In verse 5 Balaam said, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!” According to the third parable, Israel is beautiful. Israel’s beauty is indicated by the word fair. In the first parable Israel is holy, in the second parable she is sinless, and in the third she is beautiful. Hence, in the sight of God Israel is holy, sinless, and beautiful. In standing she is holy, in kind she is perfect, and in appearance she is beautiful. This reveals that God has chosen, redeemed, saved, separated, uplifted, perfected, and beautified this people.
According to the Bible, this will be the actual situation of Israel during the millennium. In this age the Jews are not welcomed by the nations, but they will be welcomed by the nations after the Lord Jesus comes back. God promised that the descendants of Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:2-3). Eventually the Jews will be fully blessed by God, and they will be a blessing to the entire human race.
In Numbers 24:6 Balaam continued his description of Israel: “Like valleys they are spread forth, / Like gardens beside a river, / Like aloes which Jehovah has planted, / Like cedars beside water.” In this verse Israel is likened to valleys, which usually are green, and to gardens beside a river. Aloe is a plant known for its healing effect; the Lord Jesus was buried in linen with a mixture of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). Hence, Numbers 24:6 is a prophecy. After the coming back of the Lord Jesus, Israel will be a healing to the nations, and that healing will be a great blessing. Numbers 24:7 says, “Water shall flow from his buckets, / And his seed shall be in many waters.” This indicates that Israel will have an abundant supply of water. The water of a country is related to the riches of that country. Without water, land becomes a desert. The more water a nation has, the richer it is.
In verse 7 Balaam went on to say, “His king shall be higher than Agag, / And his kingdom shall be exalted.” Agag was the king of the Amalekites. Balaam’s word is a prophecy that eventually has its fulfillment in Christ.
In verse 9 Balaam ended his third parable with a word concerning blessing and cursing: “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, / And cursed is everyone who curses you.” This bothered Balak. Verse 10 says, “Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, but now you have altogether blessed them these three times.” In verses 12 and 13 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad from my own heart? What Jehovah speaks, that I will speak.”
In 24:14-25 Balaam spoke a fourth parable. In verse 14 Balaam said to Balak, “Now therefore, I am going to my people. Come, let me give you counsel as to what this people will do to your people in the last 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 said, “I see Him, but not now; / I behold Him, but not near. / There shall come forth a Star 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 Star and Scepter refer to Christ. The Scepter is Christ as the One with power and authority. 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. Christ will crush the corners of Moab, Balak’s country and break down all the sons of Sheth.
In verses 18 and 19 Balaam continued, saying, “Edom shall be dispossessed— / Seir, His enemies, shall also be dispossessed— / While Israel does valiantly. / And One from Jacob shall have dominion / And destroy the remnant from the city.” The enemies in verse 18 are Christ’s enemies. These enemies will be destroyed, but Israel will remain because of Christ. After the nations have been destroyed, Israel will remain with Christ. Christ will surely be Israel’s greatest blessing. As the New Testament indicates, this prophecy will be fully fulfilled in the coming days, that is, in the millennium.
In Numbers 24:20-25, Balaam prophesied in a parable concerning other nations. These verses help us to realize that God is over all. All the nations are under His control and His reign for the fulfillment of His purpose. He rules over the nations so that His economy may be accomplished among the nations through Israel.
Balaam spoke four parables to Israel in which there are many prophecies concerning the house of Israel, the nations, and the Messiah. The first parable speaks of the children of Israel being a people who live alone and who do not reckon themselves among the nations. They are a holy people, a people separated from among the nations unto God. Because they are blessed, they received abundant increase. They are as numberless as dust. No one will be able to count even the fourth part of Israel. In the second parable Balaam said that God did not behold iniquity in Jacob, nor did He see trouble in Israel. It is obvious that the children of Israel had many iniquities, but God does not look at what His redeemed people are in themselves. In God’s eyes His people have been redeemed and forgiven; therefore, God can say that they are without iniquity. God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. They are full of fighting power, having the horns of the wild ox, and nothing is against them. They rise up like a lioness and lift themselves up like a lion. In the third parable Balaam said that the tents of Jacob are fair, and the tabernacles of Israel are beautiful. In the sight of God Israel is holy, sinless, and beautiful. God has chosen, redeemed, saved, separated, uplifted, perfected, and beautified His people. Israel will be like valleys that spread forth, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by Jehovah, and like cedars beside water. The king of Israel will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted. Everyone who blesses Israel will be blessed, and everyone who curses Israel will be cursed. The fourth parable speaks of a Star coming forth out of Jacob and a Scepter rising out of Israel. Both the Star and the Scepter refer to Christ. He is the almighty One with all-inclusive power and authority. He will crush the corners of Moab, Balak’s country, and break down all the sons of Sheth. Then the nations will be destroyed, and Jacob will have dominion. This proves that God is over all; all the nations are under His control and His reign for the fulfillment of His purpose. He rules over the nations so that His economy may be accomplished among the nations through Israel.