EVEN THE miserable king Balak to see how hopeless it was to strive against God, so he says to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.” Perhaps if he could meet them on equal terms he might be able to overcome them. But when God takes up His people’s cause, He does not merely defend them, but has positive blessing in view for them as well.
Men can be quite religious when it suits them best; they will turn “religion” on and off at will. In a later day another king, Saul, far from God, called for the ark of God, and when after talking to the priest nothing availed he told the priest to withdraw his hand. But God was not to be turned off here. The enemy had made Him to enter the scene to speak on behalf of His people and Balak must hear fuller and more marvelous pronouncements of blessing in store for them.
The foolish king would have Balaam try once more and took him to another point saying, “peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.” Though Balaam could see the folly of seeking enchantments to bring this to pass, still he yields to Balak. Well had it been for him if he had yielded to the Lord and humbly sought a refuge in Him instead; but we see how unbroken though powerless was his will.
“And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.” This shows that all his religious display of seeking God’s guidance was faked; the enchantments that he had sought “at other times” were really of Satan.
When Balaam saw Israel abiding in their tents it says, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” We hear no more of his familiar spirit, but like his dumb ass, he is made to open his mouth and speak “the words of God.”
“Balaam... the man whose eyes are open hath said:... which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty.” What a solemn thing for such a man to have heard “the words of God,” to have seen “the vision of the Almighty,” and yet remain unmoved, the heart closed to God. How like one who has sat under the gospel, perhaps has had the blessed news on his lips, and yet the heart unchanged and closed to the love that comes with such a glorious message. Surely such a one is more guilty than if his eyes had never been opened.
“How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel.” It must have been a wonderful sight Balaam looked down upon — the goodly tents of Jacob in their order and beauty, with the cloud of Jehovah’s presence in their midst such a sight as he had never witnessed before.
But he who “saw the vision of the Almighty” had his eyes opened to behold far more wondrous order and beauty as to surpass in magnificence anything this earth has ever seen. Balaam had a glimpse of the coming day when Christ whose right it is to reign will come in power and glory and His people shall dwell at rest in their own land.
How blest are we who look on to those brighter heavenly glories which Christ our Saviour will share eternally with all His own at His coming. What joy it gives
To look beyond the long dark night
And hail the coming day,
When Thou to all Thy saints in light
Thy glories wilt display.
ML-05/19/1974