"10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
15 And he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
17 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead[c] of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
18 Edom shall be dispossessed;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
Israel is doing valiantly.
19 And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
and destroy the survivors of cities!”
20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first among the nations,
but its end is utter destruction.”
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock.
22 Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
when Asshur takes you away captive.”
23 And he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he too shall come to utter destruction.”
25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way."
Numbers 24:10-25
But Balak's eyes are blinded to the warning implicit in the seer's words, and his anger flares out against him (10,11). This Balaam counters with a further, final prophecy, which in content surpasses all the others for its profound depths. It is an extraordinary word. Not only does Balaam become the mouthpiece of God to declare the divine purpose for the chosen people, but also the vehicle of revelation of God's ultimate purpose in choosing them as His people, namely the sending forth of a Redeemer. One has only to read these verses, especially 17 and 19, to sense the high dignity and mystery of their message. The Star from Jacob and the Sceptre from Israel point forward to Christ Himself, Who is the fulfilment of these wonderful words. And, thus early in history, the gospel is proclaimed in prophecy not to Israel, but to the Gentile nations. We can only marvel that such clear vision should have come so anciently, and through such a man!
The prophecy itself is a fourfold one, divided by the repetition of the words 'he took up his parable' (15, 20, 21, 23). The first part refers to Edom and Moab (1719); the second to Amalek (20); the third to the Kenites (21, 22); the fourth the great powers of the world (23, 24). It is, of course, true that Balaam's prophecy received at least partial fulfilment in the raising up of David as King of Israel; but it is just as clear, that that divine kingdom that Balaam foresaw was realised in David only in its first and imperfect beginnings, and that its completion was not attained until the coming of 'great David's greater Son', the Messiah Himself. He who breaks in pieces all the enemies of Israel, and founds an everlasting kingdom, to which all the kingdoms and powers of this world are to be brought into subjection.' (Delitzsch).