What Has God Wrought!

Numbers 23:23 — Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

I. Introduction & Foundation

• God is not at the mercy of man, man is at God's mercy.

A. The Context of the Context

B. Translations

• "wrought" to do make (systematically, habitually), ordain

• See what God has done! (bbe);

• What God has worked! (mkjv);

• 'Oh, what God has done!' (nkjv);

• 'What has God wrought!' (rsv)

• What has God wrought! (esv)

• THIS IS AN EXCLAMATION; A STATEMENT OF AWE; ("Just look at it!")

C. Commentary

• (Geneva Bible Notes) Considering what God will work this time for the deliverance of his people, all the world will wonder.

• (Adam Clarke) "As at this time it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God worketh; i. e., this people shall always have prophetic information of what God is about to work."

• (Jameison Fausset Brown) "No art can ever prevail against a people who are under the shield of Omnipotence, and for whom miracles have been and yet shall be performed, which will be a theme of admiration in succeeding ages."

• (John Wesley) "These things will be a matter of discourse and admiration to all ages."

• (Matthew Henry) "The curses of hell can never take place against the blessings of heaven. Some observe that Jacob denotes the church low and afflicted, Israel denotes it prosperous and advanced; but be the church high or low, be her friends few or many, let second causes smile or frown, it comes all to one: no weapon formed against it shall prosper. ... There are many devices in man's heart, but God's counsels shall stand. "

Isaiah 54:17 — No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

D. The Build Up

• The context of the context. Israel was in Egyptian bondage for 400 years. God mightly brought them out through 10 catastrophic plagues and with his servant Moses born a slave defied the most powerful man on earth. God divided the Red Sea and Israel crossed on dry ground, Israel setting up memorial stones on the far said and the water returning buryied the Egyptian army. God came down on Mount Sinai so that it was enveloped in a cloud and quaked so that they had to cordon off the mountain lest any one at the foot of the mountain touch it and die and yet on this mountain God covered Moses with his hand in the cleft of a rock and Moses saw the afterglow of the glory of God. This caused Moses face to shine so brightly that the people begged him to wear a veil when talking to them. God had given Israel etched with his own hand, 2 tablets of stone containing 10 commandments. God instructed Moses with every detail to construct a tabernacle when after they conscturcted it exactly according to the pattern given by God, the manifest presence of God filled with tabernacle as a cloud. So that God led them out when the cloud lifted or settled during the day, with a pillar of fire by night.

Nu 10:35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

The high priests sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered alien or strange fire before the Lord and they died. Within that tabernacle was "The Holy Place" as it contained the most sacred of the furniture of the tabernacle the Ark of the Covenant, but also known as the "ORACE" or the "Speaking Place" as it is where Moses would go to talk with God and God, with a voice with speak from the "Mercy Seat". (This is a shadow of Jesus.)

God fed Israel daily in the desert with mannah (gathered, ground, beat and baked into cakes tasted as FRESH OIL). Once Israel tired of the mannah and complained (Why came we forth out of Egypt?), the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed those in the uttermost parts of the camp. Moses prayed for mercy and the fire stopped. The people latter lusted for meat, and God gave them meat for a month (so much it would come out their nostrils, and be loathsome to them.) God did this a wind from the sea, driving quail so many that within 6 ft. of the ground round about the camp each family gathered at least 10 donkey loads.

Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses because his wife was Ethiopian and justified their rebuke with "God speaks to us just like he does through you, Moses." The lord SUDDENLY calls out Moses, Aaron and Miriam, come out to the taberacle. God rebuked them saying that yes he speakes to prophets with drives and visions, but with Moses God speaks "mouth to mouth" or "face to face". Miriam was made white with leprousy.

God instructed Moses to spy out the land. When they returned with their evil report, they rebelled saying let us return to Egypt.Moses, Aaron and Joshua layed out on the ground before the people, rent their clothes pleading with them to remember God will bring them in to the land despite the enemies if HE please. "The Lord is with us." The people then began to call for stoning these men BUT THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE TABERNACLE. "**I will disinherit them and raise up another people. **" Moses plead:

Numbers 14:15 — Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

Numbers 14:20 ¶ And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: [Except Joshua and Caleb.]

Israel still departed from the camp though the Ark of the Covenant stayed and they were most by the enemy. (God did not go up. Samson "Like at other times.")

Sons of Korah rouse up (250 princes, famous, reknown, Dathan and Abiram) -- And take every man his censer, and put incense -- God caused fire to consume the princes and the rest o Korahh that stood outstide their tents wiht their families and the earth opened up. The next day 14,700 died of a plague

Nu 22:1 ¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

II. The Context (

Numbers 23:25 — And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Nu 23:26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

Nu 23:1 ¶ And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. 4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth? 13 ¶ And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. 14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder. 16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. 17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken? 18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. 23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! 24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

• Balaam had thrown up his hands and now Balaak gives up.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do? 27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. 28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. 29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

III. Parallel Passages

Psalms 31:19 — Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalms 64:9 — And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

Psalms 126:2,3 — Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Isaiah 41:4 — Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

John 11:47 — Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

Acts 4:16 — Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

Acts 10:38 — How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 15:12 — Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

1Th 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 1Th 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

IV. Great Things (large in estate or honnor, excellent, tower)

• 'Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart:" - BECAUSE ...

1Sa 12:16 ¶ Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. 19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. 23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.