Rest In His Promises (Numbers 23:19)

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

In our story, Balak, the king of Moab, is a prey to fear and says to the prophet Balaam, “…a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me …they are too mighty for me” (Numbers 22:5-6). So he asks the prophet Balaam to curse Israel; but the prophet knows that if God has a purpose, He would not change it by the pressure of men. And it turns out that Isaac’s descendants had been blessed and chosen by God for Himself. It is then that Balaam replies with the words of our text. The truth Balak had to accept is that our God is unchangeable.

God’s immutability is consistent with His other perfections. Because God is eternal and exists outside the limitations of time, He is unchangeable. Because God is perfect, He is unchangeable. Because God is omniscient, He is unchangeable. And because God is unchangeable, He is faithful to His promises. Neither men, nor the most tormenting calamities, can bend the line that God has drawn in history. God loved Israel and therefore protected them from the Egyptians (Deuteronomy 7:8), and even their afflictions were predetermined by him to fulfill his good purposes (Genesis 15:13, 50:20). Balak had to humbly accept God’s purposes.

But there is one thing we can overlook. If Balak had known the word of God, his fear would have vanished, because God had commanded (or would command) Israel not to trouble Moab because He would not give them the land of the Moabites (Deuteronomy 2:9). The unchanging God would not destroy Israel at the whim of Balak, but neither would He destroy Moab because He had decided to preserve them in peace for many centuries.

Beloved reader, these things were written for us (Romans 15:4). Today more than yesterday we must bring God’s promises into our hearts, for if He has said it, He will do it, and if He has spoken it, He will fulfill it. He has given you “precious and wonderful promises” so that your heart will be at peace in recognizing that His purpose will be fulfilled in you and through you (2 Peter 1:4, Psalm 138:8).

That is why at Truth78 we have encouraged memorizing the Fighter Verses. During affliction, it is not easy to learn new theological concepts; instead, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to our hearts all the arsenal God provided to persevere in doing good in the midst of trials (John 14:26). God offers His children the extraordinary opportunity to shine their brightest light. May Christ shine before the eyes of the world through you in an unusual way.

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For Reflection

1. Have you been memorizing God’s promises for this day?

2. What has God offered His people in the midst of trials?

3. What is God doing in the lives of His children through their afflictions?