THE words with which our chapter opens are peculiarly striking, when taken in connection with the contents of chapter xiv. There, all seemed dark and hopeless. Moses had to say to the people, “_Go not up_, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.” And again, the Lord had said to them, “As truly as I live, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.... Doubtless _ye shall not come into the land_ concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein.... As for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.”
Thus much as to chapter xiv. But no sooner do we open the section now before us, than, just as though nothing had happened, and though all were as calm, as bright, and as certain as God could make it, we read such words as these: “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, _When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you_,’” etc. This is one of the most remarkable passages in the entire of this most wonderful book. Indeed there is not, in the whole compass of the book, a passage more thoroughly characteristic, not only of Numbers, but of the entire volume of God. When we read the solemn sentence, “Ye shall not come into the land,” what is the plain lesson which it reads out to us? The lesson, which we are so slow to learn, of man’s utter worthlessness.—“All flesh is grass.”
And, on the other hand, when we read such words as these: “When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,” what is the precious lesson which they read out to us? This, assuredly, that salvation is of the Lord. In the one, we learn man’s failure; in the other, God’s faithfulness. If we look at man’s side of the question, the sentence is, “Doubtless _ye shall not_ come into the land;” but if we look at God’s side of the question, we can reverse the matter, and say, “Doubtless _ye shall_.”
Thus it stands in the scene now before us, and thus it stands in the whole volume of inspiration—from beginning to end. Man fails, but God is faithful: man forfeits every thing, but God makes good all. “The things which are impossible with man are possible with God.” Need we travel through the inspired canon in order to illustrate and prove this? Need we refer the reader to the history of Adam in paradise? or the history of Noah after the flood? or the history of Israel in the wilderness, Israel in the land, Israel under the law, Israel under the Levitical ceremonial? Shall we dwell upon the record of man’s failure in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly office? Shall we point out the failure of the professing church as a responsible vessel on the earth? Has not man failed always and in every thing? Alas! it is so.
This is one side of the picture—the dark and humbling side. But, blessed be God, there is the bright and encouraging side also. If there is the “Doubtless ye shall not,” there is also the “Doubtless ye shall.” And why? Because Christ has entered the scene, and in Him all is infallibly secured for the glory of God and the eternal blessing of man. It is God’s eternal purpose to “head up all things in Christ.” There is not a single thing in which the first man has failed that the second Man will not make good. All is set up on a new footing in Christ. He is the Head of the new creation; Heir of all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob touching the land; Heir of all the promises made to David concerning the throne. The government shall be upon His shoulders. He shall bear the glory. He is the Prophet, Priest, and King. In a word, Christ makes good all that Adam lost, and brings in much more beside than Adam ever had. Hence, when we look at the first Adam and his doings, whenever and however viewed, the sentence is, “Doubtless _ye shall not_.” Ye shall not remain in paradise—ye shall not retain the government—ye shall not inherit the promises—ye shall not enter the land—ye shall not occupy the throne—ye shall not enter the kingdom.
But, on the other hand, when we look at the last Adam and His doings, wherever and however viewed, the entire category must be gloriously reversed; the “not” must be forever elided from the sentence, for in Christ Jesus “all the promises of God are yea and Amen, to the glory of God by us.” There is no “nay” in the matter when Christ is concerned. All is “yea”—all is divinely settled and established; and because it is so, God has set His seal to it, even the seal of His Spirit, which all believers now possess. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2 Cor. i. 19-22.)