The challenge is thrown out by the apostle Paul, "If God be for us, who shall be against us?"
In the presence of God the foe is powerless. Clearly this is demonstrated in the case of Balaam's attempt to curse Israel-the earthly people of God. Hired by Balak, the king of Moab, that he might denounce the nation, Balaam loving the wages of unrighteousness is willing to curse. Turning to God as to his going he is forbidden to go. Then making request again, he is permitted under certain circumstances to do so, and finally he is bidden to go. But God will work good in the presence of attempted evil; the cursing will be turned into blessing. For here is divine alchemy, the basest metal is changed into the finest gold, that which is apparent evil is altered to evident good. And so it is that in the false prophet's fourfold prophecies blessing upon blessing is pronounced upon those instead of the maledictions he was hired to declare.
We may now look at these prophecies in connection with their application to us as Christians today. If we turn to Numbers 22:7-10, we shall find that there is presented the
SANCTIFICATION
of the nation-Israel-from all others. They had been chosen as a vessel to fulfil the purpose of God. They were to witness to Him as the only true God. "The people shall dwell alone; they shall not be reckoned among the nations," states Balaam. And for us Christians, this may speak of our not being "of the world, even as" Christ is "not of the world" (John 17:14,16). We are chosen out of the world and sent into it as 'witnesses. There is danger of this being forgotten. The thought of being saved from coming judgment fills the awakened sinner with joy. Then hearing and believing the gospel he passes into peace with God. This is his side, and blessed it is, but he should now take knowledge of himself as being sanctified to God-set apart for His pleasure as a vessel in which He is to be glorified. This is the point of view of the Epistle to the Hebrews. There Christians are seen as sanctified for priestly service after the pattern of Aaron's sons who were to be sanctified "to minister to" Jehovah in the priest's office (Exodus 28:1). They were to be for His service. This is our place today. i Failing to curse the people from the position where he saw but the utmost, the extremity, of them, Balaam was taken to another point where more of them might be observed, in order that he might curse them from thence. But again blessing flows. This time the
JUSTIFICATION
of Israel is declared. "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has He seen perverseness in Israel" (Num. 23:21), he proclaims. The people were regarded in the light of that atoning work of the Lord Jesus, pictured by the sacrifice offered upon the altar of burnt offering. In view of that offering Jehovah would not regard their evil. And happy are we who believe, we who know our sins are forgiven, our sin is covered, and the Lord refuses to impute iniquity to us (Rom. 4:7,8). It is God that justifies us from every charge, on the ground of the blood of Christ having been shed at Calvary. Thus we stand clear of all that we had done, and of all that we were in our sinful selves. We are "justified in Christ" from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Read Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 5:9; 8:33.)
Balak tries a third time, in hope that his desire may be accomplished, and Balaam is taken to yet another point of observation. But now the blessing is more pronounced still. The Spirit of God comes upon him and he declares the
BEAUTY
of Israel. "How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel. As the valleys are they spread abroad, as gardens by the river's side, as trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters" (Num. 24:6). He sees them as made lovely in the sight of the Lord and unfolds their beauties in detail.
And so it is with us who believe the gospel. We are not only set apart to God, and justified from every charge, but we are seen comely with the comeliness God puts upon us, and we are "accepted in the beloved." We are before God "in Christ." "As He is, so are we in this world." And as our Lord Jesus says of His own, we are among "the excellent of the earth in whom is all" His "delight." In ourselves, black; in Christ, comely. He can declare, "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." But all this is what He has made us, so that His is the glory and His is the praise eternally. He will not behold iniquity and perverseness. He will not regard us in what we naturally were as in the flesh. He chooses to behold us in all that which He Himself has made us to be. He has "translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love." There He ever regards us, and in this we may rejoice.
Finally disregarding Balak altogether, Balaam is taken up to declare the
GLORIFICATION
of Israel in that from their midst shall come the long-promised, long-looked-for Messiah. "There shall come a Star of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Num. 24:17). This is Israel's chief glory. "Of whom 'as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever" (Rom. 9:5).
Yes! Christ who came in lowliness is coming in glory. Coming to put down all opposing authority and power. Coming to purge out from His kingdom all things that offend. Coming to make the sighs and sobs and sorrows of a groaning creation to cease. Coming to make the earth sing and shout for joy as the trees of the field clap their hands, and the little hills rejoice together, while the desert blossoms as a rose before Him.
And we are to be with Him then. "When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4). Suffering in spirit with Him now, we shall be glorified together with Him then.
In order for this He comes to receive us unto Himself, that where He is there we may be also. For the Man, the Man of God's counsels, the Man Christ Jesus, "will not be in rest until He has finished the thing" which He has undertaken.
Thus we see pictured the blessing of Israel, and also 'for us today the believer's sanctification, justification, beauty and glorification, and learn that all these and all things are of God, of whom we are "in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor. 2:30).
Blessed indeed our portion now as we wait to see Israel blessed under the beneficent reign of the Messiah, and hear the praise that awaits for God in Zion. Well may we exult and cry, "What hath God wrought?" (Num. 23:23). Inglis Fleming