Balaam’s Prophecy of Jesus in Numbers

Numbers chapter 21 records that when the Israelites arrived on the plains of Moab, they had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan along the way, boosting their morale. They camped on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, looking down at the river and gazing at the Promised Land across from Jericho.

At this time, King Balak of Moab allied with the Midianites scattered in his kingdom to resist the Israelites. It was a common practice in those days for nations at war to hire sorcerers or diviners to curse their enemies to help them win. They hired a pagan sorcerer and diviner named Balaam from Aram and asked him to curse Israel in the name of the God of Israel. Every time Balaam tried to curse the Israelites, it would turn into a blessing. Through a poem, he prophesied, “I see him, but not in the present; I behold him, but not in the near future. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. A ruler will come out of Jacob and will destroy the survivors of the city” (Numbers 24:17a, 19).

In this poem, God used Balaam’s mouth to prophesy the coming of the Messiah. In the Bible, a “star” and a “scepter” both represent authority. Matthew chapter 2 records that several wise men, possibly guided by a star based on this prophecy, came to Jerusalem from the East. When they met with King Herod, they said, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

Balaam’s prophecy was partially fulfilled in the time of David, but its ultimate fulfillment would be accomplished only by the Messiah, Christ. Balaam said that the people of Israel had hope because a Messiah would come to “wield power.” The place He would rule would not only be the land of Canaan but all nations, peoples, tribes, and languages. He is the Messiah, the King of all kings—Jesus Christ.