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“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!”—Num. 24:5:
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Balaam's first parable reveals that Israel is holy (23:9); the second, that Israel is perfect (v. 21); and the third, that Israel is beautiful, as indicated by the word fair (24:5).
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This will be the actual condition of Israel in the millennium:
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God promised that the descendants of Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations—Gen. 12:2-3.
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Eventually, the Jews will be fully blessed by God, and they will be a blessing to the entire human race—Isa. 2:2-3; Zech. 8:20-23.
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Balaam's parables also indicate that in its standing the church is holy, in the sight of God the church is perfect, and in appearance the church is beautiful, fair—cf. Eph. 5:27:
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The church is sanctified, perfect, and beautiful when it is full of Christ—3:15-21; 4:13, 15.
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Christ is the content, the constituent, and every part of the church as the new man—Col. 3:10-11.
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“Like valleys they are spread forth, / Like gardens beside a river, / Like aloes which Jehovah has planted, / Like cedars beside water. / Water shall flow from his buckets, / And his seed shall be in many waters”—Num. 24:6-7a:
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The word concerning valleys and gardens in verse 6 and concerning water flowing from buckets in verse 7 reveals figuratively that the church has valleys (Rev. 2:9-10), that the church is like a garden (1 Cor. 3:9b), and that in the church there is an abundance of water (12:13; cf. John 7:38-39).
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These are some of the riches concerning the church.
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Balaam's word in Numbers 24:7b about Jacob's king being higher than Agag and about Jacob's kingdom being exalted is a prophecy that eventually has its fulfillment in Christ.
Morning Nourishment
Num. 24:5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your tabernacles, O Israel!Eph. 5:27 …He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.
1 Cor. 12:13 For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body…and were all given to drink one Spirit.
3:9 …You are God's cultivated land, God's building.
Everything depends on our vision. The Lord told Balaam, the Gentile prophet,”He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has He seen trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21). In the eyes of the Lord,”How fair are your tents, 0 Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!” (24:5). God always sees through the valleys to the goal. Of course, if we are in a valley, we may bemoan the fact. But that is not the end—that is just an underpass on the highway to the goal. We must drive through the underpass to the goal upon the high mountain. We must learn to see through things to the goal, not only with insight but also with foresight. The church can never be defeated. We are wrong if we say that the church is always defeated. The church will eventually be victorious! (CWWL, 1964, vol. 4,”The Vision of God's Building,” pp. 265-266)
Today's Reading
The Spirit of God came upon Balaam, and he took up his parable and said,”Balaam the son of Beor declares, / And the man whose eye is opened declares; / He declares, he who hears the words of God, / Who sees the vision of the All-sufficient One, / Falling down, but having his eyes uncovered” (Num. 24:3b-4). The phrases whose eye is opened and who hears the speaking of God indicate that the prophet was on the alert. His falling down with his eyes uncovered indicates that he cooperated with God.[The word in verse 5] reminds us of Balaam's word concerning Israel in his first two parables. In the first parable he said,”Here is a people who live alone / And do not reckon themselves among the nations” (23:9b). This word indicates that Israel is a holy people, a people separated, or sanctified, unto God. In the sight of God, Israel stands alone. According to God's view, Israel, even today, is not reckoned among the nations. If we have God's view, we will regard Israel as a particular and separate people, as a sanctified and holy nation. In his second parable Balaam said,”He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has He seen trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21a). This means that, in the sight of God, Israel is without fault.
The first parable reveals that Israel is holy, and the second, that Israel is perfect….According to the third parable, Israel is beautiful. Israel's beauty is indicated by the word fair [24:5]. In the sight of God, Israel is holy, sinless, and beautiful. In standing she is holy, in kind she is perfect, and in appearance she is beautiful. This reveals that God has chosen, redeemed, saved, separated, uplifted, perfected, and beautified this people. According to the Bible, this will be the actual situation of Israel during the millennium. The Jews are not welcomed by the nations in this age, but they will be welcomed by the nations after the Lord Jesus comes back. God promised that the descendants of Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:2-3). Eventually the Jews will be fully blessed by God, and they will be a blessing to the entire human race.
[In Numbers 24:6] Israel is likened to valleys, which usually are green, and to gardens beside a river. Aloe is a plant known for its healing effect. (The Lord Jesus was buried with aloes—John 19:39.) After the coming back of the Lord Jesus, Israel will be a healing to the nations, and that healing will be a great blessing. Numbers 24:7a…indicates that Israel will have an abundant supply of water. The water of a country is related to the riches of that country. The more water a nation has, the more riches it will have. Without water, the land would be a desert. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 258-259)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1964, vol. 4,”The Vision of God's Building,” ch. 11; Truth Lessons—Level Four, vol. 2, lsn. 25