And he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock;
Balaam's last words turn from Israel to the nations camped nearby, naming each one's future in a line or two. He pays the Kenites a compliment — a home set high in the rock — and then cancels it. What is any stronghold worth when God acts?
These were not enemies. One writer traces their family line, their friendship with Israel, and the sin at their heart:
They appear to be a branch of the Midianites, and therefore descendants of Abraham. Midian was a son of Abraham (Gen. 25:2). Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, was priest of Midian. In Judges 1:16 we read of the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law. The record of the Kenites shows friendship. Not a few lived among the Israelites, though most remained with the Midianites. And there were those who boasted of their strong dwelling places and put their nest in a rock. They thought themselves secure from Him who must reign over all. They thought the land given to Abraham (Gen. 15:19) could never be made good to his children. The sin of the Kenites was self-confidence; they boasted in their strongholds. Nevertheless they would be wasted until Asshur carried them away captive.
The word for "nest" sounds like the tribe's own name. One writer reads their whole character out of that pun:
They settle among the people of God, but they never unite themselves with them. Balaam's prophecy views them as separate to the last. The play upon the name there — "you put your nest (ken) in the rock" — shows plainly what it means. They are Midianites, men of the world, but not at war with Israel as others of their race were. Instead, they make a nest for themselves among them. It is for the nest that they are there… All this describes only too well the state of many others. In every age they attach themselves to the people of God, yet are not of them.
Two things could not keep the Kenites alive — the rock fortress, and their place beside God's people:
The dwelling place of the Kenites was strong. They could rest in comfort and security in their rock fortress. But without the help and blessing of the God of Israel they could not continue as a nation. Even leaving their natural security and joining God's people would not save them… They were not like Amalek, though they lived among them. Israel had no hostility from them to rebuke, as it had from Moab. But they were not the chosen of God, and He did not preserve them from the forces that consume nations.
One writer widens the point to every defence a nation can build:
Great fortifications, strong natural frontiers, and every possible build-up of military force will be worthless when the day of the Lord opens. He is wiser and stronger than men. Everything will collapse before Him.
Balaam does not stop with the Kenites. Asshur (Assyria), the conqueror, gets a verdict too:
But what about victorious Asshur? "And he took up his discourse and said, Alas, who shall live when God does this! And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur." So it does not matter whether the power is western or eastern. It does not matter whether the adversaries are many or few, what resources they have, or where they come from. Amalek may be the first of nations, and Asshur seems set to be the last. Yet affliction comes to Asshur and Eber… It is the day of Immanuel.
Only two peoples in this prophecy have their fault named. One writer sees the same pair at the end of the age:
Only two have their evil recorded… Amalek is foremost in his hatred of God. The Kenites are strong in self-confidence, putting their trust in nature — in man. These are common traits of the natural man. When the Lord Jesus appears to take the kingdom, these two characteristics will be most prominent… Along with this will come extreme confidence in man and his boasted progress. Like the Kenites of old, they will put their trust in the rocks.
Commentators differ on how far this reaches. Some read the captivity as history under Assyria. Others place it among the judgments at the end of the age.
- Nest — The Kenites came for the nest, not for the God of Israel. The pun on their name says it all. They stayed separate to the last.
- Neighbours — Jethro's people were friendly to Israel and related to them. Closeness to God's people is not the same as belonging to them.
- Nevertheless — The rock fortress was strong. It was not strong against God. One word overturns the whole compliment.
- Nations — Assyria carries them off. Then ships from Chittim afflict Assyria. Every power in the chain meets the same end, first or last.
- Now — The Kenite sin is trust in man, not hatred of God. Both are common traits of the natural man, and both reach their height at the end.
But the Kenite shall be consumed, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
Balaam looks past Israel to the nations around it, and his eye stops on a people who were no enemy of Israel at all. The Kenite had a strong home and a record of kindness, yet the word over him is burning and captivity — so why is he judged?
The Kenites were not strangers to Israel. They were relatives by blood and by marriage.
He looks on the Kenites and again takes up his parable. They will be laid waste. They appear to be a branch of the Midianites, and therefore descendants of Abraham. Midian was a son of Abraham (Gen. 25:2). Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, was priest of Midian. In Judges 1:16 we read of the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law. The record of the Kenites shows friendship. Not a few lived among the Israelites, though the greater part stayed with the Midianites.
So why did they settle among God's people at all? Their own name answers it.
They never unite themselves with the people of God, though they settle among them, and Balaam's prophecy views them as separate to the last. The play upon the name there — "you put your nest (ken) in the rock" — clearly shows the meaning of it. They are Midianites, men of the world, but not at war with Israel as others of their race were. Instead, they make a nest for themselves among them, and it is for the nest that they are there... All this describes only too well the condition of many who attach themselves, in every age, to the people of God, yet are not of them.
Being near God's people is not the same as belonging to God. The Kenites were nothing like Israel's open enemies.
The dwelling place of the Kenites was strong. They could rest in comfort and security in their rock fortress. But without the help and blessing of the God of Israel they could not continue as a nation. Even if they left their natural security and joined themselves to God's people, that would not save them. The time would come when they would go into captivity, and until then their numbers would shrink. They were not like Amalek, though they lived among them, and there was no hostility against Israel to be rebuked, as there was in Moab. But they were not the chosen of God, and He did not keep them safe from all the different forces that destroy nations.
Their kindness to Israel is on record. But kindness is not the final test.
The prophecy then describes the Kenites as having a lasting dwelling place, established in the rock (v. 21), but "Kain (the Kenites) shall be burned and Asshur carry him away captive." The Kenites had shown kindness to Israel when they came out of Egypt (1 Sam. 15:6), but clearly at the last their character of disobedience to God will call for their judgment too. What appears to be good, if it does not have Christ as its Object, will be proved at the last to be only "enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7). Asshur (Assyria) will take them captive at the time of the end.
The word translated "nevertheless" turns the whole sentence. The Kenite's defences are real, and they still fail.
Great fortifications, strong natural frontiers, and every possible build-up of military force will be worthless when the day of the Lord opens. He is wiser and stronger than men. Everything will collapse before Him.
The fault was not hostility. It was trust in the wrong place.
Some of them boasted of their strong dwelling places and put their nest in a rock. They thought they were safe from Him who must reign over all. They thought God could never make good His gift of the land to Abraham (Gen. 15:19) for his children. The sin of the Kenites was self-confidence; they boasted in their strongholds.
Asshur carries the Kenite off. Balaam's next words turn on Asshur himself.
But what about victorious Asshur? "And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God does this! And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur." So it does not matter whether the powers are western or eastern, whether the enemies are many or few, with what resources or from what direction... It is the day of Immanuel.
- Nest — The Kenite's name carries the word for nest. He built a safe, comfortable place among God's people without ever becoming one of them.
- Near — He was related to Moses by marriage and lived among Israel. The prophecy still views him as separate to the last.
- Nevertheless — Rock walls, natural borders and armies hold firm. Then the day of the Lord opens, and they collapse.
- Not Christ — Real kindness stands on his record. But what looks good without Christ as its Object proves at the last to be enmity against God.
- No exception — Asshur carries the Kenite away, then ships from Chittim afflict Asshur. No power escapes; it is the day of Immanuel.