Numbers 23, and 24
Balaam's four utterances give four pictures of blessing. 1St, the people of God called out; (23:9) 2nd, their justification and entire safety; (ver. 20, 21, 23;) 3rd, the present proper blessing of God's people; (24:5, 6;) 4th, the Lord's coming; (ver. 17-24;) the latter in Jewish connection, not that of the Church. Consider the circumstances in which this prophecy was given. Not when Israel sang in the first joy of redemption, but after they had gone through all the difficulties of the wilderness, after they had known failure. The question now to be settled was, whether Satan had a title to shut the door of the kingdom against them, because of failure after redemption. This is met by learning the abiding power and value of God's work. His all controlling power will bring them in, in spite of everything. It is not through what we have wrought that we are brought in at the end, any more than at the beginning, but through what God has wrought. And in the value of that He sees them, not only without iniquity and perverseness, but as trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, at the very time they were murmuring against Him, despising the manna, &c., &c. When He is settling the question with Israel it is very different. He then passes over nothing, but here it is His judgment about Israel. He knew what they were when He brought them out and separated them from the nations: and God is not a man that He should repent. What can change His purpose? Hath He said, and shall He not make it good. And remember what He has said of believers. Balaam would gladly have found means to bring a curse on God's people; but he is obliged to say, " He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it." If God be for us, who can be against us? When it is a question of justification He beholds no iniquity in His people. Experience of the wilderness makes us need something more than
Ex. 15, even that which this chapter teaches us. It is said of Israel, all the way through what hath God wrought? It is not "what a heart there is in me," so desperately wicked even after conversion! but what a heart there is in God for me. "Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob:" Balaam in vain attempts it; his efforts only bring out each time a fresh declaration, a further aspect of blessing. Note, Balaam never said, " let me live the life of the righteous," he had no heart for that, " but let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." It is God who brings us in through His work. His worth, His word are mine, to rest my heart upon. God must fail before a believer can be lost.