God has a twofold controversy with Moab concerning the people of Israel: first, “because they met you not with bread and water in the way when ye came forth out of Egypt,” and, second, “because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia to curse thee” (Deut. 23:4). We learn from this that sin can be negative as well as positive. He who neglects to do the will of God is as real a sinner as he who openly defies it. In Matthew 25 the foolish virgins were shut out from the marriage feast because they neglected to obtain oil for their lamps; the servant with the one talent was cast into outer darkness because he neglected to use his talent for the Lord, and the “goats” were sent away into eternal punishment because they neglected to show kindness to the King's messengers. Such neglect as is exposed in Matthew 25 suggests contempt for the will of God—a very serious matter indeed. Samuel said to the people of Israel: “God forbid that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Sam. 12:23). It was evil therefore in the sight of God that Moab (and Ammon) did not meet His pilgrim people with bread and water when they were marching from Egypt to Canaan.
But these enemies went further. There was not mere neglect but also open hostility. Many centuries after Moses' day Jehovah said, “O My people, remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of Jehovah” (Mic. 6:5). A great question was thus raised by Balak and Balaam under the instigation of Satan against the people of Israel—a question which it is important we should understand, for it affects us intimately. Satan is as full of malignity against God's heavenly saints as against his earthly people. Israel was delivered from Egypt by the power of God, with promises of blessing in a divinely chosen land ringing in their ears; their path, year by year, was marked by divine love and care; the people were now on the threshold of the promised land; and the moment had almost come for them to cross the Jordan and take possession. Satan, who had wrought havoc amongst them persistently during the wilderness years, now roused himself for a supreme effort against them, Balak and Balaam being his chosen instruments. He sought to deprive them of the promised blessings; indeed, he desired their utter extermination. Had the great question been raised at the beginning of the forty years everyone would have expected Jehovah to refuse the suggestion to destroy the people. Why deliver them from the taskmasters of Egypt, and why preserve them from the perils of the Red Sea if He was willing to destroy them? But the question was not raised at the beginning of the forty years, but at the end. And what was the history of those years? On Jehovah's part, goodness, faithfulness and patience; but on the people's part unbelief, ingratitude and persistent disobedience! Moses truly loved the people and sacrificed all his wordly prospects in order to serve them, but they broke his heart, and on one occasion they so provoked his spirit that he uttered words which deprived him of the land of his soul's deep desire (Isa. 56:32-33; Num. 20:12; Deut. 4:21-22). With such a record, could the people be cursed? Could Jehovah be induced to cast Israel aside? This was the question that was raised and answered in the plains of Moab.
We study this grave chapter in Israel's history with deep interest because it concerns us vitally. What have we been towards our God during the days of our pilgrimage? We must all bow our heads with sadness and shame as we put this question to our hearts. But can our shortcomings affect God's counsels of grace concerning us? Will He cease to love us, erase our names from the book of life, and fling us back to where He found us? Blessed be His holy name, NO! He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; He has taken us into favor in the Beloved; He has washed, sanctified, and justified us; and has sealed and anointed us with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:3-6; 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 1:21-22). All this must stand forever, for God is faithful, whatever His people may be. In His righteous government He may chasten us even as He chastened Israel of old, but He will never abandon His counsels of grace. “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). Listen to Moses in Deuteronomy 23:5: “Jehovah thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, but Jehovah thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because Jehovah thy God loved thee”; similarly, all our blessings are secured in the risen Christ, and the Father loves us as He loves Him.
It suits the arch-hypocrite of the universe, Satan, sometimes to make a stand for righteousness. Can it be consistent with the divine character that an unfaithful people should still be loved and blessed? In Zechariah 3 the prophet was shown in a vision Satan resisting Joshua as representative of the nation of Israel. He would fain have the man in filthy garments flung into the fire as wholly unsuitable for the presence of God. But he was divinely rebuked Satan before he fell held high office in the creation of God. There is a veiled allusion to him in Ezekiel 28:11-17. We quote verse 14: “thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” These words make it apparent that Satan's office was to guard the interests of the throne of God. In his hypocrisy even now he “transforms himself into an angel of light” and his servants into “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Evil spirits are not always unclean (Mark 5:2); they can be sanctimonious and Pharisaical when it suits them (1 Tim. 4:1-3). They could even by the lips of men charge the Lord Jesus with Sabbath-breaking, blasphemy, and sedition! They could affect to be shocked at the ways and words of God's Holy One!
As we read the book of Numbers it is delightful to discover that the efforts of wicked men and of Satan caused God to give forth, by the unwilling lips of Balaam, some of the most marvelous outpourings of grace and blessing concerning His people that we find anywhere in Scripture. In explanation of this we should glance back at Numbers 21:8-9. The uplifted serpent was a type of the uplifted Son of Man as we learn from His own blessed lips in John 3:14. This suggests God's utter rejection of flesh as hopelessly evil in His sight. Nothing that proceeds from the first man can be acceptable to Him. The sinner needs not only forgiveness for the sins which he has committed; he needs also a new and divine life. This is what Nicodemus was told at the midnight talk in Jerusalem. A truly humiliating lesson for us all to learn! The root is bad as well as the fruit; the life as well as its evil manifestations. Life for man is only found in Him who upon Calvary's tree bore the judgment of God against all that we were and against all that we have done. He lives now in resurrection power, and every believer is entitled to say “the life that I now live in the flesh (that is, in the body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
In the uplifted serpent Jehovah (typically) put out of sight all the inbred evil of the people of His choice; how then could He cancel all His purposes of grace, and cast them away from His presence? The devices of the enemy turned to his own confusion, and furnished the God of all grace with an opportunity to set forth more clearly and fully than ever the great thoughts of His heart.
Let us read again Micah 6:5. “O My people, remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of Jehovah.” This is a truly remarkable passage when we consider the places which are named therein. “Shittim” was on the wilderness side of the Jordan, but “Gilgal” was inside the promised land. Thus Jehovah's answer to the enemy was in deeds as well as in words. His words were uttered in Shittim (and very full and wonderful they were); His deeds were witnessed in Gilgal, where the people of Israel, after their miraculous crossing of the Jordan, pitched their camp, and from which they went forth conquering and to conquer. Most blessedly therefore did Jehovah display His righteousness in the fulfillment of His gracious word to His people. But how quickly they forgot His works, and ceased to sound forth His praise!