🗣️ Numbers 23:19 | You Said It

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Numbers 23:19 is our first memory verse from the book of Numbers! It’s not often the first book we jump to read, but it’s loaded with evidence that God keeps his promises.

In today’s email…

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God __ ___ ___, that __ _____ ___, or a ___ __ ___, that __ ______ ___ ___ ___.

Has __ ____, and ____ __ ___ __ __? Or ___ __ spoken, and ____ __ ___ _______ it?

Numbers 23:19

This week, we’ve explored Numbers 23:19:

On Monday, we looked at the context of Numbers.

According to tradition, Moses wrote Numbers during the wilderness wanderings so the next generation of Israelites would know how Yahweh cared for them after Egypt.

Our passage comes from the final section of Numbers, in which the Israelites —decades into their wilderness sojourn — are camped on the high plains of Moab, just across the Dead Sea from the southern reaches of the Promised Land.

The Moabite King, Balaak, seeks to weaken this sojourning people by summoning a well-known pagan sorcerer named Balaam to come curse them. But God will have something to say about that.

On Tuesday, we explored the story of Balaam.

Balaam was summoned by King Balaak to come and curse Israel. They make sacrifices to try to sway Yahweh to break his promises to protect his people.

But Yahweh speaks words of blessing through the pagan sorcerer, revealing that even when his people are unfaithful or unaware, He keeps his promises.

On Wednesday, we unpacked a Hebrew word from Numbers 23:19:

“Will he not fulfill (quwm) it?” The Hebrew word quwm (koom) is used in the Old Testament to mean fulfill, but it’s also often used to mean arise or go.

Together, this reminds us that God is never passive or uncertain; His word always moves history toward His intended end.

God does not “start” acting when He speaks. His speaking is His acting. He is always going, always on the move, always speaking and always bringing His words to fulfillment.

Finally, on Thursday we looked at some of the blessings uttered by Balaam in Numbers where he mentions a coming King from Israel.

While these prophecies could be said to point to King David, they find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Balaam says, “Has he said, and will he not do it?” And on the cross Jesus says:

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A striking detail in the Balaam story is that Israel is completely unaware of what is happening in the mountains.

While Israel stumbles in faithfulness below, Yahweh confronts a violent king and a pagan sorcerer, turning intended curses into blessings. God remains faithful to His covenant, even when His people are not.

This reveals a central truth: God is unwaveringly committed to His promises.

What Jesus accomplished on the cross is the ultimate expression of that faithfulness — and through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is what enables us to be increasingly obedient to God.

What commitments or promises do you want to make to God?

Pray 🙏

God, thank you for being a King who keeps His promises. When I look at the love you poured out for me through Jesus’ death on the cross, my heart melts like a child. I want to be obedient to you. Help me by your grace to trust in your promises and empower me through the Holy Spirit to follow through on mine. Amen.

In case you missed them, here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into the verse and its themes:

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God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19