Messianic Perspectives

Guest (Male): The Book of Numbers records a remarkable series of four prophecies, including a startling prediction about the coming of the Messiah. But what makes these four prophecies even more amazing is that God gave them, not through Moses or through a Jewish prophet, but through a pagan priest named Balaam. Stay tuned as Dr. Gary Hedrick discusses Balaam's four prophecies right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctively first-century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Aiello. Today, our Bible teacher is Dr. Gary Hedrick, and he's talking about four remarkable prophecies given through a pagan priest named Balaam. I'll be back at the close of the program to tell you about our special offer. And now, with today's installment, here's Gary.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you and we welcome our listening friends. We're in a series of studies dealing with Balaam's four prophecies in the Old Testament Book of Numbers. So, if you have your Bible handy, why don't you follow along as we turn to that 23rd chapter of Numbers in the Old Testament? This is where we have the first of Balaam's four prophecies regarding God's plan for Israel's past, present, and future.

This pagan prophet Balaam utters an amazing series of four prophecies. Obviously, these four oracles come from the Lord. In fact, Balaam himself, as corrupt and pagan as he was, acknowledges that his power is inferior to God's power. He says back in chapter 22, verse 38, "And Balaam said unto Balak, 'Lo, I am come unto thee. Have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.'"

You see, Balaam was a soothsayer. He may even have been a ranking member of the ancient mystical order of the Magi. We know he had a reputation for having great supernatural powers at his disposal because King Balak had heard of Balaam and his reputation for having great spiritual power. But when Balaam finally opens his mouth in chapter 23, and King Balak is expecting him to curse Israel, what comes out is a blessing.

Listen to verse 7 of Numbers chapter 23: "And he took up his parable and said, 'Balak, the king of Moab, hath brought me from Aram out of the mountains of the east, saying, "Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel." How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?'" Balaam asks, "Or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations."

Verse 10 says, "Who can count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his," that is, like Jacob's. And what Balaam is saying here is that God has blessed his people, Israel. He says, "How can I curse someone whom God has blessed?" And look what he says in verse 10 of Numbers 23. Here's the evidence of God's blessing. Balaam says, "Who can count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel?"

You see, that's the evidence of God's blessing: the fact that all of the promises God made to Abraham were destined to be fulfilled. God had said back in Genesis 13:16, "And I will make thy seed," and he was talking to Abraham there, "I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."

On the last broadcast, we talked about the fact that in spite of war, famine, captivity, oppression, slavery, and in spite of virtually every form of persecution you could ever imagine, God has preserved the Jewish people. So, Balaam's first prophecy concerns Israel's perpetuity as a nation, her indestructibility, and her preservation by Almighty God.

In fact, when I read the last part of Balaam's first prophecy here in Numbers 23:10, it almost sounds to me like Balaam is joining the Jews. He says, "Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like Jacob's." Of course, the logical question to ask at this point is how in the world did this pagan prophet from Mesopotamia know anything about the book of Genesis and the manner in which Jacob had died centuries before? How did he know about it?

The answer to that question is simply that this is not really Balaam speaking. God is putting these words in his mouth. In fact, you've probably heard people say, "Don't put words in my mouth." Well, this is where it comes from, where God is literally putting words in the mouth of this wicked prophet, Balaam. Look at chapter 23, verse 16: "And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, 'Go again unto Balak and say thus.'"

You see, God has overridden Balaam's personality and he's controlling that old pagan soothsayer in a way so that God is speaking through him. And so, when Balaam says, "Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like Jacob's," that's God prophesying through Balaam. God is saying, "Rather than cursing Israel, rather than cursing Jacob, Balaam, you should be more like Jacob. You should die like Jacob did. You should die the death of the righteous. Your last end should be like Jacob's."

Do you know why God uses Jacob as an illustration of how a righteous man should die? It's because of the resurrection. It's that simple. Jacob was looking forward to the resurrection. Some people say, especially scholars, that the doctrine of the resurrection wasn't fully developed among the Jewish people in the Old Testament dispensation and all that kind of stuff. But I wonder how they interpret the words of Job when Job said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body," Job says, "yet in my flesh shall I see God."

What a wonderful, glorious, unmistakable statement of the hope of the resurrection. Though after my skin, worms destroy this body, when the flesh and bone of my physical body decay and return to dust, yet in my flesh, that is in a physical body, a glorified body, shall I see God. And of all the Old Testament patriarchs, Jacob was one who especially looked forward to the resurrection.

We don't have time to turn to it, but if you go back and read those closing chapters of the book of Genesis just before Jacob dies, he gives those prophecies concerning his 12 sons. And then he says to those 12 sons, "Please don't bury me in Egypt. Back yonder in Canaan, there's a cave in the field of Machpelah." And Jacob says, "My great-grandparents, Abraham and Sarah, are buried there. My mother and father, Isaac and Rebecca, are buried there. My wife, Leah, is buried there, and that's where I want to be buried."

Now, do you think Jacob wanted to be buried with his loved ones in that land God had promised him out of mere sentimentality? No, I don't think so. I believe Jacob knew what Job knew: that someday his body would be resurrected, that one day he would rejoin Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca and Leah and all the other righteous, and that together they would all inherit that promised land. It would be theirs because of God's covenant promise.

And so, that's where Jacob wanted to be buried. Jacob was the one who wrestled with the Lord. Remember that? They wrestled all night long and Jacob was exhausted and he was just holding on for dear life, but he said to that angel, and I think it was Christ—I think the angel was a Christophany—Jacob said to the Lord, "I'm not going to let you go until you bless me." You see, Jacob held on to God's promises like perhaps no other person in all of the Bible.

When it came time for him to die, Jacob knew that God had promised him that land. God had even given Jacob that name, Israel. That was his name. And with his dying breath, Jacob said, "I'm not going to let go. I'm not going to give up until that promise is fulfilled. I want that land." He knew that someday he would be resurrected to possess it. That's the kind of man Jacob was, and so God said through Balaam, "Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like Jacob's."

Let me tell you something, my friend. When I was in the pastoral ministry—Liberty Bible Church in Eureka, Illinois, and other churches I've served—I saw many believers die. I want to tell you something, my friend, that's the way to die. To know where you're going, to know that someday you're going to live again, to know that this life is not all there is, to know that God has a wonderful, glorious plan for this world and that there's a millennial kingdom of peace and prosperity coming, the likes of which this world has never seen, and that you can be a part of it.

Let me ask you, do you have that assurance? Do you know your sins have been forgiven? Do you know Christ as your Savior? Have you ever trusted him? If not, why not bow your heart today and trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If you're a Jewish person listening to my voice today, why don't you trust him as your Messiah?

Romans 10:9 says "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Then verse 10 says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Verse 12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Jewish friend, Gentile friend, that promise is for you, whoever you are. All you have to do is pray right there where you are—in your car, in your garage, out in the yard, at your desk at work—pray and confess with your mouth that you're receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Messiah and believe it in your heart. The Bible says you will be saved. You have God's word on it. Do it today, won't you? Well, that's all we have time for right now. Join us again on the next program, won't you, as we continue discussing Balaam's four prophecies?

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary, and thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. It's always good to have you with us as we look into God's word together. Now, let me tell you about our special offer. It's the compact disc, which includes all of the programs in this current series of studies on Balaam's Four Prophecies. It can be yours for a gift of just $6 or more to Messianic Perspectives. Just visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order.

If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, P.O. Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292. When you write, just ask for the series Balaam's Four Prophecies. Balaam is spelled B-A-L-A-A-M. Or just ask for CD number GT-20. That's GT-20 and enclose $6. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that, too. I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on Balaam's Four Prophecies right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the freewill contributions of our listeners in this area.