed motives, to accomplish His purposes. Balaam’s own experiences, including a talking donkey sent to warn him (Numbers 22:28), highlight that nothing is beyond the LORD’s means to protect His people.
Notably, this verse also reminds us that God’s design for Israel was both spiritual and orderly. Israel was camping “tribe by tribe,” reflecting their organized structure as they navigated the wilderness. Balaam’s “lifting up his eyes” not only signified a physical act of looking at the tribes but also a spiritual awakening, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to perceive that these people belonged to the covenant God.
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Numbers 24:2 meaning
Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, was summoned by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites who were encamped near Moab as they approached the Promised Land. He had already tried multiple times to speak curses against God’s chosen people, but the LORD persistently replaced Balaam’s attempted curses with blessings, thwarting Balak’s plan. As the narrative of Numbers 24 unfolds, Scripture says of Balaam: And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. (v.2) This moment underscores that when Balaam looked upon the orderly encampment of Israel, he recognized they were set apart by God, and he experienced the undeniable power of the LORD’s Spirit stirring within him to deliver words of blessing rather than a curse.
The fact that the Spirit of God came upon him shows the transforming authority of the Almighty that superseded Balaam’s personal agenda and Balak’s wishes. Balaam wanted to earn a reward from Moab by cursing Israel, but God’s sovereignty intervened (the story of Balaam is told in Numbers 22 to 31). Though he was not an Israelite, Balaam found himself speaking the truth of the LORD, illustrating that God can use anyone, even those with mixed motives, to accomplish His purposes. Balaam’s own experiences, including a talking donkey sent to warn him (Numbers 22:28), highlight that nothing is beyond the LORD’s means to protect His people.
Notably, this verse also reminds us that God’s design for Israel was both spiritual and orderly. Israel was camping “tribe by tribe,” reflecting their organized structure as they navigated the wilderness. Balaam’s “lifting up his eyes” not only signified a physical act of looking at the tribes but also a spiritual awakening, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to perceive that these people belonged to the covenant God.