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“Blessed is everyone who blesses you, / And cursed is everyone who curses you”—v. 9b:
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Instead of cursing God's people, Balaam, speaking on behalf of God, altogether blessed them.
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To bless a person is to speak well of him, to speak positively concerning him—Eph. 1:3.
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The more we praise the Lord for His people and speak well of them in faith, the more we put ourselves under God's blessing:
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Those who speak positively concerning the church receive the blessing.
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Those who speak negatively put themselves under a curse.
Morning Nourishment
Num. 24:9 …Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.
Something happened in a prayer meeting in Shanghai in the early 1940s that helped me to see God's people as He sees them. In that meeting an experienced sister co-worker, troubled by the low state of the church, cried out to the Lord on behalf of the church. As she prayed, she sighed and groaned because of the poor condition of the church. When she finished praying, Brother Nee broke forth in praise to the Lord and gave Him thanks that the church is never weak or low, but always high. The congregation was shocked. Then Brother Nee helped us to understand the significance of Balaam's prophecy regarding the children of Israel. Balaam was hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel. But instead of cursing God's people, Balaam blessed them. Speaking on behalf of God, Balaam said,”He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has he seen trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21). Furthermore, in Numbers 24:5 Balaam said,”How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!” According to these verses, God did not see iniquity or perverseness, trouble, in Israel. Instead, He saw only goodness, fairness, and beauty. The same is true regarding the church today. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 78-79)
Today's Reading
If you praise the Lord for the church life and speak well concerning it, you will put yourself under God's blessing. During all the years I have been in the church life, I have not seen one person who spoke negatively about the church who was under God's blessing. On the contrary, all who have said that the church was poor, low, or dead have been under a curse. Those who speak positively about the church, declaring that the church is lovely and that it is God's house, receive the blessing. This is not mere doctrine; it is a testimony that can be verified by the experiences of many saints.Sometimes when I am disappointed over the church and do not think positively about it, the Lord within warns me to be careful. Immediately I ask the Lord to cleanse me, and I begin to declare how wonderful the church is. Even though the church may cause me trouble, I still love the church. The more I speak this positive way, the more I am under God's blessing. Whose word about the church is right, yours or the Lord's? In eternity, the Lord's word will prove to be right, for in eternity the church will be marvelous, glorious, and transcendent. All the enemy's accusations regarding the church are lies. To say that the church is poor or dead is to utter a devilish lie….The church is uplifted and very living. Do not see deeper than the Lord sees…. Are you wiser or more perceptive than God? The Bible declares that the Lord does not behold perverseness in Israel. But you claim to see perverseness in the church. Which do you choose to believe, the Lord's sight or yours? If we stand with the Lord's estimation of the church, we shall be kept from falling from the blessing into the curse.
Whenever I speak to the leading ones concerning the church in a way that is not positive, I have regrets later…. If I try to excuse myself by saying that I was not condemning the church but simply speaking the facts, I am even more troubled within…. Therefore, I can testify from experience that it is not an easy matter to touch the church. Whenever we touch it, we must do so in a positive way. Then we shall receive the blessing.
The Old Testament reveals that many times God came in to rebuke and to reprove the children of Israel. But when the Gentiles attacked God's people, the Gentiles suffered loss sooner or later. In His eyes, the children of Israel were redeemed, sanctified, transformed, and built up, and God had His dwelling place among them.
Be careful of your natural sight. If God does not see iniquity or perverseness in the church, then how can you see it? When God is merciful, He abounds in mercy. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 79-81)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 7