Daily Digest: Capstone Capsule

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. HAS HE SAID, and WILL HE NOT DO?” – Numbers 23:19

God is firm on every matter demanding DIVINE PERFORMANCE: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” (Num.23: 19-20). Whatever God says, He can do! This was Balaam’s second oracle, which focused on God's unchanging Character and irreversible blessings. He is faithful to His promises and sovereign over all human intentions.  

The people of Israel were camped in the plains of Moab, preparing to enter the Promised Land. The Moabite King Balak, afraid of the vast nation of Israel, hired Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, to curse them. This was his second attempt for a curse, having moved Balaam to a different location in the delusory hope that a change of vantage point might alter the divine verdict. Balaam again built seven altars and offered sacrifices. The Lord met Balaam, put a message in his mouth, and he blessed instead of cursing, much to Balak's frustration. 

God is not a man, that He should lie, exaggerate, or fail to deliver on promises. God is incapable of falsehood. While the Bible sometimes refers to God “repenting” – changing His course of action in response to human behaviour – it does not imply a change in His eternal Character, Will, or Promises. What God promises, He fulfills without fail! His Word is effective and guaranteed. Balaam, despite his personal desires for Balak's reward, was a mere mouthpiece for God and couldn’t reverse a blessing that God had already pronounced. 

The narrative demonstrates God's absolute control over human affairs, using even a pagan diviner to accomplish His purposes. Human schemes such as Balak's attempts and Balaam's greed, are ultimately futile against God's Sovereign Will. For example, His covenant with Abraham to bless his descendants was indissoluble. No curse or sorcery can work against a people whom God has covenanted to bless. Israel’s special status as His unique, set-apart people, prefigures the distinct identity and protection afforded to God's people in all ages.

Believers can rest in the absolute certainty and reliability of God's Word, trusting in His sure promises, which provide an anchor for hope and a foundation for faith in an unpredictable world. Just as Balak's attempts to curse Israel were in vain, we need not fear human threats, curses, or spiritual attacks when walking under God's covenant protection. Obedience triumphs over Manipulation. We cannot manipulate or bargain with God for personal agendas. True faith involves obedience to God's revealed Will, not trying to bend His Will to ours.