How can we trust God's promises like Israel in Numbers 23:7? Setting the Scene: Israel’s Confidence in the Wilderness • Numbers 23 finds Israel encamped on the plains of Moab. Balak hires Balaam to curse them, but instead God turns Balaam’s tongue to bless. • Balaam’s opening lines capture the tension: “Balak brought me from Aram… ‘Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel!’ ” (Numbers 23:7). • Though surrounded by enemies, Israel rests on God’s prior covenant words (Genesis 12:2-3; Exodus 6:6-8). God’s promise, not circumstance, governs their destiny. Why God’s Promises Are Rock-Solid • God’s unchangeable nature “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). – His character is fixed; therefore His word is fixed (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). • A flawless performance record – “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:45). – Centuries later Solomon could still testify the same (1 Kings 8:56). • Promises ratified in Christ – “For all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). – The cross and resurrection prove God keeps even the costliest pledge (Romans 8:32). • Witness of faithful saints – Abraham “did not waver in unbelief” because he was “fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised” (Romans 4:20-21). – Hebrews 11 parades generations who banked on God’s integrity. Putting Trust into Practice Today • Read the promises aloud – Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). • Personalize what God has said – Insert your name where Scripture grants legitimate application. • Recall past deliverances – Keep a journal of answered prayers; review it when doubt whispers. • Obey the light you have – Trust grows when we walk out what He already revealed (John 7:17). • Stay in community – Stories of God’s faithfulness in others fuel our own confidence (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Refuse alternative voices – Balaam could not override God’s decree; neither can modern fears, news cycles, or inner anxieties (Isaiah 8:12-13). The Bottom Line Israel’s security in Numbers 23 did not rest on military strength but on God’s irrevocable word. The same faithful, promise-keeping God invites believers today to stake everything on what He has spoken, assured that “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). |
    |