What is the meaning of Numbers 23:26? But Balaam replied • The scene is tense: Balak, king of Moab, has demanded that Balaam curse Israel, yet Balaam can only speak what God gives. Numbers 22:38 already set this boundary—“Am I able to say anything? I can speak only the word that God puts in my mouth”. • Balaam’s reply underscores that the conversation is not between two men but between a king’s demand and God’s decree. 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 11 later recall Balaam to warn believers about those who love the wages of unrighteousness, highlighting how remarkable it is that, here, he actually refuses to compromise. Did I not tell you • Balaam reminds Balak of his earlier, clear warning (Numbers 22:18; 23:12). Faithfulness involves repetition; truth doesn’t change because circumstances do. • This echo is a gentle rebuke: Balak’s persistence cannot overturn God’s prior statement. Galatians 1:10 asks, “Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God?”—the same dilemma Balak refuses to acknowledge. • Proverbs 29:25 observes, “The fear of man is a snare,” showing why Balaam’s prior words had to be restated. That whatever the LORD says • The phrase centers everything on divine speech. Numbers 23:19 has just declared, “God is not a man, that He should lie,” anchoring Balaam’s confidence. • Deuteronomy 18:18-19 promises God will raise up prophets and “I will put My words in his mouth.” Balaam functions in that role here, whether he likes it or not. • Isaiah 55:11 assures, “So My word that goes out from My mouth will not return to Me empty,” explaining why any attempt to manipulate prophecy fails. • 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us today that “All Scripture is God-breathed,” and therefore every syllable carries the same authority Balaam had to honor. I must do • Balaam’s obligation is non-negotiable; prophetic speech demands obedience. Numbers 24:13 will repeat, “I could not do anything on my own accord, whether good or bad… I must speak as the LORD tells me.” • Acts 5:29 voices the same principle for the apostles: “We must obey God rather than men.” • Jesus states it positively in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” and James 1:22 urges believers to be doers, not hearers only. • Obedience is not optional extra credit; it is woven into saving faith itself (Luke 6:46). summary Numbers 23:26 spotlights a prophet who, despite flawed motives elsewhere, recognizes that God’s word outranks every human agenda. Balaam’s short sentence rebukes worldly pressure, reaffirms the unchangeable authority of divine revelation, and models the only proper response: unwavering obedience to whatever the LORD says. |
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