Today’s meditation is based on Numbers 23:21, “God saw no wrong in Jacob's people. He saw no sin in the Israelites. The LORD is their God, and he is with them. The Great King is with them!” (ERV)
Just as the children of Israel progressed, and moved towards the Promised Land, we too as children of God are journeying on towards the heavenly kingdom that God has promised to us.
As the Israelites progressed in this journey without any provocation on their part, Balak the King of Moab wanted to harm them. Knowing that this was physically impossible, Balak invited the Prophet Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. In our earthly journey as we walk with the Lord we too will have people who will oppose us, and will do all they can to stop us from moving forward.
However, instead of cursing the people of Israel, Balaam blessed them as these words were put in the mouth of the Prophet Balaam by God Himself. We too must remember that every evil plan of the enemy that is aimed at our downfall, the Lord will use, and turn it around so we can rise to greater heights.
We have been studying this incidence in detail, and I believe that the words that were spoken by the Prophet Balaam can be applicable to all of us who are part of the church today.
These words are recorded in Numbers 23:9-10, “From the high rocks I can see them; I can watch them from the hills. They are a nation that lives alone; They know they are blessed more than other nations. The descendants of Israel are like the dust--- There are too many of them to be counted. Let me end my days like one of God’s people; Let me die in peace like the righteous.” (GNB)
Numbers 23:19-20, “God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done. I have been instructed to bless, And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.” (GNB)
Here are the highlights of Balaam’s prophecy:
1. The Israelites were a nation who lived alone, and were separated from all the nations around them. So also, we as a church will be separate and isolated because we cannot live like everyone in the world does, and we cannot compromise with the values and principles of this world.
2. They were also too many to be counted. This applies to the church today which will continue to grow, for nobody can stop the growth and multiplication of the church.
3. Let me die the death of the righteous was Balaam’s prayer. The righteous person is blessed in life, but the righteous man is also blessed in death because he does not fear death because they know that they have an eternity with the Lord.
4. God is not like people who lie, which means that every promise that God has made for the church and the people of God will be fulfilled and none of them will fail.
5. He is not a human who changes His mind, and will not go back on any of His words.
6. I have been instructed to bless, and when God blesses, I cannot call it back. God blesses us, and no one can turn this back. We must believe in our hearts that this is true for us too. Often we know all of this in our minds, but do not believe it fully in our hearts.
We will look at the next part of this prophecy by Balaam and meditate on this word found in Numbers 23:21, “God saw no wrong in Jacob's people. He saw no sin in the Israelites. The LORD is their God, and he is with them. The Great King is with them!” (ERV)
When the Lord looks at those of us who are His children, He does not look at our sins or wickedness, because God sees us as those who are guiltless. Many believers are living in guilt because they are not able to accept the fact that God has forgiven them of all their sins, and that they stand faultless before the Lord. When something goes wrong or there is some hardship, many believers think that they are being punished for the sins or wrongs they had committed many years ago, even before they became believers in the Lord Jesus. However, the word of God reminds us that the Lord did not observe iniquity in Jacob nor did He see the wickedness in Israel, but rather God was with them.
The question that may arise is how can a holy God be among an unholy people, and if we can understand the mystery behind this verse, we will be able to overcome all our discouragements, and confusions that arise to keep us down, and hinders us from praying to the Lord.
The deliverance from bondage
We know that the Israelites were in bondage in the land of Egypt which was a land filled with wickedness. After 400 years of being in bondage, the Israelites had probably picked up many of the practices of the Egyptians, and had become a lot like them. Four hundred years also means that many generations lived in Egypt. It was at this time that God sent Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their slavery to the Egyptians. Here’s an important instruction the Lord gave to the people of Israel before that great deliverance.
This is found in Exodus 12:23, “When the LORD goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the beams and the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you.” (GNB)
The time had come for the Lord to avenge the Egyptians, and He punished them by bringing death on them. God’s day of judgement is close at hand, and we as children of God must be aware of the times, and be prepared for the same. When the Angel of Death came to smite the first born among the Egyptians, he was to pass over the houses of those who had smeared blood on the beams and doorposts of their houses. All over Egypt there were houses, but to the Angel of Death who was sent it was immaterial as to who lived inside the house, for all that he would look for was for the blood that was smeared on the beams and doorposts of the houses. If you look at it, the beams and door posts if seen with the blood smeared on them, actually looked like the symbol of the cross. When the Angel saw the blood, he moved on, and did not consider who was inside the house, and also did not account for their sins and wickedness either. The blood of the lamb had paid for the atonement of all those who dwelt safe inside the houses that were smeared with the blood. There were two things those inside those houses need to do, one was to believe and the other was to obey.
That’s exactly what we as children of God are expected to do too, to believe and obey. We must believe that Jesus Christ bore the cross for our sins that His precious blood was shed for us and His blood is our security. This is the reason why death cannot prevail over us because we are redeemed, and kept safe by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus.
We first looked at Balaam who declared in Numbers 23:21, “God saw no wrong in Jacob's people. He saw no sin in the Israelites.” Secondly, we looked at the event of the Passover where the Angel of Death over looked the houses because of the blood that was smeared on their door posts and beams. This blood signified the blood of Jesus that would be shed for us.
We have the blood of Jesus over our lives, and Satan cannot overcome us in any way. When God the Father looks at us He deems us righteous because our sins have been atoned for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no reason for us to dwell on our past, and to be guilt ridden about our sins, because we are redeemed, and forgiven by the blood of the Lord Jesus.
As Balaam looked down from the mountain at the people of Israel who were camped in the valley, this is what he saw. If you read Numbers Chapter 1 and 2 the Lord gave the Israelites the precise instruction as to how each of their tribes should be camped. Since there were more than six lakhs of men alone plus women, children and cattle, they were given specific instructions as to how they were to camp, and also to move from one place to the other. Each of their tribes had various numbers and according to their count they were arranged in such a way that when one looked from the top of a mountain they could see the figure of a cross. Everyone in that camp were not perfect or holy but God was gracious to them because their sins were atoned for, and God overlooked their sins and wickedness.
We too are justified and declared righteous only because we too have been redeemed by the sinless blood of the Lord Jesus. Many believe that we are forgiven sinners, but the word of God declares that we are righteous in His sight. This means that when God looks at us, He sees us as those who are without any sin and blameless, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. All of the sins that should fall on us were borne by the Lord Jesus on the cross and that is why we are declared righteous before God.
The cross was at one point a symbol of curse because it was declared that ‘cursed in everyone who is hung on a cross’. A cross symbolized curse, shame, hate and disgrace. That cross became a symbol of glory because Jesus the precious Son of God took all of the sin, shame, curse, hate and disgrace of mankind on Himself. So also, God made those of us who were detestable sinners into righteous saints because of the blood of Jesus. We must look at ourselves as those who are righteous in God’s sight. Many people have the thought that God is angry with them. This is not true because the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus, and so we can be given His righteousness. When we don’t have this knowledge of who we are in Christ, we will surely perish. There is no need to fear or live in guilt because the King of kings is with us, and we are His righteous children.
If you are wondering how it is possible that God will not hold our sins against us, but look at us as righteous, let me explain this from the New Testament.
We read in Romans 5:1, “Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (GNB)
Those who have put their faith in God have been justified, and made righteous through the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that God does not look at our sins or wickedness. However, this does not mean this is a license for us to go on sinning. Jesus bore all of our sins, and wickedness on Himself, and God has made us righteous. Every time we falter and fall, we must go back to the Lord Jesus, and seek His forgiveness, knowing that the Lord will help us to overcome every sin that we are held captive to. Not only have we been justified we also have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This means that when we are at peace with God we have the confidence that we can approach the Lord, and place our requests to Him, knowing that He will answer. It is really important that we not only know this in our mind, but must always believe this in our heart. The Lord does not condemn us, but looks at us at those who are righteous. We must always remember that we are sinners made righteous by the blood of Jesus.
We also read in Romans 8:33, Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! (GNB)
Every time we feel guilty or unworthy, and whenever someone accuses us, and makes us feel we are worthless, let’s remember that God Himself has made us righteous, and there is no one who can accuse a child of God.
We are justified by God alone. Let me explain this through an illustration. When we type something it on a computer the page may look disorderly until we press the key that says ‘justify.’ Suddenly the entire page of typing takes on a new look, and looks so orderly and neat. Our life too is like that, disorderly until the Lord comes to set our lives in order. Often times we look back on our lives with some regret. We wish we had not done some things or made certain choices or some things didn’t happen the way they did. If a computer that is invented by man is able to justify a page so well how much more the Lord who gave man the wisdom to invent these computers is able to make beautiful every life that seems messed up and disorderly.
Let us always bear in Romans 8:33, “Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty!” (GNB)
It is one thing for others to accuse us, but it is another thing for us to keep on accusing ourselves. If we have done that, let’s stop doing this, and keep saying that we are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. There is nothing else that we can do because God has given it to us free of cost, and all that we have to do is to believe and obey. When this thought is in our hearts we will not be able to continue in sin, and keep on doing those things that displease the Lord. As those who are justified by God, we also have the assurance that God will hear and answer our prayers. May God help us to live in this righteousness that He has so graciously bestowed on us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
