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Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 10:14:08 +0200
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 38
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Numbers 22:35 The LORD's Angel and Balaam
2. Psalm 35, Prayer for God's help, part 1
3. John 1:11, Jesus' coming and rejection
1. Numbers 22:35 - The LORD's Angel and Balaam
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Weekly reading: Num. 19 - 22
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men:
but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.
So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. (Numbers 22:35)
Balaam, after having nagged a long time, (as the wicked are wont to
do) that he might go with the princes of Balak, God allowed it him. He
is now on the way to Moab, to curse Israel. However, though Balak,
king of Moab, has asked Balaam to curse the people, the LORD had said
"Only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak",
as we read in our text. So, Balaam was not allowed to curse, as Balak
willed, but only God's word to speak. We see, first, that it is not in
man's power to speak what he wills. When God restrains him, he will
fall silent, Or, when God lays other words in his mouth, he shall
speak those, and none other. The angel of the LORD said that he only
would speak God's words, and what was the outcome? We will read it two
chapters further. There, Balaam said, after having blessed Israel: "If
Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go
beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do [either] good or bad of mine
own mind; [but] what the LORD saith, that will I speak." (Numbers
24:13) We see it, Balaam was totally in God's power. He could not go
beyond the LORD's commandment. It is also for us a good thing to keep
that in mind. Too often, we think to arrange our own matters, but
here, we see that only God has the ultimate power over us. Often, we
forget this, thinking that all things are in our might. But this is a
gross mistake, no, a fatal mistake. Thus erring, we forget God, and
work our own destruction. Let we then always keep in mind, that we are
governed by God.
Reading our text, we see something else. The angel of the LORD
said, that Balaam should speak only the word, that He laid in his
mouth. Balak had hired Balaam to curse Israel, but the LORD prevented
it. The LORD saved His people from the enemies. We see how blessed
those people were, for they had the Creator of heaven and earth as
their Defender. Blessed are all those, who trust in the LORD, and who
are protected by Him. It might be that heaps of enemies come to slay
them, but they will not succeed. Forty years, Israel had dwelled in
the desert, surrounded by wild beasts, snakes, robbers, and what not.
But God was their Protector. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say
of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I
trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
[and] from the noisome pestilence." (Psalms 91:1-3)
In the text, we see also another thing. The angel of the LORD is
speaking to Balaam. Does God than also speak to the wicked, you might
ask? Yes, surely, for in our text, He does so. We ought to keep this
in mind. For, not all to whom the LORD speaks, are righteous. Also the
wicked are governed by Him. So, reader, when you think God has once
spoken to you, or you experience His direction in your life, do then
not conclude too hastily, that you belong to the righteous. Look to
Balaam, a very wicked person. God spoke to him, but he wasn't
righteous, neither became so. Not the words of the Lord, therefore,
make you righteous. Only a renewed heart, a total conversion, will
make you belong to God's children. It can go far with wicked. They may
excel nearly everybody in knowledge of the Torah. They may shine in
many things; they may have heard God's word - yet, when they not love
Him, when they not are renewed, they stay wicked. When they excel in
the Torah, they use it for their own honour. When they do many good
things, their breasts swell of pride. We have an example of this,
again in Balaam. When he prophecies, he not says: "Thus speaks the
LORD", but he takes the honour for himself. Hear him speaking: "Balaam
the son of Beor hath said". Again, "the man whose eyes are open hath
said". Moreover: "He hath said, which heard the words of God, which
saw the vision of the Almighty". (Numbers 24:3,4) Hear him boasting!
He robs God of all His due honour, and takes it for himself. These
things are the wicked's practices. When reading the Torah, they do it
but for themselves, and hope that many will hear how skilled they do
it.
"And the angel of the LORD said", we read. Who is that angel of
the LORD? It seems to be a being separate from the LORD, because he is
not called "the LORD", but "the angel of the LORD". Who is he? In our
text, it appears not whether this angel is a common angel, or someone
else. But one thing, we see in our text. The angel says that Balaam
must speak only those words, which the angel will speak unto him. That
is what our text says: "And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go
with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that
thou shalt speak." (Numbers 22:35) So, the angel of the LORD puts the
words in Balaam's mouth. Looking further, some chapters, we will now
see who actually put the words in Balaam's mouth. He who does that,
will be the angel of the LORD. Who put a word in Balaam's mouth? "And
the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak,
and thus thou shalt speak." (Numbers 23:5) Here is the answer. The
LORD gave Balaam the words in his mouth. So, the being who is called
in chapter 22 the angel of the LORD, appears to be in chapter 23 the
LORD himself. Here, again, we come across the doctrine, that the angel
of the LORD is often the LORD himself. A being, separate from the
LORD, called the LORD's Angel, appears to be the LORD himself. Hence
the doctrine of a plurality in the one God. The Bible teaches it us.
Hence also, and from like places, the Christian doctrine of the
Trinity originated. The Trinity is not something, invented in the
early Church, but it has its roots in the Old Testament. Throughout
the Bible, we hear that there is but one God. Yet, in the same Bible,
we read about some plurality. So, who wishes to confess these things
in one sentence, will speak about the Trinity, or about the Triune
God. It is unbelievable, that the Jewish doctrine to firmly rejects
this notion. That doctrine wrests all instances, where the Angel of
the LORD appears to be the LORD Himself, - all instances where some
distinction in the one God is taught - all these places are twisted to
the Jewish denial of the Trinity. All means of escape are sought out,
to maintain that wrong doctrine. They deem the Word of God not too
holy, to be perverted, and to distort it to some human invention.
They, thus perverting God's Word, attack Himself. I fear the
punishment, due to such a wretchedness. How dreadful will that be! Let
therefore all people of a sound mind adhere to Moses and the Prophets,
who clearly teach these things of the Angel of the LORD, being
separate from the LORD, yet being the LORD Himself.
2. Psalm 35, Prayer for God's help, part 1
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1 [A Psalm] of David.
Plead [my cause], O LORD, with them that strive with me:
fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear,
and stop [the way] against them that persecute me:
Here again we have a Psalm of David, the man of God's heart. This
time, he had much enemies, who strove with him, and who fought against
him. As long as the enemies had David before them, yes, so long they
had the upper hand. But now, look out enemies! David is praying to the
LORD for help. Enemies, when you now continue to strive and fight with
David, you no longer fight with him, but with the LORD Himself. Woe to
such people, who strive with the LORD! In the prayer, we see what will
happen to that kind of people. Do they strive with anyone? The LORD
shall strive with them also, and He will conquer. Do they fight with
somebody? The LORD also will fight against them, and He will beat
them. Will they persecute David? Surely, they will find the LORD
standing in their way, in order to stop them. Are they using several
weapons, to overcome David? They can expect the same things to be used
against them. God will take hold of shield and buckler, and He will
defend David. It is sure, who fights against God's children, will find
God in their way. But one blow, and they vanish.
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
These are David's words. My Lord, say unto me: "I am thy salvation".
David, being overcome by enemies, asks but a few words of God. Say, my
Lord, that Thou are my salvation. When David has but these words, he
will have the belief, that God will also accomplish them. Even when he
is still amidst his persecutors, he needs but God's words, and he will
believe that the salvation is coming nigh. The enemies will be
removed, and he will be set in freedom. These things also we have need
of. Being persecuted by sins, our great enemies, we have need of God's
words: I am thy Salvation. Who else will save us from our enemies,
namely, of sin, world, satan, own wickedness? Like David was unable to
beat his enemies (for, why else does he pray?) - like David was
unable, we also are unable to overcome sin. Pray then: Say unto my
soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame
that seek after my soul:
let them be turned back and brought to confusion
that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind:
and let the angel of the LORD chase [them].
6 Let their way be dark and slippery:
and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
Let them be confounded, namely when the have lost to God. Let them be
put to shame, namely when they flee before God. They seek after
David's soul, but now, having lost, they flee to save their own life.
All who seek to kill David and all God's other people, will be
confounded. Let them be as chaff before the wind. When the farmer is
threshing the corn, he divides the chaff and the corn. The chaff,
being very light, when thrown into the wind, will be taken away, but
the corn will remain. Let then the enemies of David be blown away like
the light and vain chaff. The wicked often are compared by chaff. They
will vanish before the wind. But the righteous are compared by corn,
which is useful stuff. The righteous obey God, are the pillars of
society, help others, and in short, are indispensable. They righteous
are the corn, but the wicked are the chaff. Let the angel of the LORD,
who is pleading David's cause, chase the wicked. Let their way be dark
and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. We can
imagine, what happens, when you are persecuted on a dark and slippery
way. Through the darkness, you cannot well see where you walk. And
then, with a persecuting angel behind you, you will crash into each
obstacle in the way. Worse still, when the way also is slippery, and
the angel if persecuting you, surely that you will fall. In short, the
angel of the LORD will destroy the enemies. They will hurt themselves
against the obstacles, and fall down in their ways. That is the
portion of the wicked.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net [in] a pit,
without cause they have digged for my soul.
Commonly, they digged a pit to catch wild beasts, as lions, and other
beasts. They also used a net for that purpose. Sometimes, they spread
the net on the ground, in order that the wild beasts got their feet
entangled therein. Like men catch wild beasts, so have they tried to
catch David. They hid their net and their pit for him, in order that
he might be entangled unawares. But what is still worse, they did so
without cause. Had David done something wrong? No, he was a righteous
man. Why then, did they try to take his soul, without cause? Because
they hated him. The ungodly always hate the pious. No great wonder
that they hated David. On this, and the like passages, but also on
daily experience is grounded the word: "Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares;
and let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
into that very destruction let him fall.
The sum of this verse is, that, while the enemy is busy in the setting
op traps for David, let then an unexpected destruction come upon him.
While he is setting up a net for another, let himself fall therein.
"He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he
made." (Psalms 7:15) God often returns the evil one wishes to commit,
upon his own head. This is so obvious, that there is a proverb, which
says the same. The ungodly are aiming at the destruction of the
righteous, and promise themselves all peace and prosperity in the
matter. But their own ruin is at hand.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD:
it shall rejoice in his salvation.
When David will be delivered from his persecutors, his heart will be
filled with joy. Not a joy like the world has, when their corn and
wine increases, but another joy. His soul shall be joyful in the LORD.
The love of God, Who gave salvation to him, will fill his whole heart.
The true thank will originate from the deliverance through the LORD.
The persecutors will be away; they have fallen in their own digged
pit. David will be freed, and therefore his soul shall be joyful in
God. These things show us, as in a picture, what happens to the
sinner, when he is freed from sin and destruction. The law persecuted
the sinner, saying: "I demand a perfect obedience". The poor sinner
knew, that he had nothing to pay; yet, the law ceased not to persecute
him, and to pronounce its curses upon the disobedient. But when the
LORD will come, and set the sinner in freedom, that is, when He gives
him salvation by forgiveness, his soul shall be joyful in the LORD.
Then the sinner says: "my soul shall rejoice in His salvation".
10 All my bones shall say,
LORD, who is like unto thee,
which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him,
yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
All the bones of David shall praise the LORD, that is, David, with his
whole person, with heart and soul, shall say: "LORD, who is like unto
Thee?". None is like our Lord, Who delivers the poor from his
persecutors. The idols, consisting of wood, stone, or any metal, are
dead. The cannot deliver, for they are nothing. But who is like unto
our Lord, the living God? He delivers the poor from him that is too
strong for him. None is too strong for our Lord, but we, in ourselves,
being very weak, have many people who oppress us. As long then, as we
think that we are strong enough in ourselves, to overcome all
adversity, so long we have no need of the Lord. But when our eyes will
be opened, and we find that we are very weak in ourselves (we are
taken from the dust of the earth, and again return to that), we begin
to need God. As long as we work in own strength, we will never rejoice
in the Lord. But as soon as He has delivered us from our distresses,
all our bones will begin to say: "LORD, who is like unto Thee, Which
delivered me from my distress?" Yea, our God saves the poor and the
needy from those that spoil him. Is not sin spoiling us? Surely, it
does, for the wages of sin is death. And death will spoil us utterly.
Therefore, only he who is delivered through the Lord from sin, will
understand this prayer of David.
3. John 1:11, Jesus' coming and rejection
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He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
The above text is said about Jesus Christ. When He came into the
world, He came unto His own. He came into the world by taking upon Him
the human flesh. He became a true man, with a body and a soul. When
Jesus came upon the earth, He came unto His own property. His coming
was not a little and unimportant thing. He came out of heaven, hid His
divine nature behind His flesh, and became man. He came unto His own,
that is, He came unto His people. When He came down, He came to
Israel, which was a nation, chosen by God. Jesus came unto them in
order to deliver them, not from the Romans, as many erroneously
imagined, but from the power of sin. In the centuries before His
coming, the Jews had obscured the true meaning of the prophets. They
had invented a Messiah, who would deliver them from their enemies. Not
the spiritual enemies, as sin, world, devil, etc., but from the
Romans. They thought about an earthly kingdom, which the Messiah would
restore. So, when the true Messiah, Jesus, came in the world, He did
not answer their erroneous fictions, and consequently, was rejected.
Therefore, we read in our text: "He came unto his own, and his own
received him not." That is, Jesus came unto Israel, but they received
Him not. They had not need of a Redeemer, for they imagined themselves
to be righteous in God's sight. So, why then a Redeemer, to save them
from their sins? They had much more need of a king, a leader, to
captain them in their wars. A Messiah, Whose kingdom was not of this
world? No, they didn't need that. They wanted a kingdom, here and now.
They wanted to make a new paradise of this cursed world. Had they
forgotten, that the world was cursed by God, because of Adam's sin?
God had said to Adam: "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;" (Genesis 3:17) How
was it possible, that they thought that the curse could be taken away
by a strong leader? Will not the curse vanish, when sin vanishes? Sin
entered the world, and brought the curse into it. Therefore, only by
taking the sin away, they curse could be removed. They expected a
Messiah, who would beat the enemies, but they got a Messiah, who would
pay for sin, bear the punishment thereof, and in that way would
cleanse the earth. But, when Jesus "came unto his own,", they
"received him not." The teachings of their leaders had obscured the
Scriptures too much. The people, like a flock, walked after their
blind leaders. Their leaders erred, and made also the people err.
But, fortunately, through God's grace, a few believed. The
majority rejected Jesus, but a few believed in His Name. Therefore,
after having written "He came unto his own, and his own received him
not", the evangelist John continues with: "But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them
that believe on his name". (John 1:12) In as many as received Jesus,
the truth had prevailed. Many perished, but a few became adopted sons
of God. God, in His grace, saved the believers from their mistaken
leaders, the priests, Pharisees and scribes of that time. The priests
trusted in the outward stones and the brilliance of the temple. Many
of the Pharisees and scribes were righteous enough, they thought. But
as many as received Jesus, they got the power to become the sons of
God.
To which group do you belong, reader? To those, who rejected the
Messiah? Or to those, who believed in His Name? Do you belong to them,
who imagine to be righteous in themselves, or to those, who have need
of God's grace? Are you expecting a kingdom with a temporal lustre, or
one which endures forever? Are you blind for the truth, or are your
eyes opened through God's renewing power? Have you still a heart of
stone, or one of flesh? Are you still running toward destruction, or
are you fleeing to your Saviour, Jesus Christ? Has the Redeemer come
unto you, but you received Him not; or, belong you to the people, who
receive Him?
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Teus Benschop | t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl | editor of the list Chr-Exp
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