How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!

Numbers 24:5

There is a very interesting story in the Book of Numbers that goes on for three chapters, Num 22-24. To make a long story short for the sake of the post (not that any of my posts are short), the king of the Moabites, hears that Israel has defeated the Amorites and has taken their land and cities. Israel is settled adjacent to Moab and the Moabite king (Balak) is afraid that they will do the same to him, particularly after Moab had refused the Israelites passage through their land and threatened them earlier.

Anyway, because of his fear, Balak asks king Balaam of Beor to come and curse Israel because Balaam had a reputation as having some supernatural ability. With Balaam’s curse, Balak thought he could go out and defeat Israel.

So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.

Numbers 22:6

Some would say that Balaam was a pagan but the text tells of a relationship he had with the Lord. Worshiping false gods in high places? Balak was doing that because Moab was a pagan nation. Their go-to god was Chemosh who demanded human sacrifice. (Some sarcasm: Now why didn’t Balak call on the name of Chemosh? Is he deficient in some way?)

When Balaam receives the request to come and curse Israel from the officials sent by Balak, he does something maybe we should all be doing more of – he inquired of the Lord. Here is the Lord’s response:

But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, for they are blessed.

Numbers 22:12

I’m not going to recount the rest of the story but if you have doubts about God’s commitment to Israel go read Numbers 22-24. In fact go back a few chapters to see the unfaithfulness of Israel.

The point is this: there are many people, many nations today who curse the Jews. But they are still a people blessed of the Lord. They are blessed even when they are unfaithful. This was the case even in the times of Balaam when Israel became involved with the pagan god Baal Peor. They were punished and came to repentance; still blessed.

Despite the unfaithfulness of Israel through their history, they remained blessed, not cursed. Being a blessed people is a permanent status, not based on their performance or their faithfulness but on the Lord’s covenant promise. That has never changed. Their status as a people blessed of the Lord relies on Him alone. That’s what he said above on Numbers 22:12, even after they were enticed towards the false gods of the Moabites.

So the next time you hear someone curse Israel don’t get frustrated or angry. Do what Balaam did. Just bless them: “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!”