Numbers 24:1-9
1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him 3 and he uttered his oracle:
“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,
4 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,
your dwelling places, O Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes planted by the LORD,
like cedars beside the waters.
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
“Their king will be greater than Agag;
their kingdom will be exalted.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and break their bones in pieces;
with their arrows they pierce them.
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
like a lioness-who dares to rouse them?
“May those who bless you be blessed
and those who curse you be cursed!”
-
Trust and Focus
The word “oracle” might seem strange to you. You might not hear it that often, especially in today’s speech. A word that might be a little more familiar to you is “prophesy”. The term oracle of prophesy is used to describe a vision, a truth, a burden, or a word from God that is spoken by a person called an oracle or a prophet. Prophets were messengers who were authorized to speak for God. Prophesies are the descriptions of what is to happen in the future.
Biblical prophesies have been coming true for thousands of years. When you think of prophesies, you might think of the book Revelation, which is the last book in the Bible. When you read prophesies, you can be confident that God is unfolding history in His timing and He will fulfill all prophesies. This is great news for those who believe God and trust in His word and His ways. So when you read this scripture today, don’t get bogged down in the confusing names and don’t be bored just because it’s in the Old Testament. Instead, go re-read the scripture, it will only take like 45 seconds, and praise God for His blessings and His care.
