this, of course, to Israel not as individuals, but in their totality as the people of God. In the language of a

German critic,23 "The pious Israelite could look back with calm satisfaction, in the hour of his death, upon a

life rich in proofs of the blessing, forgiving, protecting, delivering, saving mercy of God. With the same calm

satisfaction would he look upon his children, and children's children, in whom he lived again, and in whom

also he would still take part in the high calling of his nation, and in the ultimate fulfillment of the glorious

promise which it had received from God.... And for himself, the man who died in the consciousness of

possessing the mercy and love of God, knew also that he would carry them with him as an inalienable

possession, a light in the darkness of Sheol. He knew that he would be 'gathered to his fathers' - a thought

which must have been a very plenteous source of consolation, of hope, and of joy."

THE SECOND "PARABLE" OF BALAAM

It was but natural that Balak should have been equally surprised and incensed at the words of the

soothsayer. The only solution he could suggest was, that a fuller view of the camp of Israel might change

the disposition of the magician. "Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest

see them (viz., in their totality); only the end (utmost part) of them seest thou, but the whole of them thou

seest not - and from thence curse me them."  24 The station now selected was on the field of the watchers,"

on the top of Pisgah, affording not only a full view of the camp, but of the Land of Promise itself. Here

Moses, not long afterwards, took his farewell prospect of the goodly heritage which the Lord had assigned

to His people.25 The same formalities as before having been gone through, in regard to altars and sacrifices,

Balaam once more returned to Balak with the following message:

Rise up, Balak, and hear, Hearken to me, son of Zippor! Not man is God that He should lie, Nor a son of man

that He should repent! Hath He said, and shall He not do it, Hath He spoken, and shall He not fulfill it?

Behold, to bless, I have received -And He hath blessed, and I cannot turn it back! He beholdeth not iniquity

in Jacob, And He looketh not upon distress in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the king's jubilee in

the midst of him.  26

God bringeth them out of Egypt -As the unwearied strength of the buffalo is his.27 For, no augury in Jacob,

no soothsaying 28 in Israel, According to the time it is said to Jacob and to Israel what God doeth.29

Behold, the people, like a lioness it riseth, And like a lion it raiseth itself up -He shall not lie down, till he has

eaten the prey,30 And drink the blood of the slain.

The meaning of this second "parable" needs no special explanation. Only it will be noticed, that the

progress of thought is successively marked by four lines - the last two always expressing the ground, or

showing the foundation of the two first. The center couplet is t he most important. It marks for ever, that the

Covenant-Presence of God in Israel, or, as we should now express it, that the grace of God, is the ultimate

cause of the forgiveness of sins, and that the happy realization of Jehovah as the King is the ground of joy.

Whenever and wherever that Presence is wanting only unforgiven sin is beheld; wherever that shout is not

heard only misery is felt.

THE THIRD "PARABLE" OF BALAAM

In his despair Balak now proposed to try the issue from yet a third locality. This time a ridge somewhat

farther north was selected - "the top of Peor that looketh toward Jeshimon." A third time seven altars were

built and sevenfold sacrifices offered. But there was a marked difference in the present instance. Balaam

went no more "as at other times to seek for auguries" (Numbers 24:1). Nor did Jehovah now, as formerly

(23:5, 16), "put a word in his mouth." But "the Spirit of God came upon him" (24:2), in the same manner as

afterwards upon Saul (1 Samuel 19:23) - he was in the ecstatic s tate, powerless and almost unconscious, or,

as Balaam himself describes it, with his outward eyes shut (ver. 3), and "falling," as if struck down, while

seeing "the vision of the Almighty," and "having his (inner) eyes opened" (ver. 4).