WHAT A wonderful conflict is taking place here on Mount Pisgah! There is the power of God on the one hand and the power of evil on the other. God triumphs gloriously over the malice and power of Satan.
Balaam has begun to see the folly of any further attempt to curse the people of God. He says: “Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought?”
God had wrought for Israel’s blessing, and how strange that they should forsake Him and seek after other gods. Yet is it not stranger still that we whom He has redeemed by the precious blood of His own Son, and brought into such favor, should forget Him and these poor hearts of ours seek to find satisfaction in the world’s pleasures?
“Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift himself up as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” Earlier he had spoken of their numbers; “Who can count the dust of Jacob?” Now he speaks of their strength when the shout of a King is among them (v. 21). The Lord Himself will be their strength in that day. The great lion speaks of majesty and might, and the young lion swiftness in power. What terrible judgment will fall on their enemies! Their victory will be complete; the lion will not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain. Israel’s enemies will be God’s enemies, to be destroyed or subdued in invincible power.
We read in Isaiah 11: “They shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.”
When, because of the perfect work of Christ upon the cross the Lord takes away the sin of His people, and the King Himself shall be among them, what joyous songs of praise unto the Lord they shall sing in that day! “Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy; the king of Israel even Jehovah is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.” Zeph. 3:14,1514Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. (Zephaniah 3:14‑15).
What God will do for Israel in that day He has done for unworthy sinners even now, only much more. Those who trust His beloved Son for their salvation now will have their portion with Christ in brightest heavenly glory. Even now we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us; God sees us “in Christ,” — “holy and without blame before Him in love,” in spite of all our failures, and that not because of anything that we have done, but in virtue of what Christ has done for us upon the cross. And when we are called home and enter those bright courts above with our Saviour, surely the expression of our hearts will be, “What hath God wrought?”
ML-05/12/1974