BALAK, the King of Moab, sent for Balaam, the prophet of Pethor, in Mesopotamia, saying, “Come... curse me his people”―even Israel, the people of Jehovah, whose hosts had pitched their tents in the plains of Moab close by Jordan and [he promised land. The arms of all the warriors who had risen up to prevent Israel’s course to Canaan had failed, and now King Balak sought, by the arts of the false prophet, to stay their march through his country.
But God said to Balaam, “Thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.” What words of grace! And who shall curse whom God has blessed, or who shall accuse whom God has justified? Happy people on their way to glory, partakers of the heavenly calling! God has blessed them, and “they are blessed.”
Despite the word of God and God’s ways with him, Balaam could not resist the proffered reward of Balak, and he went to him. Then the king built altars for the prophet, who offered sacrifices upon them. But in vain the altar, in vain the bullocks and the rams; God took Balaam’s mouth and poured out therefrom blessings on His people. Then Balak tried another view of Israel; he brought Balaam to another place, whence he could see “but the utmost part of them,” and, said he, “Curse me them from thence.” So from the top of Pisgah Balaam looked upon the people. Once more the word of the Lord came to him; the prophet went and stood by the smoking altar, and near the king and his nobles, and said, “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?... He hath blessed. “In vain the anger of the king, in vain the perversity of the prophet,” God hath blessed. “In vain all the varied standpoints from which Israel might be regarded, cursings should not come on them, for them” God hath blessed.”
Now, fellow Christian, when life’s day is come to its end―yea, when this day of grace shall close, and that of glory shall dawn, it shall be said of each and of all of God’s people, “They are blessed.” Satan may see, and does see, enough to call forth wrath upon the failing and often sinning people of God, but no enchantment against them shall prosper, for God’s purpose can never be shaken. Of each and of all it shall be said, “What hath God wrought?” And when the pilgrimage is over, the promised land entered, the glory reached, how shall these words of wonder be in the lips not only of the saved people themselves, but in those of rapt angels― “What hath God wrought?” “He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God.” He has made the glory certain for us, come what may on earth. “Therefore we are always confident.” May the ways of God in filling Balaam’s mouth with blessings instead of cursings encourage our hearts in our God!