Numb, xxiii. 19. God is not a man, that he should lie.
THERE is scarcely any thing that more strongly manifests the depravity of our nature, than that pro- pensity to lying which we perceive in children, as soon as they begin to speak a. Even when men are grown to the full exercise of their reason, they too often deviate from truth, sometimes through forgetfulness, sometimes from a change of sentiment or inclination, and sometimes from an inability to perform their word. Hence it is characteristic of man to lie : and we are all so sensible of this, that in matters of great importance we require of men an oath to confirm
a Ps. lviii. 3.
their word, and enter into written covenants with them, which we take care to have properly attestedb. Now we are apt to " think that God is even such an one as ourselves:" and that he also may be pre- vailed upon to " alter the word that is gone out of his lips." Balak evidently entertained this idea of him; and laboured by many repeated sacrifices to divert him from his purpose. But Balaam was in- spired to declare the vanity of such an hope, and to assert in a most humiliating comparison the un- changeableness of Jehovah.
To unfold the full meaning of his words, we observe,
I. Some men think that God will lie —
God has told us with strong and repeated assevera- tions, that "we must be born again0" But
this is totally disbelieved by,
1. The profane —
[They persuade themselves, that such strictness in religion as is implied in the new birth, is not necessary ; and that they shall go to heaven in their own way ]
2. The self-righteous —
[These consider regeneration as a dream of weak enthu- siasts; and are satisfied with " the form of godliness without" ever experiencing " the power of it" ]
3. The hypocritical professors of religion —
[These, having changed their creed together with their outward conduct, fancy themselves Christians, notwithstanding their faith neither " overcomes the world," nor " works by
love," nor " purifies their hearts "
That all these persons think God will lie, is evident beyond a doubt : for if they really believed that " old things must pass away, and all things become newd," before they can enter into the kingdom of heaven, they would feel concerned to know whether any such change had taken place in them ; nor would they ever be satisfied till they had a scriptural evidence that they were indeed " new creatures in Christ Jesus." But as this is in no respect the case with them, it is manifest that they " do not believe the record of God," and consequently, however harsh the expression may seem, " they make God a liare."]
b Heb. vi. 16. Gal. iii. 15.
c John iii. 3. See the full import of this in Discourse on that text.
* 2 Cor. v. 17. e 1 John v. 10.