Num. 23:23NUM 23:23
R. Erisman
The words "What hath God wrought!" were spoken by Balaam, a prophet in the land of Midian. He had been offered a reward by Balak, the king of Moab, if he would curse the people of Israel. Now Balaam was quite intrigued by this proposition, for we read in 2 Peter 2:15 that he loved the wages of unrighteousness. Balaam soon discovered, however, that cursing a people who enjoyed a favored-nation status with the God of the entire universe, the only true God, was no light matter. After being thwarted on several attempts to find some basis for pronouncing a curse, he exclaims out of frustration, or perhaps with a hint of admiration, "What hath God wrought!" And with these words, he confesses to Balak that a heathen prophet is not a match when the power of almighty God is at work.
These same words were used in a dramatic way in the United States about 150 years ago. Samuel Morse was working at that time on his invention which would enable communications to be established between distant points along a single electric wire. In order to demonstrate the potential of such a device, he invited several business dignitaries and government officials to observe firsthand its operation. He stationed these men some 40 miles distant from his laboratory, and at a prearranged time he transmitted the first telegraphic message. The message Samuel Morse chose for this occasion was not the familiar typing class exercise which proclaims: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." No, Samuel Morse's message on that historic day of May 25, 1844 was, "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT!”
By choosing this message, it would seem Samuel Morse gave evidence to his personal conviction that the Creator of the world, with all of its attendant physical laws, was worthy of more honor than someone who merely discovered one of those laws and how it could be applied for the benefit of mankind.
We do not find any other scriptural reference where the exact words of Balaam's exclamation were used, but we do find several individuals who acknowledged that the power of God had worked in a remarkable way.
Job
Perhaps the first one to consider is the testimony of Job as mentioned in chapter 12 of the book bearing his name. "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath WROUGHT this?" Job 12:7-9.
It is well to remember that Job lived within the time frame of the book of Genesis, sometime after the flood of Noah's day. In this discourse of Job, he states that it was common knowledge that the earth itself, and the various forms of life on it, were the result of the power of God acting in creation.
Now we know from the first chapter of Romans that man polluted this fundamental truth, and began to supplant God and to worship the creature more than the Creator. And then that chapter goes on to show the degradation of man as a result of not wanting to retain God in his knowledge.
In our day, creation truths have largely been replaced by the theories of evolution, under the influence of most of the institutions of learning. In Job's day, however, creation under the hand of God was commonly accepted.
David
Moving across the pages of history about 500 years, we come to the days of the nation of Israel in its ascendancy. David is the central figure in those early days and, as we know, became their much-loved king. We learn quite a bit about David's thoughts, his desires, and his motives from his prolific writing in the book of the Psalms. Notice Psa. 31, "Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast WROUGHT for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." vv. 19, 20.
David knew very well that the earth and the heavens were created by God. He says so in Psa. 19,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." v. 1. He knew, too, that God made the inhabitants, for in Psa. 100 he says: "Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." v. 3.
What sets David apart is that he discovered that the Creator God delights in communion with His creatures. He learned to confide in God in times of trouble and in times of rejoicing. David discovered that there is a communication line stretching from earth to heaven, that is not subject to equipment breakdowns, as was Mr. Morse's. Besides this, David discovered that there was a secret pavilion to which he could draw aside for these times of communion, completely separate from all outside distractions.
David was not so much impressed with God's greatness—how the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him—but rather with His goodness in wanting to dwell within the limited confines of his heart. And so he exclaims in admiration, "How great is Thy goodness.”
Paul
If we traverse a 1000-year period, we come to the early days of the Church. The apostles are still alive. They are preaching the gospel to the salvation of souls. They are teaching and instructing their converts. They are leaving a written testimony that will convey the truth of God to many succeeding generations after they have long left this scene.
It is through these writings that we learn that the power of God was displayed in many remarkable ways in the days of the early Church in order to establish it in a hostile environment. There was a power to unloose the tongues of unlearned and ignorant men to reach out and touch the surrounding nations. There was power to heal the sick with a simple touch of the hand, and the power of an embrace to raise the dead. The Apostle Paul seemed to excel in all these acts of power. It is no small wonder that he is the one to tell of the power of God unto salvation. He certainly felt that power as he lay in the dust on the Damascus road.
What captivated the heart of Paul, however, was the power of God in resurrection. In the first chapter of Ephesians we read: "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He WROUGHT in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." vv. 19, 20.
Paul knew that the power that raised the Lord Jesus was going to be displayed again in the Church's resurrection day. Paul knew all of the details connected with that grand event. He taught them to the Thessalonian saints and to the Corinthian saints. He knew every minute detail. He even had a personal preview when he was caught up to the third heaven, but he was careful to state that he did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body. So vivid was this experience, however, that the whole direction of his life seemed to be in anticipation of that moment when he would again enter into those heavenly courts. That seems to be a fair evaluation in view of what we read in Phil. 3:10, 11: "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Paul understood very well the spiritual transformation that is to take place at that time, when mortal bodies shall put on immortality, when corruptible must put on incorruption. We might wonder whether Paul ever contemplated the physical significance of this event, whether he understood the engineering principles involved. His use of the word "power" seems to suggest that he did.
Consider for a moment that the power to raise a man's weight to the height of a typical cloud formation in the time of an eye blink is something like 50,000 H. P. And if we multiply this by the number of raptured saints making this journey, we are talking about trillions of H. P. Even the space age engines of our day pale into insignificance in comparison to this grand display of power. No wonder the Apostle was enthralled with the prospect of his participation in this event. But even the great Apostle had to learn that he must wait, just like the rest of us, to personally experience this mighty surge of power.
Nebuchadnezzar
And now for a final reference, we turn to Dan. 4 where we read about a remarkable experience in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar. He was truly a great man. He was a great military general, having conquered the then-known world. He was a great engineer, having masterminded the building of Babylon with its huge protecting walls towering to a height of 300 feet and having a breadth of 75 feet. He was a great architect, having designed the hanging gardens which were to become known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. He had one problem, however. It was "I" trouble. We read of it in Dan. 4:30. "The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”
Nebuchadnezzar did not know that there was a God who could discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. He did not know that He was a jealous God, not taking lightly anyone who exalted himself to the heavens. As the story unfolds, we find Nebuchadnezzar becomes an unwilling student in God's school. God is the instructor and the lesson is found in verse 32, "And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.”
So Nebuchadnezzar became as the wild beasts, his hair became like eagle feathers, his nails like animal claws, and every morning his body was wet with the dew of heaven. Nebuchadnezzar learned well and the last verse tells of the great change that came into his life. "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." v. 37. Notice especially verse 2 of this same chapter, "I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath WROUGHT toward me.”
So, whereas the old Nebuchadnezzar liked nothing better than to promenade on the balcony of his palace and contemplate the greatness of what he had wrought, the new Nebuchadnezzar delighted in what God had wrought in him.
These four references to four individuals have highlighted four aspects which should be a part of the Christian experience.
First: There is the outward look which recognizes the physical environment, of which we are a part, as the result of God's power in creation.
Second: There is the inward look which recognizes that the power of God is still acting to change men's lives.
Third: There is the present appreciation and enjoyment of God's fellowship and communion in the secret pavilion of His providing.
Fourth: There is the anticipation of a personal participation in the events of the Church's resurrection, God's grand display of His mighty power.
It is interesting to notice that each of these four aspects can be punctuated, as it were, by those four words which Balaam, a heathen prophet, uttered so long ago: "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT!"