The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 327

I. HEATHEN .ll'AITH IN THE UNBEEN, Balak in the exiremity of his fear sends be- yond the limits of hie own people, into distant Mesopotamia, to secure the help of one supposed to be endowed with supernatural gifts, in special relation to the invisible powers, able to "curse and to blesa" (ver. 6). A striking illustration of that blind instinct of human nature by virtue of which it believes ever in the interposition of Deity in the world's affairs. All idolatrous rites, oracles, divinations, incantations, sacerdotal benedictions and maledictions, rest ultimately on this basis, It is this makes the away of the priest and the supposed "prophet of the Invisible" so mighty in every land and age. Christianity teaches us to lay hold on the substantial truth that underlies these distorted forms of superstition. It enlightens this blind instinct; reveals the righteous "God that judgeth in the earth ; " leads humanity to Him who is at once its" Prophet, Priest, and King." II. THE WITNEBB FOR GOD THAT MAY BE FOUND IN THE SOUL OB' A DEPRAVED MAN, even of one whose inward dispositions and whole habit of life are most opposed to his will. Balaam practised an art that was" an abomination unto the Lord" (Deut. xviii. 12), and his way was altogether "perverse" (ver. 32), and yet God was near to him. God spoke to him, and put the spirit of prophecy into his heart, and a word into his mouth. He "heard the words and saw the vision of the Almighty." Whether his knowledge of God was the result of dim traditions of a purer faith hnnded down from his forefathers, or of influences that had spread in his own time into the land of his birth, we at least see how scattered rays of Divine light then penetrated the deep darkness of heathendom. So now God is often nearer to men than we or they themselves suppose. He does not leave himself without a witness, even in the most ignorant and vile. The light in them is never totally extinguished. They have their gleams of higher thought, their touches of nobler, purer feeling. Conscience rebukes their practical perversity, and the Spirit strives with them to lead them into a better way. When God is absolutely silent in a man's soul, all hope of guiding him by outward persuasions into the path of righteousness is gone. III. THE PROSTITUTION OF NODLE POWERS TO BASE USES. Hero is a man whose widespread fame was the result, probably, to a great extent of real genius. His native capacity-mental insight, influence over men, poetic gift-was the secret of this fame. Like Simon Magua, he "bewitched the people," so that they all "gave heed to him, from the least unto the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God." But these extraordinary powers are perverted to the furtherance of an un- hallowed cause ; he makes them the servants of his own base ambition and desire for gain. "He loved the wages of unrighteousness." It was in his heart to obey the behest of Bnlnk and secure the offered prize. There is n tone of disappointment in the words, "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you." He lets "I dnre not" wait upon " I would." And notwithstanding nll his poetic inspirntion and his passing rnptures of devout and pious feeling, "Yet in the prophet's soul the dreams of avarice stay." How full is all human history of examples of the waste of noble faculties, the prostitution to evil uses of God-given powers I The darkest deeds have ever been done and the deepest miseries inflicted on the world by those who were most fitted by nature to yield effective service to the cause of truth and righteousness, and to confer blessings on mankind.· And it is genernlly some one base affection-the lust of the flesh, self-love, avarice, an imperious will, &c.-that turns the rich tido of their life in a false direction. As the spreading sails of a ship only hasten its destruction when the helm fails, so is it with the noblest faculties of a man when he baa lost the guide.nee of a righteous purpose. IV. THE DIVINE RESTRAINT OF MAN'S LIDERTY TO DO EVIL. "And God said, Thou shalt not go with them," &c. The Hpell of a higher Power is over him. In a sense contrary to that of Paul the Apostle, he "cannot do the thing that he would." So are wicked men often made to feel that there is after all a will stronger than their will ; that, free as they seem to be, some invisible hand is holding them in check, limiting their range of action, thwarting their purposes, compelling them to do the very thing they would fain avoid, turning their curses into blessings, so that in the end they serve the cause they meant to destroy. The hope of the world lies in the  ... '1'HB BOOK: OF NUMBERS. tcm. itn. 2-40. ab,olute mastery of the Will that ie "holy, and _just, and good" over all conceivable opposing fonns of human and Satanio power.-W. Vem. Sl-35.-Balaam-the arrest. The eecret willingneea of Balaam to yield to the solicitRtions of Balak, seen at first in the tone of hie answer II The Lord refuseth." &c., was still more mRnifest in his parleying with the s~cond appeal. Though he felt the resistless force of the Divine restraint, yet he delayed tho return of the messengers for the night in hope of getting a revc,rsal of the sentence ( vel'B. 18, 19). No wonder God's anger was kindled against him, and that, though per- mission was at last given him to go, he was made in this startling way to feel that he was in the hands of a Power that would not be mocked, Whatever view we take of the strange incidents of this narrative, whether as objective realities, or as the visions of a trance, the moral lessons remain substantially the same. Three features of Balaam's conduct are specially prominent. I. Hrs CRUEL ANGER. His rough treatment of the dumb ass is marked with reprobation. It was both itself evil and the symptom of a hidden evil. 1. We may believe that the secret unrest of hie conscience had a great deal to do with this outburst of anger. Note the subtle connection that often exists between certain unnsnal phases of conduct and the hidden workings of the heart. Jonah's anger at the withering of the gourd was but one of the signs of hie general want of sympathy with the Divine proceedure. Balaam, perhaps, was not a cruel man, but the sense of w-rong within and the feeling that he was doing wrong betrayed itself even in this form of behaviour. Conscience made him a coward, and cowardice is always cruel. If it had not been for the "madness" of his passion, he might have judged, as a diviner, that the unwillingness of the beast to pursue her journey counselled him to return ; but when a man's heart is not right with God, resentment is often roused against that which is meant to turn him into a better way, "Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" (Gal. iv. 16). 2. It illustrates the sad sub- jection of the inferior creatures to the curse of moral evil. " The creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly." "The whole creation groaneth," &c. We think it strange that the dumb ass should " speak with man's voice and rebuke the prophet's madness," bat, to the ear that can hear it, such a voice is continually going forth from all the innocent creatures that su1fer the cruel consequences of man's abuse. Well may St. Paul represent them as "waiting with earnest expectation for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. viii. 19, 22). IL Hrs BLIND INFATUATION. It is deeply significant that he should not have seen the angel. Even the poor dumb creature that he rode saw more than he did. It was his moral perversity, the frenzy of his carnal ambition, that was the true cause of the dulnees of his spiritual vision. N ote-1. Sin blinds men to the things that it is most needful for them to apprehend and know. Mental blindness often, not always, has a moral cause. "This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing,'' &c. (Matt. xiii. 15). The highest spiritual truths, realities of the spirit world, tokens of the Divine presence and working, eternal moral laws, sacred responsi- bilities of life, &c.-all these are darkly hidden from him whose heart is'' thoroughly set in him to do evil." 2. Even animal instinct is a safer guide than the moral sense of a bad man. It effectually warns of danger, and prompts to the pursuit of the good nature requires. It is to the animal a sufficient law. But when the "spirit in man, the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth him understanding," the sove- reignty of reason and conscience, is overborne by base fleshly lust, man sinks lower than the brutes that perish. Their obedience to the law of their being puts him to shame. Though they "speak not with man's voice," their silent wisdom "rebukes him for his iniquity." "If the light that is in thee bo darkness," &c. (Matt. vi. 23). III. Hrs HELPLESSNESS. This is seen-1. In his abject submission. " He bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face," saying, "I have sinned;"" now, therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me be.ck again." He must have known from the beginning that his obstinate self-will was displeasing to God, but now that the con- sequences of it stare him in the face he is filled with alarm. There are those who grieve over their sin only when it is found out. It is not the evil itself they dread, but only its discovery anti punishment. Pear often makes men repent and reform OD. XlClt, 41--xxnr.J THE BOOK 01!' NUMBEJt8. 318