Author: Charlie Garrett

James 2:21

Charlie Garrett James (Written)

Thursday, 18 July 2019

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? James 2:21

James now introduces the first of the two examples which he inferred were coming by the question which comprised the previous verse. He asked, “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” To affirm that it is the case, he begins his examples with, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works.” Albert Barnes states the following concerning this –

“Justified by works – That is, in the sense in which James is maintaining that a man professing religion is to be justified by his works. He does not affirm that the ground of acceptance with God is that we keep the law, or are perfect; or that our good works make an atonement for our sins, and that it is on their account that we are pardoned; nor does he deny that it is necessary that a man should believe in order to be saved. In this sense he does not deny that men are justified by faith; and thus he does not contradict the doctrine of the apostle Paul. But he does teach that where there are no good works, or where there is not a holy life, there is no true religion; that that faith which is not productive of good works is of no value; that if a man has that faith only, it would be impossible that he could be regarded as justified, or could be saved and that consequently, in that large sense, a man is justified by his works that is, they are the evidence that he is a justified man, or is regarded and treated as righteous by his Maker. The point on which the apostle has his eye is the nature of saving faith; and his design is to show that a mere faith which would produce no more effect than that of the demons did, could not save.”

Barnes, as well as others, states that “faith which is not productive of good works is of no value.” This is true, however, he fails to state what “works” are acceptable to justify a man. As noted in the previous commentary, this will naturally cause a person to say, “I need to do works to prove my faith.” From there, he goes and does and does and does, but his doing never satisfies because nobody told him what “works” are considered acceptable.

Barnes then continues with, “that if a man has that faith only, it would be impossible that he could be regarded as justified.” That, unfortunately, entirely negates what Paul says concerning justification. Paul says that a man is justified apart from works of the law. He says that a person believes, and when he believes he is sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Consider the man who believes, is saved, and then dies – such as the man on the cross next to Christ. What works did he do? What about the person who is a quadriplegic and cannot do whatever supposed “works” someone thinks up as being necessary to be justified?

However, this was not the case with Abraham. God declared Abraham righteous in Genesis 15:6. The offering of Isaac was seven chapters and many years later. And yet, James questions, was not Abraham “justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” It begs a positive response. Is this the same work that is necessary for us? Obviously not. James will continue with his analysis of what Abraham did for the next few verses. He will then move on to the prostitute Rahab. What is it about what they did that makes their works acceptable?

Life application: James remembers the great test of faith of the Hebrew people – that of Father Abraham offering up his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. However, Paul also speaks of the righteousness of Abraham and how it was obtained by him.

Hebrews 11 speaks of this same account of the offering up of Isaac as well. Because of this, it must be incredibly important and a matter that needs to be considered carefully. Take time to read Genesis 22, Romans 4, and Galatians 3. If you can understand these areas of the Bible, and also the account as mentioned in Hebrews 11:17-19, then you can more fully understand what is being spoken of by James concerning faith versus deeds. Together, these passages will take you about 15 minutes to finish but they contain a lifetime of wealth for us to remember.

In the end, the account of Abraham, Isaac foreshadows the Person and work of Jesus. He, the only begotten Son of the Father, climbed this same hill, with his own wood (the cross) on His back; and His Father allowed the sacrifice to continue. Because of what Jesus did, we are now reconciled to God the Father.

It is faith in this action and faith alone which justifies us in the sight of God. Don’t be distressed at any foe that comes against you – Jesus is on your side and God the Father has approved of you because of faith in what His Son did. Be at peace!

Thank You Heavenly Father for the Gift of Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank You that He bore our sin and wrath on the cross so that we are now reconciled to You through His precious blood. We know that we can add nothing to this great work, but we simply need to accept it by faith alone. Praises, honor, and majesty belong to You alone! Amen.

James 2:20

Charlie Garrett James (Written)

Wednesday, 17 July 2019

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:20

James has spoken of faith without works and works which demonstrate faith. From there, he used demons as an example of belief which is void of any value. They believe in God and yet they tremble.

One can believe in something without having faith in it. A person can believe that an arrangement of wood in the corner of a room is a chair, but he may not have faith that the chair is capable of holding his weight. A person can believe in God, and yet he can also have no faith in that same God. A person can even believe in Jesus and yet not have faith that Jesus died for his sins and was resurrected proving His own sinlessness.

James now asks a question to get his reader to think this matter through. He begins with, “But do you want to know, O foolish man.” The word translated as “foolish” is kenos. It means “empty,” either literally or figuratively. It would indicate a man whose head is empty from not thinking clearly. He is lacking in moral content. To understand, one could think of almost any liberal in the world today. There is no substance behind their thought process.

James’ words are general, as if he is speaking to anyone who hasn’t figured out what he is saying. There needs to be faith behind knowledge. The two need to work in harmony with one another. And so in order to complete his question, he says “that faith without works is dead?”

The word translated as “works” is the same common word that he uses twelve times in this chapter alone, ergon. It is a deed which accomplishes what is initiated by an inner desire. James says that faith without such “is dead.” Here, there is a variance in some manuscripts. Some say nekra, or “dead,” while others say arge, or “worthless.” In the end, they come to substantially the same meaning. A tree can have fruit which is shriveled up and dead, or it can have fruit which cannot be eaten for some reason. And so either way, the fruit is not able to accomplish that for which it was intended.

To support his statement, James will next give two examples directly from Scripture. He (and thus the Lord who inspired the words) obviously finds that these two examples (Abraham and Rahab) are sufficient to convey the exact intent of what he means here. As he does, so should we. What is it that Scripture says about these two that James finds worthy of note, and what is it that Scripture itself also elsewhere says about these two which will help us to understand what James is conveying?

Of the concept of faith without works being dead, Albert Barnes says –

“That the faith which does not produce good works is useless in the matter of salvation. He does not mean to say that it would produce no effect, for in the case of the demons it did produce trembling and alarm; but that it would be valueless in the matter of salvation.”

Is this correct?

Two things need to be considered. First, it was argued in verse 2:14 that James’ words, “Can faith save him?”, were speaking of another, not the individual with the faith. That was substantiated by the fact the example which immediately followed the question was referring to helping another. Secondly, even if this was speaking of the person with the faith, then to support Albert Barnes’ statement, it would have to assume that in Genesis 15:6 Abraham was not yet “saved” (meaning declared righteous), in the sense of pleasing God and being justified by Him. As will be seen, this is entirely incorrect.

And so the question is, “If faith without works is dead, then what ‘works’ prove that the faith is alive?” Charles Elllicott, in line with almost all reformed thinkers, says, “Works are the natural fruit of faith, and without them it is evident that the tree is dead.” This statement, however, explains nothing concerning “what works,” demonstrate or prove saving faith.

How can a person read such things and feel any more secure in his walk than before he read them? He is left with nothing but a dubious sense of, “I need to do works to prove my faith.” From there, he goes and does and does and does, but his doing never satisfies because nobody told him what “works” are considered acceptable. One might as well go back to Roman Catholicism under such an explanation of “works which demonstrate saving faith.”

Life application: Jesus said, “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).

Raca means “empty-headed,” and it is what James appears to be calling people here. But he is using the term in a general sense to explain how someone may not be thinking an issue through clearly. Further, Jesus uses the term moros, when speaking of a fool (think of our modern term “moron”). Paul uses that term when speaking of others because the Bible already describes who a fool is for us, such as –

“The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.’” Psalm 14:1

Therefore, one valid definition of a fool is a person who denies the existence of God.

But, a person claiming to have faith and yet lacking the proper deeds of faith could also be considered foolish. Keep this in mind because it bears on the examples James is going to give and how we can know what deeds are relevant to saving faith. One reason this is so important is that anyone can claim any deeds are necessary fruits of a converted person. If so, then if someone else doesn’t do what the individual determines is necessary to prove his faith, finger-pointing and accusation results – “He can’t be a Christian because…”

This is exactly what happens in churches and denominations all over the world. All because people set their own standards of “deeds of righteousness” rather than looking to the Bible to determine proper deeds which result from saving faith. We will determine what they are in the verses ahead. Sure we will… Have faith!

Lord Jesus, we know that You have accepted us because of our faith in Christ. We have this certainty because we called on You in faith and because You then sealed us with Your Holy Spirit as a guarantee. It was the sweetest moment ever! May our deeds now reflect this, all the days of our lives. Amen.

James 2:19

Charlie Garrett James (Written)

Tuesday, 16 July 2019

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! James 2:19

The word “you” is singular and it is in the emphatic position, and so James – writing to a Jewish audience – implies that the individual is self-deceived if he claims to have faith and yet has no works. The structure of the first part of this verse varies a bit between manuscripts –

You believe that One is the God.

You believe that the God One is.

Either way, God is the formal object, and it is speaking of the oneness of God, not so much the fact that there is one God – although that is to be understood. This then is in line with the proclamation of Moses which is recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4 –

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”

James uses this statement of faith in order to highlight the belief in the monotheistic God who is also Triune in nature – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In emphatically stating to each person in his audience that they believe God is One, he is preparing them for his next words to show how little that actually means all by itself, even though it is a good thing. As he says, “You do well.”

Jews believed this all along, ever since Moses proclaimed it to the people. James says that this is commendable. It demonstrates faith in the words of Moses concerning God’s nature. However, that is only good to a certain point. He shows this by saying, “Even the demons believe.”

The Oneness of God is understood by the demons, just as it is to those humans who accept the premise. Both accept the same truth. However, James continues. They believe “and tremble!”

The word James uses is found only here in Scripture, phrissó. It originally meant “to be rough on the surface,” and thus “to bristle.” From this one gets the sense of hair standing on its end from terror. It is more than to tremble, but to shudder. It carries the sense of horror at the knowledge. This is what James is referring to, and it is something that is intended to point to the Oneness of God, despite speaking of faith in Jesus. In other words, He is indicating that faith in Jesus is faith in God. This is confirmed by the accounts of demons being faced with the presence of Jesus as recorded in the gospels, such as –

“When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’” Matthew 8:28, 29

These demons had a knowledge of Jesus, including that He is fully God. As James says, “God is One.” But these are demons. James is saying to his audience that just because someone knows God is One, it doesn’t mean that their knowledge is backed up by anything of further value. If the demons believed this and backed it up with action, they would not be demons set for destruction, but angels who would forever stand before God praising Him. James’ point is, “Where do you stand? On belief alone, or belief plus acting on your belief.”

Life application: Most rational people will believe there is one God, regardless of how they exercise that faith, so James is saying that this is nothing special. In fact, even the demons believe this, but they shudder at that knowledge. Why? Because they believe in God from first-hand knowledge! Their belief is more than general faith, and that knowledge tells them they will receive their sentence in due time.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I believe in God,” and then you watch them live lives of ungodliness? This is irrational because someone who believes in God and lives that way hasn’t thought the whole thing through. However, the demons have. They know that judgment awaits, and yet they continue on their reckless path. This is what James is talking about.

Misdirected faith is wasted faith. If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, a Mormon, etc., then you obviously believe in God. However, your faith is misdirected and it is therefore useless. God isn’t contradictory and His word is not to be manipulated. Rather, it is to be believed as written. You believe that God is One. Good! Don’t waste your faith in Him then. Exercise it appropriately unto salvation and proper action. Call on Jesus, who is God.

O God, we believe in You, and we believe that Your word is true. Give us wisdom in understanding it more each day. Grant us to know Your ways, faith that isn’t dead, and the desire to accomplish deeds that will be pleasing to You. May our lives be as examples to others of faithful Christians who honor You in all ways. Amen.

James 2:18

Charlie Garrett James (Written)

Monday, 15 July 2019

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18

James now introduces a possible argument someone might make. It is a hypothetical to get his reader to consider the matter. Paul did this in 1 Corinthians 15:35 –

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”

In this verse, James’ hypothetical is stated in relation to what was said in verse 2:14. There James said, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” Can such faith bring help or healing to another? No. Not unless it is converted into works.

In response, someone might say, “You have faith, and I have works.” What is the source of the faith? What is the motivation behind the works? Also, what external benefit is one over the other? To stimulate thought on the matter, James then says, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

A more literal reading of this would be, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I from my works will show you my faith.” Can a person’s faith without any deeds be demonstrated in the care of another? Obviously not. Faith is something that is within a person and which only concerns that person. On the other hand, James argues that a person can demonstrate his faith by his works. The person in verse 15 who is naked or destitute, and who is helped out by someone, can see the faith of that person in action.

However, there is a problem. People do good deeds all the time, and they often do not do them in faith. They may do them for recognition, to make themselves feel better, for personal gain, and so on. Good deeds may demonstrate faith in a true believer, but they also can be done by people who only claim to be believers, or who have nothing to do with the faith. James is only concerned with those of the faith who are willing to demonstrate their faith through good deeds. This will continue to be seen in the verses ahead.

Life application: James is working towards a goal in his thought process. He is coming to the conclusion that faith has an important part in our walk as Christians, but that deeds do as well. He still hasn’t indicated what deeds, or what type of deeds, other than to speak in the general terms of the previous verses.

In the coming verses, he will use several noted figures from the Bible to establish a baseline of what deeds are acceptable for the justification James refers to. Think on these people, and even do a quick personal study on them and where they are mentioned in Scripture, before those verses are evaluated.

Also, please think on the state of non-believers who do nifty deeds for others. Contemplate how they fit into the picture of the salvation Jesus’ provides. If deeds could increase our standing before God, can their deeds be credited for righteousness even though they don’t have faith in Jesus? Surely you realize now that they obviously can’t (see Romans 4:2), but it is important to think on their acts in comparison to those of Christians.

James stands and quotes someone who says, “You have faith and I have works.” He then agrees with that person by saying that he will show his faith by what he does. Can I do super things after becoming a Christian to increase my justification before God?

Paul says that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

For the believer, this is not a judgment of justification. Instead, it is a judgment for rewards and losses. Are our deeds done in conjunction with our faith? What deeds are you doing since you became a Christian? And what is the motivation behind them? Are you doing them for your own glory or that of Christ?

Heavenly Father, help us to want to be pleasing to You without pretense or for self-serving reasons. May our actions be a testimony to the salvation that Jesus worked out on our behalf, and may we not suppose that we are increasing our position in You above what He did, but let us trust in Him alone for our standing as Your servants. Amen.

Numbers 24:1-11 (Balaam’s Third Oracle)

Charlie Garrett Numbers (Written)

Numbers 24:1-11
Balaam’s Third Oracle

The words of today’s verses include lots of happy images of Israel’s future exaltation. They are spoken by Balaam about Israel. Of this, there is no doubt, but if that was all the imagery there was to be seen in them, it wouldn’t be a very happy passage.

Yes, Israel has had times of great prosperity, wealth, and blessing, but they have also had lots of the opposite as well. If the past times for Israel are all that are being spoken of, then the passage is unhappy at best.

And if the passage only speaks of things yet future to us now, then it really isn’t happy for the rest of the world. They will devour their enemies and sit fat, dumb, and happy in their permanently exalted state! That doesn’t really seem like a swell picture for anyone else but Israel.

But, if you follow the messianic cults in Israel, this is what they are hoping for, and this is their expectation. They kind of overlook the obvious similarities between Leviticus 26 where God promises to punish them for disobeying Him, and how things have come out for them over the past two thousand years in exactly the same way that He said they would in that passage.

It is as if that was some type of accidental occurrence, not worth looking into as to why those things came about. Only when passages like the one today are taken in light of the greater promises to Israel which point not merely to their exaltation as a nation, but to the exaltation of God in Christ, do the words really have any meaning.

But until they stop looking at the world as being subservient to them, and start looking at it as being subservient to Christ the Lord, they will never be in the idyllic circumstances which Balaam’s third oracle proclaims. Only then will such passages make sense.

Text Verse: “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” Romans 11:28-32

God has wonderful promises in store for Israel, but they first and foremost are for Israel under Him, not simply Israel over the nations. It is Christ who is Lord of all and over all. In their rejection of Christ, they brought upon themselves terrible times, but God promises them mercy in due time.

And with mercy, they will receive pardon, purification, and exaltation. But their exaltation will be in accord with the Lord’s glory, not despite it. When we bless Israel, we are – hopefully – doing it with the purpose of their being blessed as the people of God in a faithful, covenant relationship with Him.

Until they enter the New Covenant, this is not possible. And so when we bless them, let us do it with this in mind. We are to bless them for who they will be in Christ. He has promised them this, and it shall come to pass. Until it happens, let us keep proclaiming Jesus. Eventually, they will get it, and He will return to them when they do.

Such wonderful promises and truths are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. From the Top of Peor (verses 1 & 2)

The previous sermon ended with Balak having failed twice to get Balaam to curse Israel. The first attempt was at the high places of Baal. The second attempt was as the field of Zophim. At the end of the last sermon, the chapter closed with them at the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

In this location, we have the completion of a marvelous pattern which has developed over these three locations where these three oracles are uttered – Baal, Zophim, and Peor.

The first, bamoth baal, or the high places of Baal, looks to the superintending lordship of the people. The word ba’al simply means owner, lord, or master. Thus, it was an attempt to curse the people, dissolving the spiritual authority over them.

The next location, sadeh tsophim, or the “field of the watchers,” then looks to an attempt to curse the people’s intellect. As a watchman looks out and discerns who is coming and what type of a threat they are, so that was an attempt to curse their ability to rightly discern what is correct.

The third place, now introduced, is rosh ha’peor, or the top of the Peor. This place signifies that which leads to yearning and even to lust. Thus, this is an attempt to curse Israel’s moral underpinnings.

Balak is not merely attempting to curse Israel arbitrarily, but he is methodically pursuing a path of attempting to find a weakness in Israel which he can exploit between them and their God. It is what the devil did to Jesus in Matthew 4.

First, he came to tempt Him into making the stones into bread, thus he attempted to destroy the spiritual hierarchy which is found in God. He then tested Jesus’ intellect by misusing Scripture, but which Christ corrected. And then he appealed to Jesus based on the lust of the flesh by showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The devil, in essence, set about to curse these orders, but he failed.

This is what Balak intends now, and it is a prefiguring of the trials of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness. Will Balak succeed? Would the devil succeed? Not when Yehovah, the Lord, is in the equation! That begins to be evidenced in the first verse of this passage…

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,

Twice, Balaam has gone forth, and both of those times, it is implied that he looked for a word from God in the use of sorcery. That will be seen in just a moment. In his previous attempts to curse Israel, he found that it would not be possible to do so. Rather, “it pleased the Lord to bless Israel.”

The Hebrew literally reads, “that it was good in the eyes of Yehovah to bless Israel.” What Balaam looked to see in the obtaining of a curse was exactly the opposite of what was pleasing in the Lord’s eyes. For him to see what the Lord saw, he had to submit to what the Lord determined, and that was to bless. Now understanding this, it says…

1 (con’t) he did not go as at other times,

Here is a curious phrase that will be seen just five times between now and 1 Samuel 20, k’paam b’paam, or “as at a time, in a time.” The means of obtaining his oracle from the Lord in the past was one way. Now, having seen that “as at a time, in a time” the Lord would not submit to cursing, he has clued in that this will not change. Because of this, there was no need…

1 (con’t) to seek to use sorcery,

The word used, nekhashim, was introduced in verse 23:23 and now this is its second and last use in Scripture. It is a verb indicating some sort of divination. It is debated exactly what type of divination was used, but it was certainly some type of augury.

One might find it surprising that the Lord would allow Himself to be sought out through, and to respond to, such things, but that would be to misunderstand what is happening. The Lord has a plan. That plan will not be thwarted.

If someone comes to the Lord through such a divination, and that divination will yield a result which would stand in the way of His plans, then He will intervene to ensure that what He intends comes out. A perfect example of this is found in Ezekiel 21.

The king of Babylon sought for a sign in order to determine which path he should take in order to engage one foe or another in battle. The result was to come against Jerusalem, as the Lord’s plan determined –

“The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: 19 ‘And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. 20 Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. 22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. 23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.’” Ezekiel 21:18-23

Balaam has seen that seeking a divination against Israel is pointless, and so he no longer bothered to pursue this path…

1 (con’t) but he set his face toward the wilderness.

The question here is, “Does Balaam intend to bless Israel because it pleases the Lord, or does Balaam intend to curse Israel by forsaking the divination so that he, rather than the Lord, will control the outcome?”

The entire point of coming to Balak, and then going to the various places they have gone, was to curse Israel, not bless them. How one would answer that question would probably be based on whether they were a half-cup full or half-cup empty type.

I would go with the half-empty and say he desired still to curse Israel, and so he left behind the divination and set his face toward the wilderness, meaning the area where Israel sat encamped. Now, facing in that direction, it next says…

2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes;

From the top of Peor, Balaam could see the entire encampment of Israel. John Lange’s commentary places the spot where Balaam is to the east of Israel, with Edom on the south and the vast desert reaching to the river of Assyria behind him. With this view, looking west and down upon Israel, he views them, as it says “according to their tribes.

The layout, as seen in the Numbers 3:14-39 sermon, is that of a giant cross, extending out to the east, west, north, and south, and with the tabernacle directly in the center. Where Balaam was then, he would see the entire cross from the base – meaning east, and extending out from there directly in front of him. With this massive cross directly in his view, it then says…

2 (con’t) and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Unlike the previous two times where it says the Lord put a word in his mouth, this time, the ruakh elohim, or Spirit of God, came upon him. He is cast into an ecstatic state which opens his spiritual mind and leads him to utter his oracle, regardless as to what he purposed.

One might question, “How could it be that he wanted to curse Israel, but instead he was led to bless them?” The question would assume that Balaam was intending on speaking for God in a positive blessing all along and that God would not otherwise come upon a wicked person. This is incorrect thinking. First, Deuteronomy 23 clearly shows this was his intent –

“Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.” Deuteronomy 23:5

Secondly, Scripture in several instances, shows that those who may or may not be right with the Lord will still speak according to the Spirit. This will be seen in king Saul in 1 Samuel 19:23. He had lost favor with the Lord, and yet the same terminology is used there as it is here. The Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied.

It also is the case that Caiaphas, the wicked high priest of Israel prophesied the word of the Lord, as is seen in John 11 –

“Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:51, 52

In such instances, God will come upon even the wicked to effect His purposes. As John Gill rightly states, such as are “not in his grace but in his gifts; not as a spirit of sanctification, but as a spirit of prophecy.” In this state, and with the Lord in control of the events, it says (after a brief poetic interlude)…

A sign to the world for all to see
It is set on high by God for fallen man
A torn body hanging on a tree
The sign determined before the world began

How terrible and yet lovely is the cross
Terrible because we caused our Lord to go there
But O so lovely too, no more sin nor loss
For Christ our Lord, our sin did bear

The Lion of Judah has prevailed
The cross was not the end of our beautiful Lord
Victory over death, the grave He has assailed
And to God through Him we have been restored

How beautiful is the cross that brought us back to You
How beautiful are You, O Lord, ever faithful and true

II. Balaam’s Oracle (verses 3-11)

3 Then he took up his oracle and said:

Here again Balaam is said to take up his mashal, or oracle. It is a proverb or parable, and thus it is a comparative saying where one thing in a clause is like another in the next. The words that are to be spoken are an allegory or a representation of the intent of the Lord as spoken through Balaam.

In other words, it is the word of the Lord in intent, but it is spoken from Balaam’s perspective. In this, there will be a progression of speech from that which is individual and concrete to that which is more universal and general.

This mashal, or oracle, will be like those he has already spoken, which is in a highly poetic form and in standard meter.

3 (con’t) “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

neum bil’am beno beor – “Utterance Balaam son of Beor.” In these words, Balaam identifies himself by name and by heritage, Balaam the son of Beor. It is, therefore, words spoken by him, even if the Lord directed him. It is a way of indicating that his eyes were closed, just as the eyes of his father had been closed. Now, there is a change which he will explicitly state in a minute.

For now, he uses the word neum, or utterance. This is a word that is almost exclusively used when proclaimed by the Lord. There are only three exceptions to this where the word is attributed to a human bearer. This is the first. It will be used by David in 2 Samuel 23:1, and then by Agur in Proverbs 30:1.

In this case, it is the Lord’s prophetic word being spoken through Balaam. He is speaking it as if it is from his own viewpoint, but it is the word of the Lord being revealed through him. This is more fully realized with the next words…

3 (con’t) The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

u-neum ha’geber shethum ha’ayin – “And utterance the man are opened the eyes.” Balaam again uses the word neum, or utterance, and then he says that it is his utterance – he is the man whose eyes are opened. Some translations will say, “The man whose eyes are shut.” His eyes were shut, but the intent is that they are now spiritually opened through the effect of the Spirit upon him.

The word is a new and rare one, shatham. It means “to unveil,” and it will only be seen here and in verse 15. Balaam’s eyes were closed, but now they are unveiled. God has opened his spiritual insight to reveal through him words concerning His people, Israel.

4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

neum shomea imre el – “Utterance of him who hears words of God.” Here, he again uses the word neum, or utterance, but he says that it is the utterance of him who hears the words of God. Thus, he is implying that his utterance is in accord with those words. He is speaking out what he hears and what will be said is that which is directed by God. Further, he is one…

4 (con’t) Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

asher makhazeh shaddai yekhezeh – “Who a vision of the Almighty sees.” He now states that he sees a makhazeh, or vision. It is a very rare word, used just four times, but two of them are in this chapter. It was used in Genesis 15:1 when it said that the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. That was a vision to a friend of God. Now it is a vision to one who has been a foe of God.

He further uses the term, Shaddai, or Almighty. This is not a mere god, but the all-powerful God. The words come from the Source of all power, and therefore what will be said are words which reflect that power. Nothing can thwart them. Despite his previous state of one who came to curse, he cannot. Instead, he is now one…

4 (con’t) Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

nophel u-gelui enayim – “Who falls down and opens wide his eyes.” The idea of falling down is being overwhelmed by force of what has occurred. It is similar to what happened to Saul in 1 Samuel 19:23, 24. There it says –

“Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’”

This then would be unlike the other true prophets, such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and John, who were overwhelmed by the vision of the splendor and glory of the Lord. Rather, like Saul, Balaam is overthrown by an opposing and greater force, casting him down and impelling him to speak contrary to what he originally intended.

In this, Keil notes that “upon men like Balaam, whose inner religious life was still very impure and undeveloped, the Spirit of God could only operate by closing their outward senses to impressions from the lower earthly world, and raising them up to visions of the higher and spiritual world.”

With that accomplished, his spiritual eyes were now open to what they had been completely closed to in the past. The words concerning his eyes being opened here are different than those used concerning them in the previous verse. With his spiritual eyes opened, and now gazing with his physical eyes upon this massive cross in the wilderness, he begins his words of blessing…

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

mah tovu ohalekha yaaqov – “How pleasing are your tents Jacob.” This is certainly not referring to the individual tents. A tent is a tent. It is referring to their layout – the order, structure, and beauty of the cross which stood before him.

Rather than a group of people haphazardly jumbled around the valley, they were meticulously aligned around their central sanctuary. Outside of it would be the Levites, and then outside of them would be three individual camps branching out in each direction.

There was order, harmony, and design in the cross, just as out of the cross of Christ comes order, harmony, and design. There is a purposeful intent behind the structures because they form the very heart of God for the people of the world as revealed in redemptive history.

5 (con’t) Your dwellings, O Israel!

miskenotekha yisrael – “Your tabernacles, Israel.” This clause is parallel to the previous one. The tent is the edifice which is seen, the mishkan, or tabernacle, is the place of dwelling itself. The words are almost used synonymously. It would be comparable to saying, “Your house is beautiful; the place where you reside.” From there, he describes how this is so…

6 Like valleys that stretch out,

kinkhalim nitayu – “like valleys which extend.” The four branches which extended out from the sanctuary were like valleys. In the center is Life, and from that point the Life extended to the farthest reaches of Israel. So much so that they were…

6 (con’t) Like gardens by the riverside,

keganot ale nahar – “Like gardens by a river.” The words are parallel to the previous clause. The tents of Israel were so ordered and structured that together each branch appeared to be a garden all its own. When one plants a garden, they do so in rows, each with its own fruit, and each according to its most propitious place in regards to soil, sunlight, and space.

The camps of Israel were shorter at the far end, longer nearer to him, and of equal distance on each side, but each was vibrant and orderly, as if aligned along the side of a river. They were…

6 (con’t) Like aloes planted by the Lord,

ka-ahalim nata Yehovah – “As aloes planted by Yehovah.” This is speaking of the lignum or wood aloes. It is a tree eight to ten feet tall which has a sweet smell, and provides shade. It also provides the source for aromatic resins and incense. It is used when speaking of the Lord in the 45th Psalm –

“All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.” Psalm 45:8

The word itself is spelled the same as that of “tent,” and so it is somewhat of a pun saying that their tents are like these aloes. Both provide shade. As the aloes are planted by the Lord, they are orderly and beautiful, just as the tents of Israel are. They are also…

6 (con’t) Like cedars beside the waters.

ka-arazim ale mayim – “Like cedars by the waters.” This is now parallel to the previous clause again. Cedar is also an aromatic wood. And as the aloes were planted by the Lord, signifying order and beauty in their arrangement, these cedars are “besides the waters,” implying great health and beauty. The sentiment is later reflected in Psalm 104 –

“The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted.” Psalm 104:16

7 He shall pour water from his buckets,

yizal mayim midaleyav – “Will flow water from his buckets.” Here is a new and rare word, deli. It’s not a place to get sandwiches. Rather, it is a bucket. It will only be seen here and in Isaiah 40:15. There, in Isaiah, the nations are counted as drops in a bucket. However, here, there is the opposite thought.

The idea one gets is a man carrying two buckets which are so full that they overflow. Immediately, it is a picture of abundance and life. In a parched land, water is precious, but this looks to such an abundance that water in the buckets will freely flow out of them.

However, it is a prophecy of the Spirit flowing forth to such an extent from the buckets of Israel, meaning that found in Christ, that when carried by those who proclaim the gospel, it will overflow, watering all who are provided from the abundance. Though the nations are but a drop in a bucket, the Spirit overflows in the greatest of abundance to God’s people.

7 (con’t) And his seed shall be in many waters.

v’zaro b’mayim rabbim – “And seed in waters many.” It is parallel in thought to the previous clause. Immediately, one would think of seed for planting because of the abundant waters, and this is the thought Balak must have considered, but this is more especially speaking in a prophetic sense of descendants, which the word “seed” is used to refer to.

The idea of many waters is elsewhere equated to people groups. Thus, it is a prophecy of the seed of Israel going forth to many people groups. In its fullest sense, it looks to the peoples of the nations being brought into the commonwealth of Israel.

7 (con’t) “His king shall be higher than Agag,

v’yarom me-agag malkow – “And shall be higher than Agag, his king.” The name Agag is connected to the word gag, or roof. It thus signifies that which is the highest. This name is directly connected to the names Gog and Magog.

Magog goes back to Genesis 10:2 as a son of Japheth. Gog and Magog are found as the great enemies who will come against Israel as noted in Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20. Agag, or the “Highest,” will be topped by the King of Israel. It is a prophecy of the coming of Messiah who will be above all other kings.

7 (con’t) And his kingdom shall be exalted.

v’tinase malkuto – “And shall be exalted his kingdom.” The kingdom of Israel was exalted for a period under David and Solomon, but those were short lived. This is speaking of something beyond that. Balaam’s spiritual eyes were opened to the kingdom of God in Christ which will cover the world, and to which all kingdoms will be subservient.

8 “God brings him out of Egypt;

el motsio mimitsrayim – “God brought him out of Egypt.” The words of this and the next clause are almost identical to Numbers 23:22. The only difference is it said “them” there, and it says “him” here. In those verses, it was speaking of Israel the people. Here it appears to be immediately speaking of Israel the collective, but it is prophetically speaking of Messiah.

Egypt is the place of bondage. Christ was born under the law, a yoke of bondage, but God in Christ brought Him out of that. Only in that, could He then bring us out of that bondage.

8 (con’t) He has strength like a wild ox;

ketoaphot reem lo – “Like strength, a wild ox.” This is parallel to the previous clause. Bringing one out of Egypt implies great strength. Here, that strength is described as a reem, or wild ox. It looks forward to the strength of God, in Christ. It is what Paul refers to in Romans 1:3, 4 –

“…concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

The strength of God in Christ is untameable and matchless.

8 (con’t) He shall consume the nations, his enemies;

yokal goyim tsarav – “He eats up the nations, his enemies.” In the immediate sense, this is speaking of Israel, entering Canaan and destroying the nations which currently occupied the land, but this looks forward, again, to Messiah who will subdue all nations. They will either come to him in peace, or be consumed by Him in pieces.

8 (con’t) He shall break their bones

v’atsmotehem yegarem – “And their bones, he makes bare.” Another rare word, garam, is seen, it gives the sense of denuding. Thus, the clause is parallel to the previous one. As He eats ups the nations, so He shall devour them, making bare their bones. It signifies that all of their strength will be consumed by Him.

8 (con’t) And pierce them with his arrows.

v’khitsav yimkhats – “And with arrows, he shall shatter.” It is another new word, makhats, meaning to shatter, wound, pierce-through, etc. It is a complicated clause because of the structure of the Hebrew. But what it appears to be saying is that after His victory, He will break His own arrows because they will no longer be needed. It would then follow along with the words of Isaiah –

“He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

When the Lord destroys His enemies He will destroy His weapons of war, and the nations shall follow suit.

9 ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;

kara shakav kaari – “He crouched, he lay down, as a lion.” Here the words are similar to those of 23:24, but they have richer significance. In 23:24, it said –

“Look, a people rises like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”

There, the lion rises and goes forth to devour. Here, the lion crouches and lies down in victory, having devoured. This reflects, again, both Israel and Messiah. Israel went forth as a lion, but only in Christ is the victory won. Israel’s battles were earthly, Christ’s battles are spiritual. In His victory over the law, sin, death, and the devil, He then found His rest.

9 (con’t) And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

u-kelavi mu yeqimenu – “And as a lioness who shall stir him up?” Who would dare consider it? The lioness at rest is not to be disturbed. Likewise, who would consider provoking the Lord from His place of rest. Here, as throughout the utterance, the words speak immediately of Israel, but they find their ultimate fulfillment in the One Israel anticipated. And so like Israel…

9 (con’t) “Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

mevarakhekha varukh – “Is he who blesses you blessed.”

v’orerekha arur – “And is he who curses you cursed” The words of these clauses go back to Genesis 27:29 where Isaac pronounced his blessing upon Jacob –

“Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”

The blessing was upon Jacob, who is Israel, but it pointed to the coming of Messiah. In Messiah, Israel is blessed. Apart from Him, they are cursed. This isn’t a secret or something hidden. Rather it is the reality of the situation. In cursing Christ Jesus, they have only brought a curse upon themselves. When they bless Him, so will they be blessed.

And such is true with all peoples and nations. Those who bless God’s Anointed will be blessed. For Balak, it is a warning to cease his attempts to curse Israel. For Balaam, who will later attempt to curse Israel in a different way, it will be a death sentence. For all, it is a warning to come to Christ while there is time. Those who curse Him are cursed. So ends the third oracle of Balaam.

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together;

Again we see the descriptive term v’yikhar aph balaq, or “And burned the nostril of Balak.” By this point, he is fuming mad, and so it says that he saphaq, or struck, his hands together. It is a new word which means to clap, strike, slap, etc. But it comes with the sense of grief or indignation. The same gesture is not uncommon in much of the Mideast today. The sentiment is well reflected in Lamentations when speaking of the ruined state of Jerusalem after the Lord’s judgment fell upon it –

All who pass by clap their hands at you;
They hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that is called
‘The perfection of beauty,
The joy of the whole earth’?” Lamentations 2:15

Balak has spent great time and effort to get Balaam to do just a simple thing for him, not realizing that Balaam is wholly incapable of following through with the request, even though he wanted to. Therefore, in his anger…

10 (con’t) and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!

If you think about it, Balak isn’t just a dolt, but he is a sub-dolt. He was told when he sent his first emissaries that the Lord had refused him permission to go. He then told him that he could only speak the word the Lord put in his mouth. He then blessed Israel, instead of cursing them – three times.

The fact that someone traveled as far and as long as Balaam did just to do the opposite of what he was being paid for, demonstrates either an idiot, or someone who is compelled, apart from his will, to take the course he has taken. Balak however, accuses Balaam of being in the wrong in this particular matter. And so he continues…

11 Now therefore, flee to your place. 

The words don’t really catch the emotion that was surely welled up inside of Balak. Something more close in thought would be, “Now beat it. Get back to where you belong!”

He had his fill of Balaam, and all he could think of was putting him on his donkey and giving her a good swat on the rear to get her moving along. But before that, he finishes the passage with one more thought…

*11 (fin) I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

The words, whether he actually believes the Lord spoke through Balaam or not, are loaded with irony. Balak promised great honors to Balaam, and yet – one way or the other – it was the Lord who kept him from that honor.

From this, it is surmised by some that Balaam felt justified in himself and that he was blessed along with Israel for having blessed Israel. However, this is not the case. Nor will it be the case after he finishes his final oracle.

Balaam turned not to bless Israel, but to curse them. It was only because the Lord thwarted his attempt that he instead blessed them. That is certain from the surrounding events. Because of this, he could not feel that he was entitled to the blessing.

Further, if he really accepted that the words he uttered were true, he would have ridden his donkey to the camp of Israel, not in the opposite direction. Rather than aligning himself with the people of God, like Rahab the harlot did, he will go back to his old practices.

It is a fatal mistake for any who turned from Israel because it was Israel through whom God sent His Son. And in sending Jesus, it was a fatal mistake for many generations of His own people who ignored the very warnings of God spoken through Balaam.

Israel means “He strives with God.” He either strives with God, for God, or he strives with God, against God. But either way, Israel strives with God. The forty years of punishment in the wilderness are behind them as they sit encamped at Moab. And the two thousand years of punishment among the nations is coming to its own close as they slowly regather from among the nations.

Balaam’s final oracle will speak of the destruction of the nations around Israel by Israel. Later in Scripture, the destruction of the nations is again prophesied, and that final judgment is summed up in the words of Jesus in how the nations treated His brethren, meaning Israel, as recorded in Matthew 25.

At that time, He will separate the nations according to the blessing which rests upon Israel. For now, our passage is complete and it calls out for us to consider how we will respond to the Messiah. Though Israel is the immediate subject of the verses, it is the One who came from Israel who is the ultimate Subject. One cannot escape making a decision in regards to Christ Jesus.

You can either choose to receive and bless Him, or you – by default – curse Him. Whether actively or passively, it makes no difference. To fail to choose Christ is to reject Christ. He is the Subject of this marvelous word God has given us, and it is laid out so that we don’t miss that fact. Be sure to call on Jesus and be reconciled to God through this marvelous Gift.

Closing Verse: “Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:10-12

Next Week: Numbers 24:12-25 It is future, but it is also historical… (Balaam’s Fourth Oracle) (48th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Balaam’s Third Oracle

Now when Balaam saw
That it pleased the Lord to Israel bless
He did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery
But he set his face toward the wilderness 

And Balaam raised his eyes
And saw Israel encamped, and he was awed
Laid out according to their tribes
And came upon him the Spirit of God

Then he took up his oracle and said:
These are the words by which he was led

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be in many waters.
“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
“God brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall break their bones
And pierce them with his arrows.
‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam
And he struck his hands together as things had gotten worse
And Balak said to Balaam
“I called you my enemies to curse

And look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!
Now therefore, flee to your place; heed my word
I said I would greatly honor you
But in fact, has kept you back from honor the Lord

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…