Balaam ended his third parable with a word concerning blessing and cursing: "Blessed is he who blesses you,/And cursed is he who curses you" (24:9b). This bothered Balak. "Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together" (v. 10a). Then he said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and you have altogether blessed them" (v. 10b).
To Balak's angry outburst, Balaam responded by saying, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad on my own; what Jehovah speaks, that will I speak?" (vv. 12-13).
In 24:14-25 we have Balaam's fourth parable.
In verse 14 Balaam said to Balak, "Now, I am going to my people; come, I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the latter days." Balaam not only blessed Israel but also prophesied that Israel would be blessed further and that Israel's blessing would be a damage to Balak and his people.
In verse 17 Balaam says, "I see him, but not now;/I behold him, but not nearby./A Star shall come forth out of Jacob,/And a Scepter shall rise out of Israel;/And He shall crush the corners of Moab,/And break down all the sons of Sheth." Both the Star and the Scepter refer to Christ. The Scepter is Christ as the One with power and authority. In this prophecy, therefore, Balaam speaks of Christ. The greatest blessing to the children of Israel is Christ. As the Star and the Scepter, Christ will be the almighty One with all-inclusive power and authority. This Christ will crush the corners of Moab, one of Balak's countries, and will break down all the sons of Sheth.
In verses 18 and 19, Balaam continues, saying, "Edom shall be dispossessed,/Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed./But Israel shall do valiantly;/By Jacob shall dominion be exercised,/And those who remain from the cities shall be destroyed!" "His enemies" in verse 18 are Christ's enemies. These enemies will be destroyed, but because of Christ Israel will remain. After these nations have been destroyed, Israel will remain with Christ. Christ will surely be Israel's greatest blessing. This prophecy, as the New Testament indicates (see Rom. 11), will be fully fulfilled in the coming days, that is, in the millennium.
In verses 20 through 25, Balaam prophesies in a parable concerning other peoples. These verses help us to realize that God is over all. All the nations are under His control and reign for the fulfillment of His purpose. He rules over the nations that His economy may be accomplished among the nations through Israel.
Numbers 31:8 speaks of Balaam's death. Balaam, who was a kind of prophet of God, had a pitiful ending. He was killed by Israel among the Midianites.