Numbers

[0:00] Mr. Hyde, Shorts Corner, Sunday, October the 29th.

[0:20] Verse 2-0. Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

[0:40] Verse 3-0. Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

[0:54] Verse 3-0. Several times in this chapter, and during the occasion when Balaam spoke to Balak, we notice the word behold. So often in the scripture, when we observe this word, it is to draw our attention in a particular way to that which God desires us to listen to. Behold.

[1:40] There are many cases throughout the scripture, when important points are preceded by this command, Behold.

[1:56] This indeed was to an ungodly man, one that desired the curse to fall upon Israel.

[2:09] How much more are the people of God called upon to behold God's faithfulness and his unchangeability in those things which he has declared from the beginning.

[2:35] We shall not spend time, however, upon the general context. Most of you, I'm sure, will be familiar with it.

[2:47] Except to say this, that here we have a remarkable example of God's preserving care over and defense of his people.

[3:04] We have just this single account in the scriptures of a man letting his heart be known in his evil desire to curse Israel.

[3:23] But God knows through the generations how many people have risen up and have had the desire in their hearts to curse the people of God.

[3:40] There are those that we read about from time to time who speak about uttering curses.

[3:56] I read a case recently and the people trembled because of a curse that the gypsy said that he would place upon the people unless they conform to his desire.

[4:17] And so people tremble even at the mention of a curse. How sad it is that they are so blind and hard-hearted as to be unaware that they are born under the curse by nature.

[4:40] We are under the curse. All men are under the curse. And it required the Lord Jesus Christ himself to be made a curse for us in order that we might be delivered from being under the curse.

[5:02] To come to the words before us Behold, I have received commandment to bless. It may be said that under some circumstances if not under all circumstances the Lord has given commandment unto his own servants to bless the people.

[5:33] Hence we have mention of the Aaronic blessing in the sixth chapter speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying on this wise he shall bless the children of Israel saying unto them the Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace.

[6:10] The Lord hath given commandment to bless and as he's given commandment so Balaam had to confess I have received commandment to bless.

[6:26] and when a man receives commandment to bless what Balaam proved everyone else will prove that they have no alternative but to bless.

[6:43] When we would look a little more into this from whence is derived the basic or source of this commandment to bless it emanates from the eternal mind of God Jacob Israel were to be blessed they were to be blessed nationally and preserved and taken care of in the good providence of God and we may observe that Israel today is still blessed in this way even though to a large extent they are agnostic in their belief yet God has not cast away

[7:44] Israel as a nation but still blesses them in a remarkable way with many temple blessings but we must look a little closer to the spiritual Israel spiritual Jacob these are the people from drawn not only from the Jewish nation but from all nations who comprise the Israel of God even those that are whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life and whose who are blessed with the spirit of God at the time when God sees fit to make them known as his own people that can never be altered we may have many fears we may get very low we may have many questions arising in our hearts

[8:56] I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed I have received commandment to bless so men are controlled they cannot militate against the eternal purpose of God and though they may see it within yet even wicked men are restrained God says to them thus far shalt they come God says to them you will say this when they would say that it is possible that we ourselves might have been in situations when we have that inward perspasion that when men would curse us they had to bless us and in that respect we may say they have received commandment to bless and this will overrule all their desires to curse but as we notice this commandment to bless stems to

[10:22] God's eternal love and favor unto his people how good a doctrine it is to rest upon salvation is come today to this house insomuch as he also is a child of Abraham a son of Abraham God gave commandment to bless that man that the Lord Jesus received and none can reverse it when God gives men and causes them to receive in their hearts commandment to bless and none can reverse it God's commandments are ever eternal they may appear to us to be sometimes spontaneous and localized but if we examine them a little more closely we shall see that they are eternal

[11:45] God speaks to his servant sometimes he they receive a word for all ages suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven and it may be that God's servants are commanded to speak a word and they do not always know why but they receive commandment men do not speak as they will may be sometimes they do but if God has a purpose then men are not their own and they speak according to what God will have them speak and they are sometimes persuaded that they have received commandment to bless to bless the people and how can they bless the people since they know not what would be a blessing to the people well if

[13:04] God causes a person to receive commandment to bless then God will so order things that they will speak those words that are given to them and are received into their hearts and thus if it pleases the Lord to bless today even the children amongst us then that word will be given to the speaker to speak that they might be blessed now you see none of us are precluded from seeking unto God we do not have to come to a certain age before we can pray to God and if the Lord has put it into the hearts of the children with us to pray to God that he might bless them then it may well be that

[14:05] God's servant will receive commandment to bless and cause a word to be spoken which may be useful to them and help them in their pathway it has been impressed upon my mind very much lately that the children that are with us and all children have their problems have their trials have their persecutions have their perplexities have their fears as much as we that are older do and in the same sphere of things you know their fears are as great as ours and their troubles are as great as ours perhaps some of us can go back to the days when we were children and remember how large some of our troubles were but maybe those that were older never thought so they just missed them as trifles of a day things not to be worried about but they were troubles to us behold

[15:33] I have received commandment to bless now where God gives such a commandment then that commandment must be effectual it is effectual in the hearts of every one of the children of God blessing blessing blessing is that which only comes from God we may seek to to bless people our blessing might be upon us even as Abraham desired a blessing upon Isaac and Isaac desired a blessing upon his sons Jacob and Esau and those men in those days seem to be prophetical in the things that they said because as they blessed so

[16:46] God gave them commandment to bless and they received words accordingly that would indeed be a blessing to those people and would speak of their future but the blessings of God are the blessings of the soul there are blessings in providence we would not despise them the blessings of the soul were given to Jacob Esau was given the blessings of providence and with it he was quite satisfied now God has doubtless given to us the blessings of providence now are we satisfied with the blessings of providence it is something to be thankful for if we are and not discontented with our lot but nonetheless we should well consider as to whether

[18:00] God has done that in our heart where whilst we would be thankful for the blessings of providence we seek more earnestly to enjoy the blessings of grace so then the commandment of bless what kind of blessings are contained in these in this commandment the blessings which are in the mind of God toward his people and they are wonderful blessings some of them are noted in the succeeding verses he has not beheld iniquity in Jacob now if God gives the commandment to bless your soul with this knowledge he has not beheld iniquity in

[19:04] Jacob if you are conscious of iniquity being in your own heart if you have to say remember not against me the sins of my youth if you have to say mine iniquity is great then it will be astonishing for you to hear these words from God I have not beheld iniquity in Jacob iniquity we look at sometimes as sin of deepest dye sin which is evil throughout in thought and word and deed iniquity so God looks on from heaven and sees all things and yet he says

[20:06] I have not seen iniquity in Jacob though it is there though the evil working and deceitfulness of the heart is there and God knows it's there yet here is the blessing bestowed upon the church of God when he says I have not seen it now when God says this it is not a question of turning the blind eye as we turn the blind eye and yet in a sense it is turning the blind eye because the Lord has sent forth his son Jesus Christ to blot out as a thick cloud the sins and iniquity of his people and through the death of Jesus Christ and by his blood shedding

[21:07] God looks upon his church in the fullness of blessing and he can truly say I have not beheld iniquity in Jacob now the words here are very conclusive because they speak as though he had never beheld iniquity in Jacob at any time now is this possible we are the children of God are covered by covenant engagements and the father constantly looks upon the covenant engagements of his beloved son in the council of eternity when God said who shall

[22:07] I send and who will go for us there was one that said send me the Lord Jesus Christ was willing to come and fulfill all the covenant engagements which would deliver the church from iniquity and save them from their sin and the father constantly looks upon the work of the son God because he cannot fail can regard a work unaccomplished as though it was accomplished and the faith of the saints of God before Christ came upon the earth was such that they could look upon the covenant that God had made and even though it had not been entered into even though

[23:10] Jesus Christ had not come to put away sin yet they were fully assured and absolutely persuaded that the matter was done that it was accomplished we say my soul looks back to see the burdens they did spare while hanging on the accursed tree and hopes her guilt was there these people in the Old Testament blessed with precious faith when they looked upon the blood shedding and the constant offerings you know it spoke to them spoke to them about God's promises and spoke to them so powerfully that they were fully persuaded that

[24:12] God's promises would surely surely come come to pass you see we read Abraham saw my day and he was glad he looked forward though the promise had not been fulfilled though Christ had not come yet he was fully assured of it fully assured that the day would come when Christ would be born when Christ would live when he would die and when effectually the iniquity of Jacob would be blotted out but nonetheless in the sight of God as the covenant of God was continually before his eyes as the proposed engagement of his son were continually before his eyes he could look upon Jacob and behold no iniquity

[25:13] I have received commandment to bless blessed with the blessing of this knowledge conveyed to the church of God that he hath beheld not beheld iniquity in Jacob we therefore see the perfection of the people of God not perfect in themselves because they are constantly aware of their own iniquity and sinful propensity but how great is God our God if by reason of the riches of his grace he says he cannot see what you can see he is determined not to see it he has made provision so that it is blotted out of his sight

[26:22] I have received commandment to bless with this knowledge of God's view of the souls of every one of his people as he sees them in Christ Jesus others and then we also observe neither had he seen perverseness in Israel we have but to read the account of Israel to come to a quick conclusion that one of the eminent features of Israel was perverseness this indeed may well have been in the hearts solemnly pronounced of those that feared not God but if we should notice in our own lives that we have two natures one is perverse awkward unwilling stubborn the

[27:44] Lord hath commanded I have received I have received commandment to bless neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel here again that we see the Lord looking down upon his church in the glory and fullness of their perfection in Christ and this will be a blessing indeed when God conveys to you that in Christ Jesus you are perfect in Christ Jesus you are accepted in Christ Jesus God beholds his church and he sees that there is upon them no spot or wrinkle or any such thing the good hymn writer takes up one or two points which only serves to emphasize the perversity of our own natures my stubborn will opposes still thy wise and holy hand thy spirit send to make it bend to thy supreme command affections wild thy sin defiled oft hurry me away lord bring them home nor let them roam from

[29:12] Christ the living way a conscience heart does not retard my walking holy peace let it by thee may tender be and all its hardness cease and then the lord has given this to his own servants behold i have received commandment to bless and this blessing must be set before you that the lord god is with him and the king of a shout of a king is a mounder the lord god is with him now in granting such an assuring word you may well have to ponder your own pathway and to observe again and again that the lord god is with you i feel persuaded of this that if god is with us we shall in some measure be aware of it when the lord spoke to jacob and told him that he would be with him in all places whether he went and god directed his steps we find upon post examination of jacob's life there were times when he was clearly aware that god was with him that his promise was being fulfilled and will it not be so in our case that if we are commanded to bless the people with this knowledge of god's continual presence that there will be certainly times and places where you will be able to say and god was with me god was with me sometimes as my defense this tried almighty arm is raised for their defense god was with me as my helper how often has that been the case with you and with me well you will have to bear your personal testimony the lord's my helper in support and so he has helped us through many a day of trial and through many a day of trouble now are we under the power of temptation do we come into a place this morning where there are those that we feel would curse us and satan would continually desire to do this and he would suggest that the lord is not with you at all but the lord does see your iniquity that the lord does see your perverseness well here in spite of all that we have these words i have received commandment to bless i have received commandment to tell you the truth i have received commandment to declare the blessing of god upon you that he does not behold iniquity because he does not see perverseness because of what his son has done and furthermore that god is with you can he have brought me to trust in his name and thus far can he have taught me to trust in his name and thus far have brought me to put me to shame god's blessings are permanent they do not alter god does not withdraw his blessing however difficult awkward stubborn perverse our natures may be at times god does not withdraw his blessing he does not say i would have nothing more to do with you it may be that the blessings of god felt in the soul may appear to have been withdrawn from you but god's heart hasn't changed you know the psalmist said in psalm 51 take not thy holy spirit from me restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit then will i teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee now there is a difference between salvation and the joy of salvation the joy of salvation because of the psalmist sinning was withdrawn but salvation wasn't withdrawn the covenant wasn't altered jesus was the same the father's love was the same but it was necessary because of what david had done and brought the enemies of god to blaspheme that he should have to walk at least for a season in darkness even this didn't prevent his calling upon god are you walking in darkness this morning have you sought to find a reason why it is so is it because of your sin it does not mean that you will not join with the psalmist even when you are not enjoying the blessings of salvation have mercy upon me oh god according to thy loving kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgression his transgression had come before his eyes and he wanted this blessing to be conferred upon him again the joy of salvation the benefit proceeding from salvation which would fill his soul with joy in other words to have the blessing reiterated the blessing of god's truth the blessing of god's faithfulness the blessing of god's unchangeability he hath not beheld iniquity in jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in israel the lord is god is with him with him at all times he sees you when you see not him and always hears your cry as i've already mentioned i think in prayer this morning the angel of the lord encampeth round about them that fear him and that's every day and that's everywhere we don't always realize the blessings of preservation perhaps we pass through day after day and to our shame may not give an account or give a thought to this that the angel of the lord encamps round about us but it doesn't alter the fact that it is true it doesn't alter the fact that this blessing of god is rendered to every one of the church of god the angel of god encampeth round about them that fear him whether they are aware of it or not whether they are thinking of it or not this is god's blessing upon the people of god god we little realize how much blessing is conferred upon us if we are the people of god the blessings of god are not to be judged by our feeling sense of them and realization of them they are still being performed by almighty god and in the same way the eye of the lord is upon them that fear him at all times and in every place whether it refers to providential leading geographical surroundings or whether it is spiritual down sittings and up risings we do not necessarily have to move an inch physically to be moved to all sorts of places in our soul's experience behold

[39:08] I have received commandment to bless the permanent blessings of god which all proceed from the gracious terms of the covenant of grace made by the father with the son and ratified in the presence of the eternal spirit and then again we have these words they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them have we known the lord god sufficiently to want to know more of him even in our natural acquaintances sometimes we come to a conclusion that when we meet certain people we would like to know more of them we have had a little opportunity of hearing perhaps some gracious conversation and have been aware of the lord leading them about and instructing them and so we have said i'd like to know more of them sometimes it has not always turned out to be a wise desire because the lord will never let us make idols of anybody but we can safely say this with regard to the eternal god that we should know a little that will make us want to know more of him and more of his ways and more of his love more of his teaching more of his guidance now the lord has blessed us and i if i may put myself in the place here i have received commandment to bless to bless in this way to tell you of god's unchangeability in all these things that are ours by covenant grace they shall all know me now sometimes under the temptation of the devil it may be suggested but you'll never know him you're under the curse look at your sins look at your iniquities you'll never know him but god has said and i received commandment to bless god has said they should all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them now god knows how you may feel this morning people may sometimes feel least and because they're least they tend to think that they're despised but god does not despise the least men may despise the least but god does not despise the least there are some very remarkable words in the prophecy of isaiah which speaks like this doubtless thou art our father though abraham be ignorant of us and israel acknowledges not now those are very telling words even if abraham can we look at it perhaps like this abraham and israel representing the church of god even if they're ignorant of us even if they do not acknowledge us thou oh lord art our father our redeemer thy name is from everlasting and they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them they shall all be taught of god what the blessing this is behold i have received commandment of bless and blessed with this blessing of assuring the church of god and every individual member that constitutes that church i do not mean a church on the earth physical though that will have its place that those that belong to the church of the living god whose names are written in heaven they shall all be taught of god are you taught of god you may say well how can i know that i've taught i'm taught of god god you'll know that you're taught of god because the teaching of god is different from the teaching of men we cannot learn god's truth as school boys learn their tasks such knowledge is not proof against delusions blast the word of god declares this and what a blessing this is there's none that teacheth like him and again he teacheth us to profit now have you ever sat under a teacher i might come down just to the general run of things in life have you ever sat under a teacher in your school or college life where you have said well there's none that teach like him i can get on under that teacher he seems to know my weaknesses and he seems to put his finger on the point and helps me to give me the right advice for now this does happen sometimes but that would be a poor comparison to when we compare it with the lord himself now do we know the lord jesus christ as our teacher who about whom we have to say there's none that teaches like him i'm perplexed i'm in difficulty i read the word of god and i can't understand it i go to men try to ask them to understand it perhaps i might say i look to see what this man says or that man says and i'm no further and then god comes you see the difference between god's teaching and man's is this and that god when he teaches us the truth he is also able to open our eyes and open our understanding now we can endeavor to teach a person but we can't open their understanding we can't open their minds we can't open their hearts to receive the truth but this is the blessing which we may speak to you about the blessing where god teaches and as he teaches he suddenly opens your understanding a spiritual understanding that is so that you're able to see the glory of the truth you're able to perceive the beauty of the truth the beauty is set in the face of jesus christ behold i have received commandment to bless and to in blessing to speak of these things which are sure to all the church of god and must be experienced by all the church of god just another point regarding to regarding our teacher none teacheth like him will bring us to two points we shall hold such in high esteem and if we hold such in high esteem we shall have a deep love to our teacher in a limited sense this can be an experience amongst those that teach in the present day children may become very attached to their teacher are we attached to jesus christ because he teaches us so well and so patiently and when we can't understand then our understanding is enlightened our understanding is open and we're able to perceive the truth sometimes the lord may speak to us by parables and then we may say what does this mean and then god unfolds the parable himself and says this is what it means sometimes you may have felt some benefit let us take as an example the parable of the sower the sower went forth to sow and then we get the various places upon which the seed fell and the result of its falling in those places and there the matter was left but afterwards his disciples came unto him and they asked him what it meant are we amongst those that leave the parables or are we amongst those that inquire of god what they mean now how wonderful is the opening up of the interpretation of the lord jesus in respect to the parable of the sower he that goeth forth and weep bearing precious things shall doubtless come again bringing his seed with him but behold

[51:09] I have received commandment of bless though we cannot bless we can set before you the truth in various aspects of it that you might consider the blessings that you enjoy the blessings of the truth the blessings of the knowledge of god of jesus christ the blessings of the teachings of the spirit of god the blessings of knowing god how privileged we are how humbled we are by knowing this that we know god do we know god this is not a great word you know this is not an impossible question do we know god in all his divine compassion have you believed that god has come down to where you are mine have said that christ is god i can avance for i have and for his people care for i have prayed to him as such and he has heard my prayers i have received commandment of bless and the truth set before you through the preaching of the gospel may be searched out in your heart to see whether you've received it and if we've received it then you've been blessed by it and if you've been blessed by it surely you will have to bear your testimony in connection with it we leave it for this morning hymn 913 hymn 913 tune edmeston 640 tis the gospel's joyful tidings full salvation sweetly sounds grace to heal thy foul backsliding sinner flows from jesus wounds are thy sins beyond recounting like the sand the ocean lays jesus is of life the fountain he unto the utmost saves hymn 913 his blood of shall die for thy his souls have made the thy heart his groom their own death heart

[54:48] O, my sins beyond recounted, Thy cross and beyond God claims, Ye lbs be all right above you, We are worthy of Theen and terrains.

[55:42] ив أو泡星 due星ий implies det lain Thank you.

[56:38] Thank you.

[57:08] Thank you.

[57:38] Thank you.

[58:08] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[58:20] Thank you. Thank you.

[58:50] Thank you. May the Lord bless you in things spiritual for the blessing of things temporal granted to me.

[59:03] Amen. And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father's love and the fellowship of the eternal spirit be with us all.

[59:21] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[59:33] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.