“I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

Part 1

Genesis 12:3; Exodus 17

Did you ever think why the Bible contains multiple prophecies of divine retribution against the disobedient Gentiles? This occurs repeatedly in Scripture and often in large portions (e.g. Isa. 13–23; Ezek. 25–32). Part of the answer is found in Genesis 12:3, where God made this specific promise both for what would eventually become the Jewish nation in what would ultimately become the Abrahamic Covenant: “And

I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” When God ratified the Abrahamic Covenant, He told Abram: “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years” (Gen. 15:13). This follows with the first implementation of the Genesis 12:3 “I will curse the one,” as would be expected if God kept His word: “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve” (Gen. 15:14), which ultimately would be Egypt. 

The first occurrence of a Gentile nation fighting against Israel as a nation after the Exodus was Amalek in Exodus 17:8-16. But we cannot start there and do justice to the text. Although often overlooked in Scripture, Exodus 17 is one of the most monumental chapters in the entire Bible, although its connections and significance are not revealed until later in Scripture. Even then we can easily overlook its importance.

Exodus 17:1-7 records the incident where the newly redeemed people at Rephidim cried out to God for water. God’s specific instruction describes the means by which He would provide for Israel: “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” This passage contains two remarkable truths that should be noted: first, God Himself would stand on the rock, and He permits—even commands—that He be struck with the rod. It is not until God gave the fuller revelation later in First Corinthians 10:1-4, that we realize the deep spiritual lesson that He gave for all eternity: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.” Because later we are told that the crucifixion of Jesus was done in accordance with “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23), God used the Exodus 17 account as a preview of what He would one day allow: His own Messiah to be stricken. Simply put, the preincarnate Messiah provided for the people in this beautiful picture of His life to come. For an additional study for those who want to track down related verses about “all ate the same spiritual food,” read Exodus 16, where God supernaturally provided the bread from heaven, manna, which Jesus used specifically in reference to Himself in John 6:26-41, concluding this passage with, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” So Jesus used Exodus 16 in reference to both Himself and His work, and Paul did the same in First Corinthians 10. In Exodus 16–17, no one knew the Messianic prophecies displayed by God at that time, but that was not important. God knew, and He would reveal it at the proper time in the future, which was all that mattered. This is one of the reasons why Exodus 17 is such an important chapter in the Bible.

However, as will repeatedly be seen in Scripture, it must be noted that receiving God’s blessings was by no means automatic. God most certainly will fulfill His promise “to bless those who bless you and curse the one who curses you,” but Israel had responsibilities as well. Sadly, even at this early point in Israel’s history, after noting God’s faithfulness, Moses also noted the core problem among the people that existed even then: “And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (Ex. 17:7). God had brought the enslaved people out of Egypt and done mighty deeds, and yet their memory was very short in that they tested Him. 

It is in this context that Exodus 17:8 follows: “Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim.” Amalek did not pick the best time nor place to fight Israel: at the same Rephidim of Exodus 17:1, where God and the Messiah are present, where the core issue is whether God was among the people or not. In keeping with Genesis 12:3, God provided the victory by means of Moses and his rod being supported by Aaron and Hur (Ex. 17:9-13). But God promised much, much more in the last three verses of this chapter. Exodus 17:14 states: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’” The next verse reveals one of the many names of God found in Scripture, and this shows His faithful protection: “And Moses built an altar, and named it The LORD is My Banner” (Ex. 17:15). Then this tremendously important chapter concludes with Moses declaring in Exodus 17:16: “The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.” Some very important items occur in this closing verse. First, the phrase “the LORD” occurs twice; He is the one ultimately at work, not the nation of Israel. Second, the fact that the cursing of this one and his descendants who had cursed Israel would occur “from generation to generation,” shows that God had more in mind than the immediate military victory that had just taken place. Third, this is the first of only eight times in the entire Bible where the very serious expression, “The LORD has sworn” occurs. Obviously, this must be tremendously important in God’s mind for Him to make such a declaration that goes into the future; and, to reduce His sworn promise in any way should not be done lightly—if ever.

In the next reference to Amalek in the Bible, Numbers 24:20, God began to explain some of the significance of why had He responded the way He did: “Amalek was the first of the nations [Gentiles]”—and this is important—to war against Israel and her Messiah, since he is specifically stated as being present in Exodus 17 after the Exodus from Egypt. Then, in keeping with Genesis 12:3, plus the previous declaration the LORD had sworn, came this prophetic denouncement: “But his end shall be destruction.” 

So, “Amalek was the first of the nations” to war against Israel and her Messiah, but his promised destruction was decreed by God at some undisclosed time in the future. Would there be other nations who would war against Israel in the future, and if so, would Genesis 12:3 be true for them?

Indeed there would be others, and God would show Himself to be utterly faithful to His Word. 

Part 2 

Numbers 22–24




We err tremendously if we use Genesis 12:3 capriciously to assume that the nation of Israel was on automatic pilot for military victories—far from it. As part of the Mosaic Covenant, in Leviticus 26:6-8, God promised peace in the land for Israel and that their enemies would flee from them, if Israel would only walk in obedience to Him. In the same way, if the nation chose to rebel against Him, God Himself would raise up military adversaries who would cause severe damage to Israel (Lev. 26:23-25). This was an either-or option presented to Israel; God offered no middle ground.

God being true to this promise can be seen, beginning in the Book of Numbers that follows. Just as a historical point of reference, the twelve spies had already been sent out, and because of the nation’s sinful response to their report, God swore they would die in the wilderness (Num. 13–14). Their children would be the ones whom God would bring safely into the land. So when God granted military victories over three different Gentile nations in Numbers 21, it shows that the nation was at least temporarily in covenant obedience to Him. And just as God had cursed Amalek in accordance with Genesis 12:3, likewise these nations would receive such a divine cursing. It is not insignificant that just as with the previous account of Amalek in Exodus 17, Numbers 21 likewise contains Messianic prophecies. Numbers 21:6-9 is where God instructed Moses to make a brass serpent, so that the disobedient people who had cried out to God could look at this and be healed. As before, we do not see the fuller significance of this until God later explained it in Scripture. In John 3:14-15, Jesus revealed to Nicodemus, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness [Num. 21:9], even so the Son of Man must be lifted up that whoever believes may have eternal life.” 

Numbers 22–24 is one section of Scripture—and an extremely important one at that. It was the military victories in Numbers 21 that made Balak and the Moabites fearful of Israel (Num. 22:1-3). Accordingly, Balak sent for “profit-for-hire” Balaam with a specific purpose (the king thought) for Balaam: “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Num. 22:6). Although Balak did not realize it at the time, he gave to Balaam attributes specifically true for God—and even more importantly—totally contrary to what God had already promised in Genesis 12:3. God responded to this brazenness by at first appearing as the Angel of the LORD to Balaam’s donkey (Num. 22:22-30), and then later to Balaam himself with His sword drawn for battle (Num. 22:31-35). God revealed His utter seriousness in why He appeared: “And the angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold,

I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.” The Angel of the LORD instructed Balaam to go to King Balak, but strongly warned him to speak only the word that God would tell him (Num. 22:35).

It is with this background that Numbers 23–24 unfolds. This is one of the best sections of Scripture that shows the utter necessity—and truthfulness—of the divine inspiration of Scripture. As hard as it may seem at first to believe, Balaam was actually used as a mouthpiece to communicate God’s Word. This is repeatedly seen throughout the account, such as in Numbers 23:5: “The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said….” And this is important: the prophecies that follow are God’s prophecies by means of Balaam, not Balaam’s prophecies. So in Balaam’s discourse, where he recounts how Balak wanted him to “come curse Jacob for me and come, denounce Israel!” (Num. 23:7), but continues in the next verse, “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can

I denounce, whom the LORD has not denounced?” (Num. 23:8), this was God’s teaching. This section also contains a verse memorized by many and a line in the sand declaration made by God: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19). 

It is in this failed effort by Balak to have Balaam curse Israel, that God gave additional information concerning both Israel and His promised Messiah, reminding all again that ultimately these were His own words as “the Spirit of God came upon him [Balaam].” Numbers 24:8-9 gives this tremendously important Messianic prophecy: “God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He shall devour the nations who are his adversaries, and shall crush their bones in pieces, and shatter them with his arrows. He couches; he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” So much is contained in these two verses. Among other things, the reference to the Messiah “couching like a lion” is a direct quote from the Messianic prophecy of Genesis 49:9-10, where, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.” It is important to note that Genesis 49:1 specifically relates to “what will befall you [Israel] in the days to come,” or literally translated, “the end of the days”—the first time this expression occurs in Scripture. Simply put, Numbers 24:8-9 are Second Advent promises—not First—although it is much easier for us to see this the other side of the cross. It should also be noted that the identical phrase for “the end of the days” and its first usage since Genesis 49:1, occurs in Numbers 24:14, which again shows the eschatological significance of these prophecies. So in Numbers 24:9 where God says, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you,” this is not a duplication of Genesis 12:3—it is an expansion and additional revelation that connects the Messiah’s work with Israel’s ultimate destiny. And in regard to “the end of the days” (Num. 24:14), God revealed: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel…” (Num. 24:17). And this also: “One from Jacob shall have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” In this future context of Messianic judgment and reign, God included this promise which He had by no means forgotten from the previous Exodus 17:8-16 account: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end shall be destruction” (Num. 24:20). 

The Messiah is just as connected with Numbers 22–24 as He was with Exodus 16-17. And since Israel did not receive Him as King during His First Advent, every element of the prophecies of Numbers 24 awaits His return and will be fulfilled down to the smallest detail.

Amalek was the first of the Gentiles to attack Him and Israel. Were there others? 


We continue with the final installments in this series in the next issue. Website for Dr. Harris:

www.glorybooksministry.org

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