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 hast blessed  them  three  times.”  So  he  ordered  him  to  return  to his  country. Thereupon the  eyes  of  Balaam  were  opened  and  he saw  a vision,  and  his  lips  were  opened,  and  he  prophesied:  “I shall see  him,  but  not  now ;  I shall  behold  him,  but  not  near. A star shall  rise  out  of  Jacob,  and  a sceptre  shall  spring  up from  Israel,  and  shall  strike  the  chiefs  of  Moab and  shall  smite the children  of  Seth.”  And  having  prophesied  also  of  the  fate of the  nations  he  returned  to  his  country.

God's Omnipotence  is  shown  by  His  forcing  Balaam  to  bless  the Israelites against  his  will.

God's Omniscience  is  shown  by  His  revealing  to  Balaam  what  would happen in  the  far  future.

The sixth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  prophecy  of  Balaam  points to the  Divine  Redeemer,  and  reveals,  firstly,  that  He  would  not  come for a long  time;  secondly,  that  He  would  be  one  of  the  children  of Israel;  thirdly,  that  He  would  come,  like  a star,  from  above,  shedding light around  Him; fourthly,  that  He  would  be  a king; and  fifthly,  that He would  overcome  the  enemies  of  His  kingdom. Let us  see  how  this prophecy has  been  fulfilled. Firstly, the  Redeemer  did  not  come  till 1450 years  after  Balaam  spoke;  secondly,  He  was,  as  Man,  descended from Jacob,  and  was  born  in  Judea;  thirdly,  He  came  down  from Heaven to  be  the  Light  of  the  world;  fourthly,  He  has  founded  the Church, the  kingdom  of  God,  which,  fifthly,  overcomes  all  His  enemies, and will  last  till  the  end  of  time. The brazen  serpent  foreshadowed  our Lord’s humiliation;  the  prophecy  of  Balaam  foreshadowed  His  majesty.

Faith in  God's  word.  Balaam  said  to  Balak  that  he  could  not  alter  the word of  the  Lord; and  this  rule  applies  to  every  word  of  God  revealed  to us. Nobody can  or  dare  alter  God’s  word,  either  by  adding  to  it  or  by taking  away  from  it. We must  believe  and  accept  revelation  just  as  it  is.

Superstition. Balak  did  not  believe  in  the  true  God,  but  he  cherished the foolish,  superstitious  idea  that  Balaam’s  curse  could  injure  the  people of God.

The star  out  of  Jacob  and  the  three  kings  from  the  East.  Balaam’s home was  in  the  east,  that  is,  east  of  the  Promised  Land. There, the