Num. 24

The attempt of the enemy did not cause God to reiterate the same blessing merely, but drew out His activity, as it were, to bring out all the riches of His blessings. He carries out His own purposes according to His own will and thoughts.
We have seen, 1st, how God claimed them as His own people; 2nd, that they were completely justified by God. “I have seen no iniquity in Jacob or perverseness in Israel.”
God met Balaam, and he found there was no possibility of succeeding against God. Instead, therefore, of going, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, &c., he turns his face to the wilderness.
Ver. 2. “Balaam lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel abiding in their tents,” &c. We do not see a picture of the saints here in heavenly glory: for it was not Israel as brought into the final blessing of God in the land, that they are regarded here, but Israel in the wilderness. Thus we get, through Balaam, the knowledge of God's thoughts about His people here below, ver. 3-5. Directly I look at that which is born of God, I find an entirely new order of things. We are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The Christian is justified in Christ, and besides that, he is born of the Spirit. Balaam looks upon the people with God's eye. The Spirit of God fills his mind, and he sees what God's thoughts are about His people. Faith enables us to see with God's eyes instead of our own. “How goodly are thy tents,” &c. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin,” and “he cannot commit sin because he is born of God,” —not it cannot, but “he cannot.” “He,” the whole man, is of God.
Balaam “saw Israel abiding in their tents.” It was the wilderness. It is not now the justification of His people, but their beauty and loveliness in God's sight, as in the Spirit. They are not only accepted judicially, but they walk in the Spirit. Of Abel it is said, “he obtained witness that he was perfect, God testifying of his gifts,” &c. He was accepted in person first, and then his gifts are well pleasing to God. So Enoch was not only justified, but he had the present enjoyment of favor. “Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” He was, as it were, Walking in the joy of the Father's smile.
Ver. 5. “How goodly are thy tents,” &c. This illustrates the aspect of the Church of God now, through the Spirit. Eph. 2:22. It is more than man was in paradise. There was then no dwelling nor tabernacle of God. By and by His tabernacle will be with men. But as being in the standing of the Church, we are taken, as it were, into God's paradise now. We are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. If the Church is divided and scattered, it is held in God's hand. “The wolf, coming, catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;” but again it is said, “none shall pluck (or catch, it is the same word) them out of my hand.”
We are God's dwelling, and that is a different thing to God's regenerating us merely. The fact of being regenerate does not reveal things to our soul; but God does reveal things to us by His Spirit which dwelleth in us.
The manifested beauty of spiritual life in an individual, or in the Church is another thing, and depends of course on the faithfulness of walk; but the maintenance of spiritual life is entirely on God's part, and never fails.
“As the valleys are they spread forth.” This, is the refreshing power of the gospel. “How goodly are thy tents.” They are in favor with all the people: and the secret of the loveliness of the aspect was, that they were watered by the river of God— “as gardens by the river side.”
It is impossible but that Christ must meet the need of faith, let the general unbelief be what it may. Often, it is true, though most humbling, that the individual faith shines the brightest when the general unbelief is the darkest. In Paul's case it was so: he went on in spite of all difficulties, when “all were seeking their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.” Faith looks not only at the blessing there is in God, but at the blessing where He has given it—with His people. The people are identified with God on high; therefore they are blessed, and God cannot allow evil in them.
Faith recognizes the place where blessing is and drinks it in. “As the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted,” &c., and then they become the source of blessing to others when so filled. “He shall pour the water out of his buckets.” (Ver. 22.) The bride herself says to her Lord, “Come,” and says to those who are athirst also, let them “take the water of life freely.”
I have not got CHRIST yet, but I have got the living water, and therefore I can say, Come and drink. We are not in glory yet, and we are not with the world; but we have the Spirit, and it is said. “he that believeth, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Having Christ, we have sap from the tree of life, and there can be no limit in the result. There is no stint, though little power indeed to use it. “His seed shall be in many waters,” signifying the extent of the blessing.
When, besides this, there is strength. “His king shall be higher than Agog, and his kingdom shall be exalted.” Israel will have a king in Zion, but we are in a closer connection with the Bridegroom as His bride. We shall be displayed in the kingdom by and by. Mark the difference, how it is said, “How goodly are thy tents,” &c., but thy “king” &c. The people had not a king yet. Their visible blessing in power had not come yet. Their elevation was to be a future thing in the land.
With us it is not the kingdom we are looking for as our hope; indeed, in a certain sense, we are now in the kingdom. It is for us “the kingdom and patience;” for Christ is rejected and gone. We are being called to share His rejection and afterward his glory. “We shall reign with him.” He is a King and we are kings. He is a Priest and we are priests. If we suffer with Him, we shall be also glorified together. He is our Head, and in all things He is to have the pre-eminence. There is to be power connected with those who have the kingdom. There is not only such a thing as blessing, but it is connected with the people of God.