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[0:00] With all and gracious help I must venture this evening with a word you will find in the book of Numbers, chapter 23, reading verse 23.

[0:16] The book of Numbers, chapter 23, reading verse 23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.

[0:39] According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought?

[0:55] It is the closing words in this verse that I trust the Lord has given me. What hath God wrought?

[1:08] Those that were with us this morning will know that the subject then was exceedingly solemn concerning those things that are taking place in our land and indeed throughout the world.

[1:31] And perhaps the Lord would have me just to read the morning text. Behold, I come as a thief.

[1:44] Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

[1:55] And I trust that the Holy Spirit might seal this sacred truth home upon each of our hearts.

[2:15] The only place of safety, whether in life, in death, or in the solemn day of judgment, is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, clothed in his righteousness, washed in his precious blood, and sheltered beneath it.

[2:40] Now this evening we must first of all seek to speak regarding the man who gave utterance to these wondrous words, what hath God wrought.

[3:01] The account of Balaam in the word of God is exceedingly solemn. And this because Balaam was a servant of the devil.

[3:21] That is very evident from the record that we have concerning him. And it is this that makes the subject also very solemn.

[3:36] And I mean in this particular way. Dear friends, may none of us here be left to utter words from the word of God or give utterance to the doctrines of grace and speak as though the Lord Jesus Christ is our Saviour and yet to only speak these sacred things with our lips from our heads and not from our hearts.

[4:32] Balaam gave utterance to some very wondrous truths and yet I must make it clear that Balaam knew what it was for God to put words in his mouth.

[4:49] He must utter them because he could not curse Israel any more than this is possible to die and yet he only uttered them with his lips.

[5:09] It came from his head but never from his heart. this to my mind and heart is exceedingly solemn.

[5:25] You see there is great danger with us if we have been brought up under the sound of truth and I would feel that most if not all here tonight have been brought up under the sound of truth and it is solemnly possible to have some natural understanding of truth.

[5:56] It is solemnly possible to be able to speak about the doctrines of grace the word of God and yet to know nothing of it in our hearts.

[6:08] I am aware with the Lord's dear people in this particular consideration how many have been sorely tried because from their very birth they have been brought up under the sound of truth and yet if we are among the Lord's people this will be an exercise to our hearts.

[6:48] If we are not among the Lord's people we shall be unconcerned in this. Many many discussions have taken in religion.

[7:04] A friend who was with us here on holiday recently he spoke of how his wife had been brought up as an Anglican and he said how many times they discussed religion and so it's possible.

[7:31] So may these few opening notes of warning reach each of our hearts. May we never rest or glory in the form without the power.

[7:46] May we never rest upon a head knowledge of the truth. So I repeat this thought it's very searching but dear friends if your soul has been quickened into life you will be very concerned to know that you are among the Lord's people.

[8:07] You will be very concerned to know that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. You will be made aware regarding the awful solemnity death.

[8:20] The second coming of Christ the day of judgment the day of death. Man by nature has a mortal fear of death.

[8:34] The hymn writer puts this into words for me. Death awful sound and fruit of sin the terror of the human race. Whatever man may say regarding death and another way in which we may know whether there's life in our soul I believe is this that you see those that are unconcerned those that have not been quickened into life you may have heard men or women and they can and they do they speak in a very solemn way about death they make ridicule of death.

[9:13] I'm sure there are those here tonight you have heard among those perhaps you work with or others and you've heard them speak about death in a very callous hard hearted and dreadful way and yet if there's life in our soul we shall be very concerned about death we shall be very concerned about eternity we shall be very concerned regarding the day of judgment and the second coming of Christ see if there's life in our soul dear friends we shall know something of what holy all is upon our hearts how is it then with us this evening may none of us be left to go on in our life speaking about the things of God with our lips as Balaam did if you move on in the following chapters in this book of numbers when you get home perhaps or in the days to come but you will find this that

[10:19] Balaam was slain with the sword he returned to his own place now as I read this chapter this evening I believe it was born home even more upon my heart of how Balaam was used by God and of course this comes very very close regarding the solemn work of the ministry oh dear friends a man may preach the truth with his lips and know nothing of it in his heart I feel it right to say that there are many many in our land today in our national church we would not say this in a Pharisee kind of way but we surely have need to say this from many pulpits in our land today the word of God is not even proclaimed men do not use

[11:21] God's word and on the other hand you see how solemn then to preach the word of God to stand in pulpit and to utter the word of God before a congregation and yet never to know the truth in our hearts well that searches me as I stand here tonight I remember reading some years ago a true account of a minister who stood up in a certain pulpit on a certain Lord's day and he took for his text marvel not that I said unto thee ye must be born again well whatever he said from the word it was God's word and this is very searching the word of God on that occasion it reached a young man's heart you see this is the wonder of it Balaam uttered wondrous words of truth and they are wondrous words of truth but he didn't know the true meaning of them in his heart he said let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his but that was because he was you see he uttered these words but he didn't know the exercise of truth he was slain with a sword

[12:46] I believe as he returned to his own place that was the end of all this you see but coming back for a moment to the young man the minister you see whatever he said he he gave out his text marvel not that I said unto thee ye must be born again now that reached the heart of that young man and in such a way that he went to see his minister the man who proclaimed the truth and what did he find he found that the minister knew nothing about their meaning God mercifully used it as an arrow of conviction in that minister's heart the Lord used that young man but friends this is the point I want to come to the Lord used his word as he ever will do it's my word and it reached the young man's heart and in his distress he came to the minister and the minister didn't the minister knew not what to say to him why because he knew nothing about the truth in his heart he'd never been born again are we born again a very searching question and I feel this it would do us all good if we go home from the service this evening with this am I born again am I quickened by his spirit now the

[14:17] Lord used that young man and he used his word to bring the minister to his feet and it was said of that minister that for some weeks he didn't appear in the pulpit but when he did he returned to the pulpit to speak the word of God from his heart now when I read this some years ago it searched me it searches me tonight for I have stood before congregations now for a good many years but the point is still friends we want to know that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life may we never rest in a head knowledge of the truth well this was Balaam's case Balak brought him and why did Balaam come why was Balaam moved to come the secret of it was this that Balaam was seeking for reward he was seeking for riches you know dear friends many men have entered the ministry as a means of getting a living and that is true many men have entered the ministry as it were to get a living but oh dear friends

[15:47] I know this from my very heart that when God sends ministers to preach they do not even think about the question of money their exercise is to preach the word the financial side of the question is in the Lord's hand and I'm a living witness that he supplies his servants need and he will do well we've felt we must sound these notes of warning and we come then to the truth itself this is the word of God surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time and I would speak of it like this to this time the 16th of September 1990 the word of God is the same today yet it will ever be it is the eternal word of

[16:53] God it's everlasting oh the wonder of it and dear friends if you have your little Bible what I mean is if God has spoken by his spirit his word into your heart the word of God will stand it can never be lost that is our mercy we know what it is the living family of God know what it is to wonder at times whether they are right this is their exercise and they cannot rest in this they need the Lord to come again and again they want him to tell them they need it feel to need it every day they want to know that the Lord is their saviour that he is their Lord that he is their redeemer there's a continuing exercise and so we would come according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of

[17:56] Israel what hath God wrought now the first consideration then as I feel exercised with the word is this and the wonder of this the devil can do nothing with the Lord's people when I say that I mean regarding their standing for eternity the devil will come against them you see this is a mark of grace do you know that there is a devil do you know something of his awful temptations and God's servants are not strangers to this I've known what it is personally for the devil to come to me after I've been preaching and he said you know nothing about these truths you know nothing about them you're nothing but a hypocrite and yet you dare to go into the pulpit when we're brought under sore temptation there are times when we believe the devil and I know that the exercise people of

[19:10] God they know that there is a devil they know something of his opposition and yet dear friends this is an evidence of life in your soul those of you that have been tormented by Satan those of you that have had awful infidel thoughts those of you have known what it is and you might not have been aware of it at the time when the devil has suggested to you that there is no God when you die that's the end of it so why all this exercise why this burden why are you so troubled and what a thought it is that the devil he leaves those that are in his kingdom he leaves them alone regarding the salvation of their never dying soul he urges them on and he would urge them on to destruction we have known of those that have been urged on to self destruction in taking their own life but I firmly believe this that not one of the

[20:21] Lord's dear people will ever be allowed to take their life some of them have got very very near to it I think in this moment of our late friend Mrs.

[20:32] Hutchinson and at one particular day in her life she was in such distress and she had as it were a cause to be so her husband had a mental breakdown he left her and the distress that she knew and she was so distressed on this particular day and the devil said well put your head in the gas oven put your head in the gas oven and she was about to do it now she's told me this I used to visit her in her old age and I suppose almost every time she would tell me this again but you see the thing was this at that moment when she was about to do it a man knocked on the door a man knocked on the door the Lord sent him and if my memory serves me rightly here he took out a

[21:35] Bible or New Testament from his pocket and he read and if memory serves me rightly he read this let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you oh how she praised God for that deliverance there may be those here tonight you may have been very very near to this in one way or another but you see the word of God this evening is surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Balaam used divination he used enchantment and yet you see God overruled it and God spoke to that man he was called to curse Israel but you see dear friends the devil cannot touch the

[22:36] Lord's people in that way I mean he can never take from them what the Lord has done he tries to he seeks to do so and at times he appears to gain the victory and yet in and under it all the Lord will bring his dear people again they must plead on they must pray on they want to know whether their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and they go on with this exercise the Holy Spirit keeps it alive surely there is no enchantment against Jacob Balaam proved this he could do nothing with the children of Israel oh dear friends he would have cursed them if he could he would have cursed them he would have rejoiced if he could but may we just then make this clear how the Lord came you see he could not touch the children of

[23:39] Israel and thinking of it regarding the spiritual Israel of God their name is written in the Lamb's book of life from before the foundation of the world the devil cannot touch it our poor sinful hearts cannot touch it the world cannot touch it oh nothing can separate the Lord's dear people who can separate us says the apostle Paul in the 8th chapter to the Romans who can separate us perhaps the Lord would have me to read what he says there it may be the word of God I hope it is to some poor burdened trembling souls that are here tonight who shall who shall who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect it is God that justifies who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of

[24:45] Christ oh you dear people that are here tonight I feel my heart drawn out in love to your souls you see this is God's word I hope you will feel it by the spirit in your heart who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation shall or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long you see the Lord's people they have within them two armies there's continual warfare conflict it isn't so with those that are dead they know nothing of conflict do you know what it is to have this conflict if you do it's because you're a child of God and yet these words are the words of for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter now in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us now that is our only hope through him that loved us our captain stood the fiery test and we shall stand through him now that is our anchor that is our only hope dear friend you'll stand through him you'll never stand in yourself but you will stand in him and through him for

[26:27] I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord well we would come then to what God has wronged but what has God wronged this is the thing that matters first of all Balaam was brought to this in verse 21 he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel how can this be well the answer to it is that God views his dear people in his beloved son you will remember that

[27:34] God said to the devil regarding Job has thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth now that dear friends is said of every heaven bound pilgrim every quickened soul every one whose name is written in the Lamb's book of life there was none like him in the earth it's still like that today that is how the Lord views his people and how then can he view them in this way God said of Job a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil now let me make this clear Job was never perfect in himself now that is very evident from the record the Lord's people will never be perfect in themselves they know this they are brought to see and to feel their imperfection they are brought to know and to feel that they have the complete opposite to this they have to say how vile how wretched how sinful

[28:44] I am how then does God view his people in this way he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel the answer then is this as God views them in Jesus Christ he looks upon them in the face of his anointing this is where his people stand they are in Christ they stand in him they do not stand in anything but him they are made aware of it they certainly have no standing in themselves they are made aware that they fall constantly they sin constantly they cannot keep themselves they can do nothing absolutely nothing regarding their eternal salvation so their standing then is in Christ and their standing is secure it was so before the foundation of the world itself right through to the end of their lives well may we be given a glimpse of this blessed truth this evening and therefore

[30:01] Balaam had to say he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel the Lord his God is with him the shout of a king is among them oh dear friends king Jesus reigns in the world in Zion and in his people's hearts I wonder how many of us here this evening can sincerely join with one of our hymn writers who said this reign or me as king do you want him to reign over you as your king do you want to be a subject of king Jesus do you want him to rule in your life do you want him to govern all your words and ways if you do then you recognize him as king reign all me as king accomplish thy will and powerfully bring me forth from all ill you see another evidence of being among his people you want to be brought forth from all ill you want to be delivered from sin the power of Satan the temptations and the allurements of this present evil world you want to be rid of them all and oh could we come to this this evening thou oh

[31:32] Christ are all I want above everything else in your life above your loved ones your dear ones your children your possessions your life your business whatever we might name can we say it from our heart then this very evening thou oh Christ art all I want all in all in thee I find that's because you're among his people you want him to be your king now another thing that God has wrought then and does work in his people's life is this God brought them out of Egypt I must be very clear here God brings his people out of Egypt Egypt speaks of the state in which we're born we are born in sin and shaped in iniquity and but for saving grace we shall go on we will grow on we will go on in

[32:45] Egyptian bondage you see this is what is in the life of sinners and this world and all that that means the allurements of it and yet oh dear friends have we been brought out of Egypt have you been brought out of the world have you been brought away from everything that you loved before have you been made a new creature in Christ Jesus if we are new creatures in Christ Jesus then we shall understand what follows there old things have passed away and behold all things have become new now you are found seeking a better country that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called your God for he hath prepared for your city and at the end eternal life so then where the grace of

[33:53] God has been imparted it will always separate those that receive it it will separate you from the evils of your heart now do not misunderstand me when a soul is quickened into life when his pardon is signed and his peace procured from that moment the conflict begins you'll know conflict you didn't know it before in the way that you know it now now there's conflict and that is because the Lord has brought you out of Egyptian bondage I wonder how many of us here tonight in reflection we have to look back in our past mind and remember how it was with us the things that we loved the things that our poor heart went after and you see the apostles word to the Ephesians has been made ours if this has happened to us and you have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins and what has happened to us before we were quickened we walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience but you have he quickened we had a dear lady here when

[35:25] I first came a member of the church and she grew up in the world loved the things of it but in her case she also was living in a dead profession she knew what it was to go into a place of worship she used to tell me this where there were flowers and all kinds of things various innovations and this is how she was living you see we can be living dead in trespasses and sin and we can be living in a dead profession she went on like that but she had a daughter whose soul had been quickened into life and this daughter took her mother one day into one of our chapels and oh the minister preached you see and her daughter said to her after the service well mother what did you think of it think of it she said

[36:33] I never want to go there again I never want to go there again but what did the Lord do for the mother the Lord brought her into this very chapel and one of the words that God used for her conversion was this proclaimed by dear Mr.

[36:53] Arthur and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins now the word of God entered her heart now that is real conversion the word of God entered her heart and then she was brought out of bondage and she was brought out of the bondage of a dead profession and her one desire then was that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death what hath God brought we could go on the time is gone but what hath God brought dear friends has this been brought in our heart separation from the world and the things of it and that is very important teaching there have always been many people who have held the world in one hand and the things of

[37:56] God in the other but friends living souls can never do this the Lord separates them by his grace and while they are aware of their sinnership and while they are plagued by sin yet they have within them the same blessed spirit that was found in Joshua and Caleb another spirit the spirit of Christ the spirit of life what hath God brought well just very briefly what has the Lord done for you I can say that these things have just bubbled up in my heart but if we just think of Jacob in the closing moment what did God do for him he called him by his grace and that separated or began to separate Jacob from the world and the things of it and then the Lord led him on he guided him in his life favoured him in a sovereign way regarding his wives the Lord permitted it then he doesn't permit it now the command of God today and has been for so long is the husband of one wife but you see God provided

[39:21]  Jacob with his wives he provided for him in his life he led him all through his journey to the very end and what did he say the angel that redeemed me from all evil few and evil have been the days or the years of my life that was his confession what hath God wrought well haven't we cause to say tonight but the Lord has wrought all our works in us what he's done for you dear friend what he's wrought for you where you are now you may be in a position in your life you never thought you would be and yet you are today and can you look at it like this and say well the Lord has brought this to pass the Lord has done these things for me and you acknowledge it you say tonight what hath God wrought Jesus having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end amen