Like the Horns of the Wild Ox

Numbers 23:22-23
God brings them out of Egypt
and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
'What has God wrought!'

Consider Balak and Balaam. Many Israelites are in the land nearby. Balak grows scared and sends an urgent message to Balaam: “come and curse these people.” But Balaam cannot curse what God has blessed. Three times Balaam is given a blessing for Israel and not a curse. And so it always shall be. What God has blessed, no man can curse.

Balak asks Balaam three times to curse the Israelites. Each time he changes location Balak thinks perhaps God will not be so impressed with this part of the tribe and will allow them to be cursed. (Perhaps Balak did not study the unchangeableness of God?) We have seen how terrifying it might be to be an Israelite; but here is glimpse from the outside. From a non-Israelite perspective there is no question about it. God is most definitely on the side of Israel. They may not understand that in their wickedness, but it most definitely is true. Their Redeemer is unchanging and strong!

Even so He is for us. In John 13:1 it says “when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” He has loved us to the end. We might think that God is against us as the Israelites might have thought, for He was purging sin from their midst. But no one on the outside who can see God’s hand thinks that way. He is most definitely FOR His people! To the end. To the end of His life on a Cross and to the end of ours, when we close our eyes in death. He says also in John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to me [Jesus], is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” He was, is, and always will be faithful to his people. I leave you with an excerpt from Pilgrim’s Progress (an allegory of the Christian life), when Christian and Hopeful are crossing the River of Death at the end of their journey:

Now I further saw that betwixt them and the gate was a river; but there was no bridge to go over: the river was very deep. At the sight, therefore, of this river, the pilgrims were much astounded; but the men that went with them said, "You must go through, or you cannot come at the gate."

The pilgrims then began to inquire if there was no other way to the gate; to which they answered, "Yes, but there hath not any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread that path since the foundation of the world, nor shall until the last trumpet shall sound".
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52

The pilgrims then--especially CHRISTIAN--began to despond in their minds; and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the waters were all of a depth? They said, "No"; yet they could not help them in that case, for said they, "you shall find it deeper or shallower as you believe in the King of the place."
They then addressed themselves to the water; and entering, CHRISTIAN began to sink. And crying out to his good friend, HOPEFUL, he said, "I sink in deep waters, the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me."

Then said the other, "Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good." Then said CHRISTIAN, "Ah! my friend, the sorrows of death have compassed me about; I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey. And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon CHRISTIAN, so that he could not see before him; also here he, in great measure, lost his senses, so that he could neither remember nor orderly talk of any of those sweet refreshments that he had met with in the way of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spake still tended to discover that he had horror of mind, and hearty fears that he should die in that river, and never obtain entrance in at the gate; here also, as they that stood by perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of the sins that he had committed, both since and before he began to be a pilgrim. 'Twas also observed that he was troubled with apparitions of hobgoblins and evil spirits; for ever and anon he would intimate so much by words. HOPEFUL, therefore, here had much ado to keep his brother's head above water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then ere awhile he would rise up again half dead. HOPEFUL also would endeavour to comfort him, saying, "Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by it to receive us." But CHRISTIAN would answer, "'Tis you, 'tis you they wait for; you have been hopeful ever since I knew you." "And so have you," said he to CHRISTIAN. "Ah, brother," said he, "surely, if I was right, he would now arise to help me; but, for my sins, he hath brought me into the snare, and hath left me." Then said HOPEFUL, "My brother, you have quite forgot the text where it is said of the wicked, 'There are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm; they are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men'.
"For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men." Psalms 73:4, 5

These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but are sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore you have received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses."

Then I saw in my dream that CHRISTIAN was as in a muse awhile, to whom also HOPEFUL added this word, "Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole "; and with that CHRISTIAN brake out with a loud voice, "Oh, I see him again! and he tells me, 'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee'".
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Isaiah 43:2

Then they both took courage, and the enemy was after that as still as a stone, until they were gone over. CHRISTIAN therefore presently found ground to stand upon; and so it followed that the rest of the river was but shallow. Thus they got over.
-The Pilgrim’s Progress part I by John Bunyan