(3) THEIR PROSPERITY
([p. 284] 3) THEIR PROSPERITY
Nothing can be sadder than the character of Balaam. It is one of the darkest moral histories presented in Scripture. He was acquainted with certain forms, and used pious expressions, yet his heart was under the power of a ruling passion, and that was covetousness. There is not in the world a more destructive passion than covetousness. If sin had not come into the world men would not have wanted to possess, but now nothing exerts a greater influence over a man than the love of possession. Then, it is often found that a man is not over-scrupulous as to the means he uses to gratify his ruling passion. So it was with Balaam. He coveted Balak’s silver and gold, and to possess it he would have cursed Israel, but God kept a controlling hand over him, so that he dare not go beyond the word that was given him to speak. Then again, he sought not simply inspiration from God, but he would also have gained inspiration from the devil, from whom at the first man received inspiration to sin (Genesis 3); he sought for enchantments. When at the last he saw it was God’s determination to bless Israel, he sought enchantments no more.
It is important that we should pay attention to what is presented here, for it is said, “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning”, Romans 15: 4. And again, it is said, “All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”, 1 Corinthians 10: 11. In the history of Israel in the wilderness we have presented the principles of God’s ways with a heavenly people upon earth.
[p. 285] We first have, in these prophecies, the separation of the people. Israel as an earthly people was set apart to God, sanctified to Him as a nation. Christians are now set apart to God. In the New Testament we read many times of our sanctification. The Lord said of His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”. When the sense of this was lost, the church fell under the power of the world. God’s thought of His people is that they shall not be numbered among the nations. Now even Christianity itself takes a national character, each nation having its own particular form of it, and Christians have lost their separation.
The next point is that there is no curse, but the blessing of God rests upon His people. The law came in for Israel’s testing, and it was shewn that not even Abraham’s seed could abide with God. Then the brazen serpent was the end of Israel after the flesh in the eye of God, so that He could say that He had not beheld perverseness in them. In the prophet Jeremiah we have the expression used in regard to them. “The Lord our righteousness”. So we too are justified in Christ, and have Him for righteousness. He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Now, I wish to shew what are the proper marks of the elect of God down here. The first point here is that the people were seen covered. Ever since sin came in man has needed a covering. At the first Adam and Eve made themselves aprons of fig leaves to cover their nakedness, but it was no cover at all in the eye of God. He covered them with coats of skins, which witnessed death. When Noah and his family escaped the judgment of the flood they were covered in the ark. Death was all around, and the ark floated upon the waters of death. At that time no flesh came under the eye of God, for all were either drowned in the water or covered in the ark. In the New Testament [p. 286] we have the same idea of covering. In the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22) there was a man which had not on a wedding garment. He was there as one who took the ground of fitness in himself to be there. He had not availed himself of the wedding garment. He should have been covered, and he was cast out. So here the people were seen by Balaam as covered. He does not speak of their goodness, but of the beauty of their tents. “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!” I have no doubt that Israel will be covered by Christ as we are. Jehovah will be their husband, and their goodness. God has judged the first man, so that that cannot be revived. Israel will be justified in the Lord, and He will be their righteousness.
“As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters”. It is a poetical description, shewing life and prosperity. Growth and fruit-bearing are marks of a healthy tree. Paul desired these two things in the case of the Colossians. The elect of God are trees of His planting. Cedars spread their branches widely and afford protection.
The next mark is dignity. “He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted”. All this indicates the dignity of the people of God, a dignity which outshines all the dignity of man upon earth.
Then we have their strength. “He hath as it were the strength of a unicorn ... He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up?” The whole world will eventually learn the strength of the people of God, and none will dare to stir them up. All these things will be fulfilled in the history of Israel as the elect of God; all will be made good for them [p. 287] by Christ, and He will be among them. The enemies of God’s people will be crushed, because they are God’s enemies. In the last great conflict the enemies will be many and powerful, but they will all be crushed by the people in the strength which God gives.
I know only one source whence come the marks of life, health, vigour, strength and prosperity, and that is Christ. If we abide in Him and He in us we shall bear much fruit, but apart from Him we can do nothing. We can be in vigour and strength only by abiding in Christ, in the sense of His love. The path for us is this, that we keep His commandments and abide in His love. This is the great principle of fruit-bearing in the Christian, and in fruit-bearing there is the evidence of prosperity and vigour. We have reached a great point when we know that without Him we can do nothing. It is a long time before Christians give up the idea that they should do something. They think they ought to do this, and to be that, but they never do it, and they never are it. The Lord never tells us to do anything that He has not done. After making known His love to us, He bids us love one another, and we shall do so just in proportion as we are in the sense of His love. When a man comes under the influence of the love of Christ the complexion of everything is altered to him. Paul said, “The love of Christ constraineth us”. There is no sap, no vigour, no prosperity but what has its source in Christ. The circulation of it is by the Spirit, but the source is Christ Himself.
Then there is a moral dignity which marks the people of God. A Christian who overcomes the world is greater than the greatest king in the world, for the latter does not overcome it. Many a politician would like to dominate the world, but the Christian overcomes it. I would not care to exchange with the greatest dignitary on earth. “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” That is greater than any dignity which exists in the world.
The next point is strength. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. Then we can stand in the presence of all the power of the enemy, whatever form it may take. Many are afraid of the evil which they see. We need not be afraid; what we have to do is to stand in the Lord and the power of His might. Then, in a sense, we may lie down as a lion.