I. PERSECUTION. The followers of Christ soon verified his prophetic word: "In the world ye shall have tribulation." The infant Church was nursed and cradled in the storms. It no sooner began to put forth its new-born energies than it found the forces of earth and hell arrayed against it. But what was the result? The first outbreak of hostility only brought to the minds of those feeble men, with a meaning undiscovered before, the triumphant words (Psalm 2), "Why do the heathen rage," &c. It drove them nearer to the Divine Fountain of strength. It made them doubly bold (Acts 4:23, 30). Scattered abroad, they ':went everywhere preaching the word, and the hand of the Lord was with them." A prophecy was thus given of the way in which persecution would always serve the cause it meant to destroy, and God would "make the wrath of man to praise him." Ecclesiastical authority has leagued itself with the tyrannous powers of the world in this repressive work. The sanctions of religion have been invoked for the destruction of the truth. But ever to the same issue. Whatever form it takes, the persecuting spirit is always essentially Satanic; there is nothing Divine in it. And it always defeats its own end. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." The fire that has swept over the field, consuming the growth of one year, has only enriched it and made it more prolific the next. The kingdom of Christ has rooted itself in the earth, and its Divine energies have been developed by reason of the storms that have raged against it. Not only has "no weapon formed against it prospered," but the weapon has generally recoiled on the head of him who wielded it. The Satanic enchantments have been foiled just when they seemed to reach the climax of their success, and the curses of a hostile world have turned to blessings. II. CORRUPTING INFLUENCES WITHIN THE PALE OF THE CHURCH ITSELF. Christianity has suffered far more from foes within than ever it did from foes without. Christ has been wounded most "in the house of Ms friends." Read the history of the first three or four centuries of the Christian era if you would know to what an extent the hand of man may mar the fair and glorious work of God. They tell how Christian doctrine, worship, polity, social life gradually lost their original simplicity and purity. The traditions of Judaism, heathen philosophies and mythologies, the fascinations of a vain world, the basest impulses of our nature, all played their part in the corrupting process. The human element overbore and thrust aside the Divine, till it seemed as if Satan, baffled in the use of the extraneous persecuting powers, were about to triumph by the subtler forces of corruption and decay. But God has never left his Church to itself any more than to the will of its adversaries. In the darkest times and under the most desperate conditions the leaven of a higher life has been secretly working. Nothing is more wonderful than the way in which the interests of Christ's kingdom have been preserved, not only in spite of, but often through, the instrumentality of events and institutions that in themselves were contrary to its spirit and its laws. What are many of our modern agitations but the struggles of the religious life to east off the fetters that long have bound it, to shake itself from the dust of ages, symptoms of the vis vitoe by which nature throws off disease. Even the retrograde movements that sometimes alarm us will be found by and by to have conspired to the same end. And when the Church shall "awake, and put on her beautiful garments" of simple truth and love and power, when "the Spirit is poured out upon her from on high," then shall it be seen how utterly even these subtler Satanic "enchantments" have failed to arrest her progress towards the dominion of the earth. III. THE ASSAULTS OF UNBELIEF. The intellectual force of the world in some of its most princely and commanding forms has ever set itself in deadly antagonism to the Church of Christ. Far be it from us to say that all who hold or teach anti-Christian doctrine are consciously inspired by the spirit of evil. But beneath the fairest aspects of aggressive unbelief we discern the Satanic aim to darken the glory that shines from heaven on human souls. It is given to "the mystery of iniquity" to pervert the genius, the learning, even the very mental integrity and honest purpose of men to its own false uses. But have these forces of unbelief ever gained a substantial victory? One would suppose, from what is often said on their side, that they were victorious along the whole line. Is it really so? Is there any one stronghold of revealed truth that they have stormed and taken? In all the battles that have been fought on the field of Christian doctrine, has any ground really been lost? Have any of the "standards" fallen? Is Christianity in any sense a defeated or even damaged cause? Nay, we rather believe that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men," and "the weakness of God is stronger than men." The camp of Israel need fear no hostile "enchantment," for "the Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them." - W.
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel. Prophecy is not Fatalism, but in many cases, at least, a forecasting of the certain consequences of such and such moral antecedents. And this view of prophecy leads me to that which is, after all, the most important aspect of the prophecies of Balaam. Here, in the blessings he pronounced on Israel, we have an authoritative declaration of the natural and inevitable outcome of the then condition of the chosen people; blessings which, indeed, they sometimes reaped, and sometimes failed to reap — varying in their relations to the God who spake to them by the lips of Balaam — but blessings which it is open for us to reap, if we will only follow the Lord perfectly and with all our hearts.I. WE HAVE HERE A DECLARATION OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT LIE AT THE FOUNDATION OF ALL TRUE NATIONAL AND CHURCH LIFE. 1. And the first of these principles that I shall refer to, is that mentioned in the language of the text: "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perversity in Israel." But if we are to accept these words as in any sense descriptive of the actual condition of the Jewish people at this moment, we must understand them in relation to the words that follow: "The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them." That is, there was none of that iniquity and perverseness in Israel which is the root and substance of all iniquity and perverseness, viz., the denial of God's presence in the midst of them, and a refusal to submit to Him as their King. Whatever else they were (and they had their faults), the Israelites were not a godless people; and being at heart a godly and God-fearing people, Jehovah saw fit to interpret all the other features of their character according to this ruling disposition of their lives, and to look over and excuse many other imperfections for the sake of this predominating excellence. 2. Another element that characterised the moral condition of the Jewish people, was that of the separation from the other nations of the earth. Their separation was their security. 3. But there is, even still farther, a third element belonging to the moral condition of the Jewish people that must not be overlooked; and that is the principle of order that obtained amongst them. "Behold," said the Psalmist, "how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psalm 130:1). And unity and order are intimately related to each other. For order both expresses and promotes unity. And unity makes order possible. II. THERE IS HERE ALSO DECLARED TO US THE BLESSEDNESS OF THOSE IN WHOM THESE PRINCIPLES ARE REALISED AND EMBODIED. And the prophet lavisheth his praises on the Israelitish people, as the representatives of those who realise and embody these principles. Thus, e.g., he compares the tents of Israel to outspread valleys full of verdure and fertility; and again, to gardens by the riverside, always fruitful and beautiful; and again he speaks of them as trees of lign aloes, which the Lord had planted, laden with the most delicious fragrance; and as cedar trees beside the waters, full of stately, sober beauty (Numbers 24:6). And the blessedness of such he describes as not only personal, but diffusive. The godly are as water-bearers, pouring water out of their buckets on the "dry and thirsty land where no water is," and causing peace and plenty to abound (Numbers 24:7). They themselves increase on every hand; and as they increase, the welfare of the world advances. "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel?" (Numbers 23:10). It was not that Israel was at that moment an innumerable people, for this book is a record of the numbering of the people of Israel; but Israel had, in the moral principles that governed its action and life, the germs of indefinite extension and enlargement. And wherever it went it carried blessings for the nations in its hand. III. THE DIGNITY AND MAJESTY OF THOSE WHO ARE THUS BLESSED. Every symbol of strength and vigour, of safety and security, does the prophet press into the service of his eulogy of Israel's greatness. IV. THE ADVANTAGES THAT MAY BE ENJOYED BY THOSE WHO ARE ONLY SOMEWHAT REMOTELY RELATED TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD. "Come with us," said Moses to Hobab, "and we will do you good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel" (Numbers 10:29). There is such a thing as blessedness, by being related to the blessed. And so Balaam says of Israel: "Blessed is he that blesseth thee; and cursed is he that curseth thee" (Numbers 24:9; see Matthew 10:40, 42). (W. Roberts.) (F. Whitfield, M. A.) And the shout of a king is among them. I. GOD'S PRESENCE AMONG HIS PEOPLE.1. It is an extraordinary presence, for God's ordinary and usual presence is everywhere. Whither shall we flee from His presence? He is in the highest heaven and in the lowest hell; the hand of the Lord is upon the high hills, and His power is in all deep places. Still there is a peculiar presence; for God was among His people in the wilderness as He was not among the Moabites and the Edomites their foes, and God is in His Church as He is not in the world. He saith of His Church, "Here will I dwell, for I have desired it." This is much more than God's being about us; it includes the favour of God towards us. His consideration of us, His working with us. 2. God is with His people in the entireness of His nature. This is the glory of the Church of God — to have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost to be her never-failing benediction. What a glory to have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit manifesting the Godhead in the midst of our assemblies, and blessing each one of us! 3. For God to dwell with us: what a condescending presence this is! And will God in very truth dwell among men? If the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, will He abide among His people? He will! "Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost?" 4. What an awe this imparts to every true Church of God! You may go in and out of certain assemblies, and you may say, "Here we have beauty I here we have adornment, musical, ecclesiastical, architectural, oratorical, and the like!" but to my mind there is no worship like that which proceeds from a man when he feels — the Lord is here. What a hush comes over the soul! Here is the place for the unsandalled foot and the prostrate spirit. Now are we on holy ground. 5. This is the one necessary of the Church: the Lord God must be in the midst of her, or she is nothing. If God be there, peace will be within her walls, and prosperity within her palaces. 6. This presence of God is clearly discerned by the gracious, though others may not know it. II. THE RESULTS OF THIS DIVINE PRESENCE. 1. Leading (ver. 22). We must have the Lord with us to guide us into our promised rest. 2. The next blessing is strength. "He hath as it were the strength of an unicorn" (ver. 22). It is generally agreed that the creature here meant is an extinct species of urns or ox, most nearly represented by the buffalo of the present period. This gives us the sentence — "He hath as it were the strength of a buffalo." When God is in a Church, what rugged strength, what massive force, what irresistible energy is sure to be there! And how untamable is the living force! 3. The next result is safety. "Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel." The presence of God quietly baffles all the attempts of the evil one. Divination cannot touch a child of God: the evil one is chained. Wherefore be of good courage; if God be for us, who can be against us? 4. Further than that, God gives to His people the next blessing, that is, of His so working among them as to make them a wonder, and cause outsiders to raise inquiries about them. "According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?" 5. When God is with His people He will give them power of a destructive kind. Do not be frightened. Here is the text for it: "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion" — that is, as a lion in the fulness of his vigour — "he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain." God has put into His Church, when He is in it, a most wonderful, destructive power as against spiritual wickedness. A healthy Church kills error, and tears in pieces evil. III. What can be done for THE SECURING AND PRESERVING OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH THE CHURCH? 1. There is something even in the conformation of a Church to secure this. God is very tolerant, and He bears with many mistakes in His servants, and yet blesses them; but depend upon it, unless a Church is formed at the very outset upon scriptural principles and in God's own way, sooner or later all the mistakes of her constitution will turn out to be sources of weakness. Christ loves to dwell in a house which is built according to His own plans, and not according to the whims and fancies of men. 2. But next, God will only dwell with a Church which is full of life. The living God will not inhabit a dead Church. Hence the necessity of having really regenerated people as members of the Church. Remember that text: "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living," and it bears this sense among others, that He is not the God of a Church made up of unconverted people. Oh that we may all live unto God, and may that life be past all question. 3. That being supposed, we next notice that to have God among us we must be full of faith. Do you believe your God? Alas, too many only believe a little! But do you believe His every word? Do you believe His grandest promises? Is He a real God to you, making His words into facts every day of your lives? If so, then the Lord is among us as in the holy place. Faith builds a pavilion in which her King delights to sit enthroned. 4. With that must come prayer. Prayer is the breath of faith. Where prayer is fervent God is present. 5. Supposing there is this faith and prayer, we shall also need holiness of life. You know what Balaam did when he found he could not curse the people. Satanic was his advice. He bade the king of Moab seduce the men of Israel by the women of Moab that were fair to look upon; and he sadly succeeded. So in a Church. The devil will work hard to lead one into licentiousness, another into drunkenness, a third into dishonesty, and others into worldliness. If he can only get the goodly Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold buried in an Achan's tent, then Israel will be chased before her adversaries. God cannot dwell in an unclean Church. 6. Lastly, when we have reached to that, let us have practical consecration. God will not dwell in a house which does not belong to Him. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) There are three special thoughts which come to us in connection with this text.I. The first is, THE ABSOLUTE NEED, IF THE ARMY OF THE LORD IS TO CONQUER, OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND OF THE REALISATION OF HIS PRESENCE BY THOSE WHO ARE CALLED BY HIS NAME, and wear His armour, and wield His weapons. It pleases the Lord to let us fight His battles, to give us His armour and His weapons, and to inspire us with His courage, and to fill our enemies with His terror. We have no power except it be given us by Him; we can drive out no darkness of heathenism except the Lord be with us. We want more of our own battle-cry, the "shout of our King," telling of His actual presence with His host. II. IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO REALISE THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, OF THE ARMY OF THE LIVING GOD. We should pray and work, and earnestly desire that all the people of the Lord may be one. If we want a reason for the little progress made in the conquest of the world of heathenism for the Lord of life and glory, if we want to account for the dark and darkening fringe of sin and misery and unbelief within the borders of our own land, we can find cause enough for these things in our failure to realise and to work and pray for the ideal of the essential unity of the Church of Christ. III. Our text INSPIRES US WITH HOPE. There is no greater need for us, as individuals or as a united body, than hope. And how can we be otherwise than full of hope when we call to mind that the promise is for us, "The shout of a king is among them"? There is hope for ourselves, and hope for others. Life passes on: friends pass away; strength for effort grows less; unavailing efforts stretch out behind us in a long, increasing line, like wounded men falling down to die in the terrible retreat: but still there is hope — hope that will grow and increase, and come daily nearer to its accomplishment. "The shout of a King is among us," and we cannot be moving on to ultimate defeat. There is a battle, terrible enough, to fight; but victory is the end, not defeat. (E. T. Leeke, M. A.) Surely I. THE TRUTH AFFIRMED: "Surely there is no enchantment," &c. The certainty of this may be inferred —1. Because the counsels of God are more than sufficient to baffle the designs and plots of hell. 2. Because the power of Jehovah is ever effectual in thwarting the attacks of the enemies of his people. 3. Because Divine goodness is more than enough to counteract the malevolence of our foes. 4. The resources of God are more than adequate to render all the means of the Church's enemies abortive. II. THE EXCLAMATION UTTERED: "According to this time," &c. 1. What is to be said? "What hath God wrought!" Agents are to be observed, but only God praised. This is to keep up our dependence on God. This is to inspire with adoration and praise. This is to keep human nature in its right place. 2. Who are to say it? (1) (2) 3. When should it be said? (1) (2) (3) (4) 1. Our text may apply to many as to their Christian experience before God. "Remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee," &c. (Deuteronomy 8:2). 2. The text is appropriate to Christian missions. What enemies, difficulties, and discouragements have been overcome and surmounted! Well may we exclaim, "What hath God wrought!" 3. Let God ever be exalted for the blessings we enjoy, and for all the good done in us and by us. (J. Burns, D. D.) 1. Deliverance — from danger internal and external — "enchantment." 2. Blessing. "I have received commandment to bless," &c 3. Forbearance. "He hath not beheld iniquity," &c. 4. Stability. "The Lord his God is with him." 5. Complete success. II. THE TIME FROM WHICH HIS INTERPOSITION IS REMARKED. "According to this time it shall be said." The time of — 1. Conversion. 2. Renewed devotion. 3. Peculiar providential arrangement. 4. Earnest and decisive spirit of prayer. III. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IT DEMANDS. "It shall be said, What hath God wrought!" 1. Acknowledgment is implied and expected. "God wrought." 2. It is spontaneously offered. "It shall be said." 3. It is a personal and explicit token. "Jacob and Israel." 4. It is to be recorded and gratefully renewed. "According to this time it shall be said," &c. (Samuel Thodey.) (S. Cox, D. D.) (J. Parker, D. D.) Philo of Alexandria, the Rabbis, and the Gospels - the Final Development of Hellenism in Its Relation to Rabbinism and the Gospel According to St. John. Balaam's Wish Num 23:10 The Night of Miracles on the Lake of Gennesaret The Nature of Spiritual Hunger Memoir of John Bunyan How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which they Bewail, and those Who, Abstaining from Them, Bewail them Not. Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair, My Love; There is no Spot in Thee. " --Song of Solomon iv. 7. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan Christ a Complete Saviour: Of the Decrees of God. The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven: The Desire of the Righteous Granted; Thirdly, for Thy Actions. The Unchangeableness of God Numbers |
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