The story of the 'prophet' Balaam in Numbers 22:2-25:9, is probably one of the most important insights we have in the Bible about YHVH's dealing with Israel.

Everybody knows the story: Balak, the King of Moab, comes to the prophet (or fortuneteller) Balaam and orders him to curse Israel. Balaam is able to hear YHVH but he doesnt listen and in the end he follows Balak to curse the people.  On its way, Balaam's donkey speaks to him and in the end Balaam blesses Israel four times, to the shock of Balak.

YHVH told Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people of Israel, for they are blessed."  Numbers 22:12 

This verse is not only placed in the center of the story of Balaam, but also strategically between the account of two very severe rebellions of the children of Israel.  The bronze serpent in Num 21:4-9 and the idolatry of the people, in Numbers 25:1-9, which cost 24,000 Israelites their lives.
The message is this: Even if and while the people are stiff-necked and idolatrous, YHVH declares: Israel, I stand beside you, Israel, I bless you and yes, Israel I protect you.

This is something we are not able to understand with our human logic. How is it possible, that YHVH loves and protect a people, who again and again seem to be against him, break His commandments and mock his name amongst the nations?

This reality has always been an enigma to the church, not really understood for a long time and already very early in church history the so-called replacement theology took hold among Christians. This replacement theology basically says that because of Israel's disobedience and stiff-necked attitude, YHVH finished with Israel and cast her out or divorced her, while the church became the true Israel.

This replacement theology was one of the main factors of severe persecutions of the Jewish people by Christians. The Holocaust was the sad end result. The argument was that the church perceived itself as the instrument of Elohim's judgment against the fallen House of Israel.

But this 'replacement theology' has nothing to do with YHVH's Word, the Bible.  The best arguments against this theology and the negative connotation in Christian circles, is found in the story of Balak and Balaam.

1st blessing  ---  Numbers 23:8-10

"How shall I curse whom EL has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom YHVH has not denounced?  For from the top of the rocks I see him; There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number one-fourth of Israel?  Let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like this."

YHVH teaches His people through disciplines but he does not curse them, nor rejects them, never.  Israel is indeed set apart but not left alone. Israel is on one side with YHVH and the nations on the other side without YHVH. The consequence is clear, we have to side with Israel to be on YHVHs side.

2nd blessing  ---  Numbers 23:19-24

"EL is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son or man, that he should repent.  Has He said and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will not make it good?  Behold I have received a command to bless; He has blessed and I cannot reverse it. He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen wickedness in Israel.  YHVH his ELOHIM is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.  EL brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.  For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, Oh, what EL has done!  Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion; it shall not lie down until it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."

Paul reminds us, that YHVH is Truth and every man a liar. The point is, that YHVH keeps his word, no matter what!
To whom did he promised something?  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He made a covenant with them and gave them His Word, that their descendants will come to the land of Israel and that they will be in numbers like the dust of the earth. And to Abraham as well as to Jacob He promised: 
"Whoever curses you is cursed and whoever blesses you is blessed."

We have to understand that YHVH sees beyond time. He doesnt see the beginning only, but also the end.  He does not see Israel as it is today, but rather how she will be. 
It is the same with us!
YHVH's promises to the nation of Israel still apply.  Israel enjoys a national teaching that will culminate with her redemption, as Paul writes, "all Israel will be saved." (Romans 11:25)

This national redemption will be fulfilled even if not every Jewish is saved.

 

3rd blessing  ---  Numbers 24:5-9

"How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!  Your dwellings, O Israel!  Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by YHVH, like cedars beside the water.  He shall pour water from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters.  His King shall be higher than Agag, and his Kingdom shall be exalted.  EL brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; he shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you and cursed is he who curses you."

YHVH confirms for the third time that His promise of blessings and curses is meant for a people and not for a single person. If he had given this promise only to Abraham, the promise would have been true also for all of Abraham's children, including Ishmael and later Esau, the forefathers of the Arabs. But the promise is through Jacob and now the whole people of Israel, and it's clear that anybody is cursed who speaks or acts badly against Israel.

It is interesting to observe YHVH's dealings with the nations who came against Israel. Vast kingdoms were torn apart after they turned against Israel. As recent examples we have the British Empire and Germany. But we also see how real His blessings can be, when He sees how a nation blesses Israel.

The West Germans obligated themselves to pay high reparation payments after the Holocaust and to follow an overall friendly policy towards Israel. After doing this, West Germany experienced an economic boom never seen before. On the other hand, East Germany, under the hand of Communism, refused to bear its responsibility and was doomed to political, economic and environmental bankruptcy.

This principle of blessing is visible everywhere in modern day Israel. While the Jewish people make the land blossom and green and use sophisticated watering technology, their Arab neighbors, with similar technology, are living literally in the dust.  Israel's enemies are not blessed!

4th blessing  ---  Numbers 24:17-19

"I see Him, but not now; A star shall come out of Jacob; A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.  And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.  Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city."

With this last blessing, YHVH promises Israel a leader, who will come and reign with a mighty hand. Balaam prophesied about the coming Messiah, not at his first coming as the suffering Messiah, but as his second coming as a mighty warrior and deliverer.  He will consume the enemies of Israel, who are also his enemies. This will be accomplished in a city (Jerusalem) and the remnant of this city will be destroyed.

A scene from Revelation strongly reminds us of this scene. Revelation 19:11-21 describes the coming of Messiah to Jerusalem. Sitting on a white horse, with an iron rod (scepter) in his hand, he will come to destroy his enemies. In this battle, which will take place obviously in and around Jerusalem, quite a number of its inhabitants will die.

From Balaam's blessings we see clearly that YHVH did not, and will not cast away Israel.  Balaam's fourth blessing applies to the time of Messiah's returns.

Because YHVH stands out of time, seeing the past, the present and the future at the same moment, He sees Israel not at all as a stiff-necked people, but in every aspect perfect and as a people who serve Him according to His will. The final outcome, the state of Perfection, is not visible yet, because YHVH is not finished, but He is moving Israel toward His redemption.

Out of His never-ending love for this people, YHVH will never leave nor forsake Israel, but He will continue to discipline her according to His standards. And in this process of discipline, we have to understand, that there is a huge difference between the discipline a whole nation has to go through and a single child. A nation is a unity, where the individual has a subordinated position. Not that YHVH doesnt love or care for the individual, but he sees the whole. He wants for the whole nation to be holy. Thats why it is sometimes necessary to apply the principle of judgment.

The same is true also for the body of Messiah, the church. The church wasn't exchanged for Israel, but by YHVHs grace, came alongside Israel. In Messiah we are part of Israel (Romans 9-11, Galatians 3:29).  As a result, the same blessings that are for Israel are also ours, but so are the warning and the obligations to live a holy lifestyle. As YHVH judges and disciplines part of the people and demands that society put away evil from its midst, He also deals with the church in the same way, demanding of us to put away the evil from our midst. YHVH called us, when we were yet sinners and saved us in His son Yashua. Even when we were still sinners, He already saw what we will be one day and led us His ways, so that when we stand before him, we'll be transformed into His perfect image, the image of His son, Messiah Yashua.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

"But now have I written to you not to keep company with anyone named brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person.  For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? But those who are outside YHVH judges.  Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person."

Hebrew 12:11

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."