The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 423

against Sihon and Og, but now this small force ia enough to crush tho whole of Midian. If Israel had gone forth of its own accord, it would have made the result as sure as possible by taking a far larger force than actually went. But where God is not present he can tum mere numbers into loll!I rather than gain. It was an occasion for the excellency of the Divine power to be manifested. No actual leader is menti,011,ed. Moses sent them forth, and on their return he went out to meet them, but they evidently lacked what inspiration his presence and counsel might give them in the field. Phinehas went with them, but he was in charge of the holy instruments and trumpets. We are made to feel that the invisible Jehovah himself was leader not only directing the attack, but also providing sufficient defence; for when thJ offi<'ers came to count up the army on its return, they were able to say, "There lacketh not one man of us." IV. THE REASON FOR THIS DREADFUL DESTBOCTION IS FOOND IN THE PEOO'LIAB INJURY WHICH MIDIAN RAD DONE TO ISRAEL (eh. XXV. 16-18). It must needs be that offences come, but woe to the Midianites through whom they come I Although they were not a very difficult people to defeat and destroy in battle, they had been very powerful to tempt Israel into idolatry. A thing which is comparatively easy to deal with in one way is impossible to deal with in another. Israel could annihilate Midian, and do something in that way to secure safety, but there was no chance of safety in having friendly intercourse with Midian. It had to be dealt with as a people saturated with the infecting corruptions of idolatry. Everything had to bend to the interests of Israel, as both typifying and cradling the OhUJ'ch of the future. For the sake of Israel God pl ed and spoiled the tyrannous Egyptians ; for the sake of Israel he made one whole gEmeration of its own people to perish in the wil- derness. Wbat wonder then that for the sake of Israel he utterly destroyed the Midianite tempters I Wben a fire is extending it may be nece99ary to pull down other buildings to stop it--many buildings perhaps, as Evelyn tells us was the case in arresting the great fire of London. There is something very significant in the following sentence from hi, diary:-"This some stout seamen proposed early enough to have saved nearly the whole city, but this some tenacious and avaricious men, aldermen, &c., would not permit, because their houses must have been of the first." There may have to be a great deal of temporal destruction to make sure of eternal salvation.-Y. Vers. 8, 16.-Tke d«ttk of Balaam. I. How OLEAB IT IS MA.DE THAT BALAAM nm NOT DIE THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS I He was slain among those who were slain by the vengeance of God. He mightt of course, have died in circumstances more peaceful and lees indicative of his wic11:edne88, and yet died the death of the wicked all the same. But now the manner of his end ia left in no doubt. He had not only sufl:ered himself to be drawn into opposition to the people of God, he had not o~ly been disobedient to God himself, but it seems that he had been the chief provokmg agent in bringing destruction on a portion of the present generation of Israel. More- over, the very people whom he thought to help he had unconsciously led to their own ruin. He certainly could not have done all this if he had not found the materials ready to hand-actual idolatry in Midian, and the spirit of lust and idolatry in Israel. But it was he who saw with a sort of Satanic quickness all that could be done with the material. A man cannot cause on exr,losion unless he has explosive substances to deal with, but we reckon him responsible who applies the exploding agent. One sinner not only destroyeth much good, but, aa we see here, produceth much evil. Wicked men should learn from the history of Balaam that they may do a great deal more harm than they are conscious of. How much better it is to be on the other side, striving to draw men, even though it be with few apparent results, into the pa.the of purity, self-denial, and love I II. F&OM TBE CJUBACTER OF BALAAM WE SEE HOW REAL AND DESPERATE SPIRITUAL INSENSIBILITY MAY DE. Rightly considered, the whole conduct of Balaam is n gr~o.t deal more perplexing than is the speaking of his ass. '!'here we havo to do just w1th the momentary occupation of the vocal organs of a brute by the speech of n human being. For a moment or two the ass was honoured beyond its natural facultiee. But hero ia a ~ raised above other men in many respects, acting in o. way most Oil. ltXXI. 1-54.] TltE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 411