The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 342

a going from one room into another." Such would be the view suggested by the tenn " righteous,'' and the person expressing the wish would seem to be some studious, susceptible observer, with frequent opportunities for observation, who had been impressed by the reality and the superlative worth of the experience on whicli he had gazed. Then let such a one as we have supposed be confronted wuh tltUe original drcumstances. How perplexed he would be when told that the words were spoken by such a man as Balaam appears in the narrative, and of a people that had done such things as are recorded in the Book of Numbers I These words, looked at in a particular light, might be taken as indicating deep spiritual convictions and earnest, faithful life on the part of whoever speaks them. But we are bound to look nt them now in the light of Balaam's character, and in the light also of Israel's past career. II. CoNSIDEB THE ACTUAL EXTENT OF BALAUl'S WISH. He wishes to die the death of the righteous. Do not be misled by the prominence of the word "righteous" into supposing that for its own sake Balaam cared about righteousness. It was not righteousness that he desired, but what he saw to be the pleasant, enviable effects of righteousness. He cared nothing about the cause if only he could get the effects. He loved the vine because it produced grapes, and the fig-tree because it produced figs, but if he could have got grapes from thorns and figs from thistles, he would have loved thorns and thistles just as well. We have God revealing to an ungodly man as much as an ungodly ,nan can percdve of the blessedness of the righteous. Balaam was entirely out of sympathy with the purposes of God. l:fe showed by the best of all evidence that he would have nothing to do with righteousness as a state of heart, habit of conduct, ll!ld standard in all dealings with God and men. But though Bain.am did not appreciate the need of righteousness, he did appreciate happiness, and that very wam1ly, in his own carnal way. He saw in Israel everything a man could desire. To have Balaam uttering this wish was as emphatic a way as any God conld have taken to show Balak his favour to Israel. Not only from the top of tlie rocks does the prophet see the separated and multitudinous people, which in itself wne enough to drfre Balak to unfavourable inferences, but so desirable does the state of the people appear, that Balaam cannot help wishing it were his own. God had told Lim at first" the people are blessed," nnd now, as soon as he sees them, God also makes the greatness of the blessedness sufficiently manifest even to his carnal and obs~ured heart. IIL TIIUS WE SEE THE DEEP IMPRESSION WHICH TBE DLESSED LIFE OF Gon's X::EOPLEI IS CAPAELE OF MAKING ON THE UNGODLY. Those who as yet have no sympathy with righteousness may have a keen desire for security, joy, and peace, and a keen per- ception of the fact that these somehow belong to real believers in Christ. It is o characteristic of the Scriptures, and a very notable and important one, that many of the appeals found in it are to what seem comparatively low motives. Has it not indeed been made a charge against Christian ethics that they make so much of re- wards and punishments? But surely this is the very wisdom of God to draw men by inducements suitable to their low and miserable state, to promise joy to the joy- less, peace to the distracted, security to the fearful, life to the dying. Certainly Christ the Saviour can do nothing for us as long ns we remain impenitent, unbelieving, and unreconciled, but in his mercy he speaks first of all in the most general and sympathetic terms concerning our needs. The most comprehensive invitation the Sa,·iour ever gave rune thus: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Not a word there of conviction of sin, wrath of God, need of righteousness, need of saving faith I le it by accident that the fi~st psalm begins with a reference to harpiness ? The sermon on the mount etnrts with this as the very beginning of Christ s teaching ; " Men are unhappy ; how can they find and keep blessedness, real happiness?" Suppose a man who has no experi- mental knowledge of the saving power of Christ, reading through the promises of the New Testament and the actual experiences therein recorded ; suppose him to see !hat if word~ count for anything, godliness is indeed profitable f~r the life that ~ow 1s. Would 1t be anything strange for such a man to say1 " If nghteouenees ~rmgs such effects as these, then let me die the death of the nghteoue"? Appealm~ to high motives alone would be all very well if those appealed to were unfo.llen spirits CH, XXII. 41-XXIV,] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 329