How does Numbers 23:29 connect with God's unchanging nature in Malachi 3:6? Setting the Scene in Numbers 23:29 “Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.’” (Numbers 23:29) What’s Going On? • Balak keeps moving Balaam from hilltop to hilltop, hoping a fresh location and fresh offerings will coax Balaam into pronouncing a curse on Israel. • Balaam complies outwardly, but each time the LORD gives him only blessing for Israel. • In the verses that follow, Balaam again affirms God’s resolve: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind” (Numbers 23:19). God’s Unbending Character on Display • Altars, vantage points, and repeated sacrifices cannot manipulate the LORD. • Every new attempt simply showcases the same result—blessing on Israel because God already decreed it. • The scene dramatizes that God’s word is fixed; human schemes cannot edit divine resolve. Connecting to Malachi 3:6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) • Centuries after Balaam, God Himself states the principle Balaam had discovered: His nature—and thus His covenant mercy—remains constant. • In Numbers, Israel’s survival and blessing stand firm despite Balak’s plotting. In Malachi, Israel’s survival stands firm despite their own failures. Same reason both times: the LORD does not change. Threads Woven Through the Whole Bible • Psalm 102:27—“You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” • James 1:17—“the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” • Hebrews 13:8—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” All echo the steadfastness displayed in Numbers 23 and declared in Malachi 3. Why It Matters Today • God’s purposes are immune to manipulation—by enemies (Balak) or even by our own failures (Malachi’s audience). • His promises of salvation in Christ are therefore immovable. • Confidence grows when we read these accounts literally and realize the same unchanging LORD shepherds us now. • Our response: trust His word, rest in His covenant faithfulness, and live obediently, knowing nothing can overturn what He has spoken. |
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