Numbers 23 is the first of Balaam’s oracles, in which the prophet Balaam, hired by Balak king of Moab, is repeatedly unable to curse Israel because God puts blessing in his mouth. These questions work for a small group, a Sunday class, or a quiet personal study, and each set includes notes you can use to guide the conversation.
Numbers 23 at a Glance
The chapter opens with Balak and Balaam building seven altars and offering sacrifices, hoping God will grant a curse on Israel. Balaam goes to meet God alone, and the Lord gives him words to speak instead of the curse Balak wanted. The first oracle is spoken in the hearing of Balak and the Moabite princes, and it turns the king’s plan upside down.
Balak then takes Balaam to another high place, the top of Pisgah, and the whole sacrifice is repeated. The second oracle is even stronger, affirming God’s faithfulness and the strength of Israel. The chapter ends with a third attempt at Peor, where Balaam stops seeking omens altogether and simply faces the desert where Israel camps.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the text, and keep the focus on what the chapter actually says about the sacrifices, the locations, and the words spoken.
Numbers 23:5
The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
(WEB)
This verse shows the Lord placing his word in Balaam’s mouth, which sets up the whole chapter. Read it first to establish that the message comes from God rather than from the king or the prophet.
Numbers 23:8
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
(WEB)
Balaam asks how he could curse one whom God has not cursed. Reading this aloud helps the group hear the logic of divine blessing that drives the chapter.
Numbers 23:19
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?
(WEB)
This verse is the heart of the chapter’s teaching about God’s character. Let the group sit with the claim that God does not lie or change his mind.
Numbers 23:21
He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
(WEB)
Balaam declares that God sees no iniquity in Jacob and that the Lord is with his people. Reading this verse slowly helps the group see the chapter’s picture of God’s favor toward Israel.
Numbers 23:26
But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do?’”
(WEB)
Balaam’s answer to Balak captures the central tension of the chapter. Reading it aloud brings the group back to the question of obedience and what God alone commands.
Memory Verse for Numbers 23
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that your word does not change and that you do not lie. We confess the times we have trusted our own plans more than what you have said, and we ask you to shape our words so that we speak only what is true. Thank you that you are with your people and that no curse can stand against those you bless. Help each person here to rest in your faithfulness this week, and give us courage to live it out. Amen.
