Balaam proclaims a divinely revealed oracle despite his personal greed and King Balak’s desire to curse God’s people.
Then Balaam “took up his discourse and said, ‘The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;’ (v.3). This moment follows the prophet’s attempts to speak against Israel at the behest of Balak, king of Moab, who feared the Israelites who were camped in the plains of Moab near the end of their forty years in the wilderness. Balaam, who lived sometime around the late 15th century to early 14th century BC during Israel’s exodus from Egypt, was offered riches if he would curse the Israelites. Although Balaam’s heart was drawn to material gain, his prophecies from the LORD instead brought blessing upon the nation of Israel. In this statement, he introduces his “oracle,” declaring a message that has been revealed to him by God. Even though his motives were compromised by greed, he could only proclaim God’s words when it came to Israel.When Balaam refers to himself as “the man whose eye is opened,” he describes a deeper, God-given insight (v.3). Scripture shows Balaam struggling to honor the true word of God while still longing for worldly rewards. He kept trying to walk the line between faithfulness to the LORD and acceptance from idolatrous kings, but the LORD thwarted each attempt by causing him to bless rather than curse (Numbers 22-24). Inside this pronouncement, Balaam’s “opened eye” underscores the truth that God can use even a conflicted messenger to pronounce His sovereign will. In the wider biblical narrative, Balaam is later condemned for teaching Moab’s king to corrupt Israel, yet in this moment he utters a genuine revelation from God (2 Peter 2:15Revelation 2:14).Balaam’s speech ultimately reaffirms that the LORD rules over all nations, and that His words remain supreme over human schemes (v.3).
This verse shows how God’s message can pierce through the intentions of flawed individuals to accomplish His redemptive plan.
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Numbers 24:3 meaning
Then Balaam “took up his discourse and said, ‘The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;’ (v.3). This moment follows the prophet’s attempts to speak against Israel at the behest of Balak, king of Moab, who feared the Israelites who were camped in the plains of Moab near the end of their forty years in the wilderness. Balaam, who lived sometime around the late 15th century to early 14th century BC during Israel’s exodus from Egypt, was offered riches if he would curse the Israelites. Although Balaam’s heart was drawn to material gain, his prophecies from the LORD instead brought blessing upon the nation of Israel. In this statement, he introduces his “oracle,” declaring a message that has been revealed to him by God. Even though his motives were compromised by greed, he could only proclaim God’s words when it came to Israel.When Balaam refers to himself as “the man whose eye is opened,” he describes a deeper, God-given insight (v.3). Scripture shows Balaam struggling to honor the true word of God while still longing for worldly rewards. He kept trying to walk the line between faithfulness to the LORD and acceptance from idolatrous kings, but the LORD thwarted each attempt by causing him to bless rather than curse (Numbers 22-24). Inside this pronouncement, Balaam’s “opened eye” underscores the truth that God can use even a conflicted messenger to pronounce His sovereign will. In the wider biblical narrative, Balaam is later condemned for teaching Moab’s king to corrupt Israel, yet in this moment he utters a genuine revelation from God (2 Peter 2:15 Revelation 2:14).Balaam’s speech ultimately reaffirms that the LORD rules over all nations, and that His words remain supreme over human schemes (v.3).
This verse shows how God’s message can pierce through the intentions of flawed individuals to accomplish His redemptive plan.