Parashat Chukat-Balak
What happens when someone tries to curse what God has already blessed? The answer, found throughout the pages of Scripture, is that God has the final word every time. This teaching walks through some of the more mystifying stories in the Book of Numbers, including the account of Balak and Balaam, the red heifer, and the bronze serpent in the wilderness, to show how God consistently turns curses into blessings for those He loves.
In the story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21, God used the very image of the thing causing death as the instrument of healing for all who would look upon it in faith. Yeshua connected this moment directly to Himself in John 3:14-16, explaining that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man would be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him would have eternal life. Galatians 3:13-14 adds that Messiah became a curse for us so that the blessing of Abraham could come to all who believe through faith.
God takes what the enemy intends for evil and works it for good. He draws the pure from the impure. He transforms death into life.
If you are walking through a season that feels like a curse, a closed door, a painful detour, or a trial that has worn you down, these stories are for you. The same God who turned Balaam’s curses into blessings, who used a bronze serpent to bring healing, and who raised His Son from the dead is the God who is still at work in your circumstances today.