Chapter 23:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
Numbers 23
Concise Complete
Balak's sacrifice, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead
of a curse. (1-10) Balak's disappointment, and second sacrifice, Balaam again
blesses Israel. (11-30)
Verses 1-10 With
the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a
bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to
imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by
the overruling power of God, in love to Israel. God designed to serve his own
glory by Balaam, and therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of
Balaam, who would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to
those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what
they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass, caused the mouth of this
wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of
the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one
case as in the other. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more
than God suffered him to do. He pronounces them happy in their distinction from
the rest of the nations. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourable
and formidable. Happy in their last end. Death is the end of all men; even the
righteous must die, and it is good for us to think of this with regard to
ourselves, as Balaam does here, speaking of his own death. He pronounces the
righteous truly blessed, not only while they live, but when they die; which
makes their death even more desirable than life itself. But there are many who
desire to die the death of the righteous, but do not endeavour to live the life
of the righteous; gladly would they have an end like theirs, but not a way like
theirs. They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. This saying of
Balaam's is only a wish, not a prayer; it is a vain wish, being only a wish for
the end, without any care for the means. Many seek to quiet their consciences
with the promise of future amendment, or take up with some false hope, while
they neglect the only way of salvation, by which a sinner can be righteous
before God.
Verses 11-30
Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is
extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second
time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and
stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God
never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in
Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but
only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was
not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we
trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust,
and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be
sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all
pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love,
of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining
Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them.
Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing.
But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand.
Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to
build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall
speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer,
luke 18:1.
Chapter 23:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
