NUMBERS 23:14-24 TEXT: v21 HATH NOT BEHELD INIQUITY/JACOB
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel...
These words were spoken by a man who did not want to speak them to another who did not want to hear them.
They form part of a series of sermons which Balaam delivered to Balak.
Balaak (King/Moabites) was promising Balaam (Some kind of mystic) large
sums/money to curse the Israelites.
Balaam dearly wanted to take the money and do what he was being asked to do
But he couldn't, because he was under the divine restraint/God and even
though Balaam was a heathen, yet he had enough Biblical knowledge to
know that he could not go beyond the word of the Lord (22:18/24:13)
The world has not been left to run itself or to be ruled by fate/chance
There is a doctrine called Providence where God keeps a very tight rein on the affairs/men
It is this that steels our prayers and encourages us to trust God in each/every situation
However, this truth did not prevent Balak from trying and he sought to persuade Balaam to issue forth his bloodcurdling curse
By going along with Balak, Balaam betrays the bias of his own wicked heart
He really was hoping against hope: God would allow him to curse His
people, even though his theology told him such would never happen
How unreasonable some become even in light of what they know/true
Man truly is his own destroyer when he seeks to fight against God
Every sortie Balak made against the people/God only induced the
reluctant Balaam to reveal some other great truth of how blessed Israel
really were
It was all so counter productive, and although these two men pushed on in their warfare, it all failed in the end.
Our text contains another one/Balaam's gems/truth. Balaam is not at
fault in his theology…just in his inability to fully respond to
its truth
Here he declares (text) How can this be esp: light/two observations:
[i] The Israelites certainly engaged in perverse/iniquity
[ii] God certainly saw it happening (Proverbs 15:3)
What does our text mean? 4 main thoughts:
1) ANOTHER HAS TAKEN JACOB'S SIN:
As said, Jacob (a generic name for the Israelites, and by extension,
the people/God in all ages, including ours) certainly engaged in many
perverse/acts of sin
A/ Had done so in the past
[i] Whole history/Israelites was one of rebellion against God
Even in this Book, particularly chapter 16
[ii] History/NT Christians is likewise filled with sinful pasts:
Saul/Tarsus was a vile persecutor/God's people - something (light/text) did not go unnoticed in Heaven
The Corinthians had many vile and particularly perverse sins under their belt in their wicked past(1 Corinthians 6:10)
[iii] In our own experiences - We can definitely relate to pre conversion sins when we openly defied God in an unsaved state
They are there as a matter/history…cannot be airbrushed away
B/ We sin in the present and will sin/future even as God's people
Hence the whole reason behind John's 1st epistle: 1 John 2:1
Indeed John indicts all who deny they have not sinned: 1:1:7-10
As long as we are in this human body, we will sin against God
Which is why the Bible is filled with warnings/promises/threats and instructions etc.,
The people/God have…do and will continue to sin on this earth
How does God not behold this perverse sinning?
C/ As in our first heading…Another (Even Christ) has taken them all away
He has not denied them…He has suffered for them
On the Cross…He made atonement for sin. He made propitiation for them (1 John 2:2)
He suffered the consequences of our sins
He was wounded for our transgressions …bruised for our
iniquities etc., and in doing so as God's appointed
Offering-for-sin…
He has taken all those sins for which He has so suffered away and so enables our text to be spoken so clearly by Balaam
D/ Here is the proof that they really have been taken away
The all seeing eye/God which is unblocked/undimmed and without any deficiency whatsoever does not behold the sins of His people
At the same time, He continue to see, comment on and punish the sins of others
He continues to record the sins of those who will stand before Him as unsaved people in the Day/Judgement
He continues to weigh their spirits, challenge their motives and record
every last detail of their sins…but He cannot see the sins of
His own people
These sins of His own people have been blotted out/thick cloud (Isaiah
44:22) and removed far away by Another…even our Lord Jesus
Christ
2) JACOB HAS TAKEN ANOTHER'S RIGHTEOUSNESS:
A/ Here is the twin truth of our salvation. Christ:
[i] Christ takes away our sins [ii] He brings us our righteousness
Just taking away our sins whereby Christ strips us of our filthy rags
and bathes us in His own blood and makes us clean doesn't do all that
is required
Christ undertook to do something else:
To justify us before God by imputing His righteousness to our account
B/ Bible says a no. of things about our justification before God
[i] It has engaged the earliest attention/men (Job 25:2)
[ii] It can only be on the basis of grace alone (Romans 3:24)
[iii] It was purchased by Christ's own blood/Cross (Romans 5:9)
[iv] It is appropriated to the soul by faith (Romans 5:1)
[v] It is evidenced by our good works (James 2:10-23)
C/ As text points out, it has also been experienced by the OT saints
They are the Israel/Jacob of our text
Not the intention of Holy Spirit to have these words applied to every last Israelite in the camp
Remember: Justification is by faith. Many were in that camp, along with but not belonging to the people/God
Our text relates to those who have been born again in this company
D/ When God looked upon these people (as He looks upon us) because
Christ had imputed His perfect righteousness to their account…He
could not see any perversity in them, because there was no perversity
in Jesus Christ and they (like us) were accepted in the Beloved Son
[i] Jesus Christ has all the attributes of God (Concentrating here on His perfect righteousness/holiness/justice and truth)
What room is there for perversity/iniquity in there?
[ii] Jesus Christ was Virgin Born - No inherited corruption in His humanity from Adam
[iii] Christ not only kept the law perfectly, but actually magnified it
and made it honourable (Isaiah 42:21) Never broke it
[iv] God paid public testimony to the perfect righteousness/His Son:
This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased (Mark 1:11)
This is how God views His people in Christ
Their sins are gone - "Far, far away by the blood current swept"
Before conversion/Jesus Christ: We are viewed as guilty, as abandoned
infants left to perish in a field, as beggars on a dunghill, condemned
prisoners without God/without hope etc.,
Bible had nothing positive to say about our standing before God
After conversion/Jesus Christ: Bible has nothing negative to say
about our standing/God. One/most beautiful and significant:
Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27)
While it is true to say that the work/sanctification is still an
ongoing work and our glorification is still future…yet in
Christ, we are viewed as already perfect.
3) THIS WORK CAN NEVER BE UNDONE NOR NEED REDONE:
On a number of points:
A/ Such would denote a failure on the part of Him who justifies:
[i] Denote failure/the Father who decrees who will be justified:
[ii] Denote failure/the Son who purchased justification
[iii] Denote failure/the Spirit who effects justifying faith/sinner
Justification is the work/God and does not need improvement
B/ Balaam himself recognised the permanency/position in v19
Repent = a change of mind
Once/if one is justified…he can never be condemned (Romans 8:1)
Not a license to sin. Justification is not a lonesome doctrine
It is always accompanied by the process of sanctification which is its sole discernible evidence as far as men are concerned
It is never withdrawn from the one thus justified
Hath He not said and shall He not do it? (v19)
It is one of those things which was finished in John 19:30
C/ Balaam himself recognised the permanency/position in v20
How can he curse what God has permanently blessed?
For whatsoever God doeth…it is forever (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
4) NONE CAN EVER LAY ANY CHARGE AGAINST THE JUSTIFIED:
A/ Although Romans 8:33 uses the phrase "God's elect" yet they are the justified ones when brought to faith (Romans 8:28-34)
[i] God cannot lay charge against you. He cannot deny Himself
Would be the same as repudiating His own Son
[ii] Devil cannot lay any charges against you. He vainly tries (Revelation 12:10) but his charges do not stick
[iii] A condemned world cannot do it, although again it tries
B/ Saved: Rejoice in this truth
C/ Why remain condemned? Appeal