The book of Numbers chapter 23
and 24. We're going to have several messages,
lessons from this passage of scripture that shares with us
that there was a man raised up by the name of Balaam, and it
was his intent and goal to curse a people that God had already
blessed. Here in the book of Numbers,
we're gonna be starting with chapter 23, Numbers chapter 23,
in this great book. Now, the children of Israel are
approaching the land that they've been seeking for and traveling
towards for the 40 years. And we have this interlude here.
And it really shares with us that God cares about His people
even though it doesn't look like He is. There over here, we have
somebody over here that is being paid to curse the children of
Israel and God's overruling and overriding of this man by the
name of Balaam. In the book of Numbers chapter
23, we read these words. Numbers chapter 23, and I wanna
read verses one through 12. And Balaam said unto Balak, build
me here seven altars and prepare me here seven oxen and seven
rams. Now, before we get too far, would
you join me back in the book of Numbers chapter 22. Numbers chapter 22. Before we
get too far from that passage, let's go to Numbers chapter 22
and the last verse of that chapter. In Numbers chapter 22 and verse
41, it came to pass on the morrow that Balak took Balaam and brought
him up into the high places of Baal. Now, Baal is a false god
and this is where he is worshipped, but notice how or what Balaam
was permitted to see from this high place. It says that since
he might see the people, might see the utmost part of the people.
So this is the first time that Balaam has been permitted to
look over and see the people that he's going to be paid to
curse. These are the people of God. And we're going to find
out that, or we've already found out, that Balaam has been told
by Almighty God, those people are blessed people. They are
blessed people because I have blessed them. And now he continues
on in his determination to curse them for pay. Let?s follow this
out going back again to the book of Numbers chapter 23. Verse
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam
offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 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 showeth me I will
tell thee. And he went, and in high place,
and God met Balaam. Now God, sometimes he uses the
oddest servants. Here's a servant that has no
interest in God. Here's a servant that has no
interest in God's Word. And here's a servant that has
been in absolute disobedience to Almighty God. And he is hard
as far from Him. He has no knowledge about God
except what he intends to do and use. He wants permission
to curse the people of God. But he has no knowledge beyond
that. He is just a lost man before God. He has no hope in this world,
he has no help in this world, and he has a God in this world,
and he's been at his place, and that's Baal, the place of Baal.
But he goes off with the intent, the thought of inquiring from
God about what he can do. In verse 5, the LORD, capital
L, capital O, capital R, capital D, which is very, very important
in the scripture, this is Jehovah, put a word in Balaam's mouth. Now it's interesting, just prior
to this, he put a word in a donkey's mouth. And there's two verses
that are mentioned there that he spoke to Balaam through a
donkey. Now people say that's impossible.
With God, nothing shall be impossible. He had the ability, He has created
all creatures, He has the ability of doing with them what He wills.
We find out that the Lord used critters for His glory, His honor,
and His praise. He even had a fish come up with
a gold coin in His mouth so that His disciples could pay their
taxes. What a miracle! He even prepared a great fish.
that swallowed up Jonah. I don't know how many accounts
I've read that a whale can't swallow a man. I don't care. He prepared a great fish to do
that. We're not talking about a whale. We're talking a prepared
fish that swallowed him and had the ability, at God's command,
to spew up that man on dry ground. That's what the Word of God says.
Alright, so we have a man that goes to pretend to inquire of
the Lord, And it says here in verse 5, The LORD put a word
in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt
thou speak. And he returned unto him, and,
lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab. Now these burnt sacrifices meant
nothing to him. There is nothing that resembles
these that was going on with the children of Israel. Over
here, these were ordained of God. They were on a purpose to
picture the Lord Jesus Christ. They were to demonstrate unto
us that Christ in Him crucified. These are people that would come
and lay their hands. The priest would lay his hands
upon these sacrifices and confess the sins of the people over these
sacrifices, and then they were consumed. Exactly what we find
with regard to our Savior, the Lord Jesus, that God Almighty
confessed the sins of His people and imputed them to the Lord
Jesus and He was crucified and bore our sins as far away as
the east is from the west. These are mimicking sacrifices. They have nothing to do with
what's been going on over here in Israel. These are just trappings
of religion. These are just trappings of Balaam
and Balak and Baal worship. But here they are, they're still
there, they're thinking they're doing a religious thing, and
they are. They're doing a very religious
thing. We all, by nature, are very religious, and it takes
the grace of God to lift us out of that position that we might
worship the true and the living God, and that we might see that
it was He that ransomed us from our sin. He returned unto him,
verse six, and lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, and he and
all the princes of Moab, they're expecting, these princes of Moab
are expecting that this man that they're paying will do exactly
what he said he would do, and that is curse the people of God.
And then it tells us here in verse seven, and he took up his
parable. He took up his parable. This
word parable mentioned in this verse and several others is the
Hebrew word mashal. And it is used in the Bible for
different kinds of poetic composition. We're going to have a poem put
out here. It doesn't show it in most of our translations,
but this is a poem that God gave Balaam to share with Balak and
all of the princes of Moab and for our benefit down to this
very day. Or we wouldn't have it. This
here in this poetic utterance is, Mashel is not a term generally
used for pronouncements by the Hebrew prophets, but it is generally
appropriated to Gentile sorcerers, what this word means. So we have
a Gentile, we have a sorcerer. He's called a sorcerer. Joshua
called him a sorcerer. He was not a person of God and
he's killed in a battle. The Jewish people take him out
with a sword. Balaam's character is this, that under
all the impressions that the Lord had blessed Israel, and
bless them he did, he is still trying to curse the people of
God, be obliged to pick up his pay and leave. And yet the Lord
says this. Read this with me. He spoke this
parable. And said, Balak the king of Moab
hath brought me from Aram out of the mountains of the east,
saying, Come, curse ye me, Jacob, and come, defy Israel. Verse 8, How shall I curse whom
God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the
Lord hath not defiled? 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.
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 this. Now notice Balak's response to
this. He understood this. We may not
understand it like we should, but he understood what this man
he's hired to do to curse Israel has said, where he says, Balak
said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I intend to pay you good silver
for cursing Israel, and you have blessed them. And he says there,
What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse my enemies,
and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. And he answered
and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord
hath put in my mouth? Well, it's so interesting, even
as we find that the Lord used a dumb donkey. Turn with me,
if you would, to the book of 2 Peter. Second Peter, Peter
is called on to bring this incident up many, many, many years later
and share with us that this type of shenanigans is not over. There
are people that will continue to attempt to curse the people
of God and yet they are a blessed people. Oh no, you can't mean
that you believe that. Oh no, you can't mean that you
believe that God saves his people from their sins. It's, I do that,
I take care of that. Well, 2 Peter, we find in chapter
two, verse 15, it says, for which forsaken the right way are gone
astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bazor, who
loved the wages of unrighteousness. but was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb donkey speaking with
man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. Now that word
madness means insanity. He's demonstrating true insanity
here, and he's rebuked for his iniquity, the dumb donkey speaking
with a man's voice. You know, we heard read this
morning, surely the wrath of man shall praise him. Revelation
chapter two, let's go to another place here in the New Testament
and read about this character that are brought out in three
chapters here in the book of Numbers. Revelation chapter two
shares with this about this infamous individual. Revelation chapter
two in verse 14. It says here, but I have a few
things against thee, the Lord speaking to a church, because
thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught
Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel,
to eat things offered to idols, or sacrifice to idols, and to
commit fornication. So the Lord himself shared with
these people that I have a few things against you. You know,
during the ministry of the Lord Jesus, we find so much in relationship
to what we read about Balaam, that the people said good things
with their mouths. but their heart was far from
him. They would compliment, oh, good
master, would you answer this question, on and on it goes,
but their heart was far from him, and that's what's brought
out in the scriptures. In the book of 1 Corinthians
chapter 13, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, there's a verse of scripture
that the apostle Paul was led to bring to the saints at Corinth,
and in this passage of scripture, he shares with us how many things
it might be possible to do. It says there in verse 1 of 1
Corinthians chapter 13, though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels. Wow. And he goes on to say, and
have not charity, I'm become as a sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal. If I don't have love, I'm just
like a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. I love to hear people
play the bells. But one bell over and over and
over and over and over and over and over and over. My mother
used to have an organ, a pump organ. And we would get on that
thing and hit one note for 10 minutes and here comes mom says,
turn that thing off. If I don't have God's love, I
am like one bell rattling and rattling and rattling, one organ
note rattling and rattling and rattling. And he goes on to say,
although I have the gift of prophecy. Well, we could say, some people
would say, Balaam had that and understand all mysteries and
knowledge. And though I have all faith so
that I could remove mountains. What's the Lord say? If we had
faith as a grain of mustard seed, we could say that this mountain
be removed and it would be removed. We don't have any faith. It is
all faith that God gives us. But here, if I could do this
and have not love, I am nothing. And what is that love? If I don't
have love, Love of God and love of Christ and love of His work
and love of His word and love that God is God and beside Him
there is none else. Love of His gospel. It's not
some man-made gospel, it is the gospel of God Almighty. Free grace in Christ Jesus alone. If I don't have that love for
that, I am a tinkling cymbal and a sounding brass. I don't
have any compassion towards God and his word. The love of his
doctrines and the love of his grace. If I don't have that love,
I'm like, and even though I do all these wonderful things, You
know, those that stand on the left-hand side are going to say,
have I not prophesied? Have I not cast out demons? Have
I not done all of these things? And the Lord Jesus will say,
you do not have the love of Christ. Therefore, depart from me. What
does that mean? You don't love my word. You don't
love me. You don't love what God does. You don't love what
God has said. No, when God's word speaks, God's
people love it. We find out that there is nothing
on our part that we can do, but God has taken care of it all,
and we love it. We find out how far short we
are. We find out how we are bent over,
we are in sin, we are in desperation, and yet God, His purpose is shown
in the scriptures that He will lift His people up out of that. Oh, that there is so often in
the scriptures we find as God dealt with Balaam, As he dealt
with Balak, now this is just the first out of several times
that Balak is going to move him to another place with the idea
that being in a different part of the world, he's going to be
able to do what Balak wants him to do. He's going to move him,
but he's going to have the same thing to say. Isn't it wonderful
as we find in the scripture that he declares his omnipotency in
everything? There is nothing that he does
not declare his omnipotency by letting us know that he overrides
and overrules. He's the one in charge. His omnipotency
is always before our eyes, that he is the one that has all power. And even though some man is hired
by another man to curse the people of God, God himself said, I will
overrule in this and I will override. We find in Romans chapter 8 and
verse 28, and we know that all things work together for the
good of them that love God to those who are the called according
to his purpose. He overrides, he overrules, he
is taken care of. He took a man out here and he
had to instruct him with a donkey, and he let him go over here to
make an attempt to curse the people of God, to bring up lies
about God, and God overruled that and shuts him down. You
know, there are many ways in the scripture that the Lord shares
with us that he overrules. You know, there is a time when
a prophet makes a declaration about a king. You go into battle,
you're gonna die. Well, the king decided he would
trade clothes with the king of Judah. And he would get in his
chariot, and he'd ride off, and nobody would know. You know,
in God's omnipotency, He moved on a man. The Bible tells us
this. He moved on a man to shoot an
arrow in a venture. Well, I know this isn't going
to do any good, but I'm going to let her go without any intention
to smite any particular person. And that arrow goes and hits
King Ahab just like the prophet said would happen. The man drew
a bow in a venture. No particular individual in mind. Now one of the rich blessings
that we find with regard to God's overruling is found in a person
by the name of Joseph. Joseph is loved by his father
and despised by his brothers. And he is going to be left for
dead. And then some Midianites come along and says, why don't
we make some money on this guy? And they sell their brother into
bondage to the Midianites. Well, the Midianites just happened
to be going down to Egypt. And down in Egypt, he's turned
over to a man by the name of Potiphar. And you know what? His wife has designs on him,
on Joseph, and he's thrown into prison. And there he is, brings
about, knows the knowledge of some dreams. And before you know
it, he's standing before the Pharaoh of Egypt, interpreting
dreams. God gave him the interpretation,
he's put into a position, God's overriding, God's sovereign display,
God's omnipotency in display, sold into prison, sold into slavery,
and now is the head man, second man, he's the prime minister
of Egypt dispensing grain. And you know while he's down
there, there's three verses, Talking about me overriding scripture
and not paying much attention. But there's three verses of scripture
that mentions a lady down in Egypt that Joseph marries. And you know, for all the tea
in China, she could not have hoped for any better gift than
someone to come down to Egypt to share with her the everlasting
gospel. One person out of all the hosts
of Egypt is put into a home of somebody that knew something.
And she bore him two children, Manasseh and Ephraim. And you
know what? He probably is the only son of
Jacob that didn't have plurality of wives. God's overriding, His omnipotency
on display. He did that over a passage of
years with Joseph, put him into the exact right place at the
right time, and was used to bring the children of Israel into a
proper place down in Egypt. We find this going on and on. There in the book of Exodus,
would you turn with me to chapter 9 of the book of Exodus for just
a moment. In the book of Exodus, chapter
9, verse 13, we have the omnipotency. Now there arose a pharaoh in
Egypt who knew not Joseph. And Moses is there at this time.
And we know he was raised in the household of Pharaoh. He was raised in Pharaoh's daughter's
household. He's been rescued. He's supposed
to be dead. There was an edict to kill all
the male children, throw them out in the river, let them drown.
There's getting too many of these people. We can't handle it. We
don't want any more of them. And by God?s grace, he is delivered
because his mother put him in a little ark and Pharaoh?s handmaidens
found him and said, ?Well, let?s raise this boy up.? And he spent
40 years there in Pharaoh?s household. And then he had to leave because
he murdered a man. Went to the backside of the desert.
For 40 years he herded sheep. Now God appears to him in a burning
bush and says, it's time to deliver my people. They've been here
for almost 400 years. When it's exactly 400 years,
they will be delivered, because that's the promise I made to
Abraham. So, Moses is raised up to come
down here and to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. If you
turn to the book of Acts chapter 7, I think it is, Stephen already
mentioned that. He already knew that he's going
to do this, they just didn't know it. Well, the time comes,
and here in Exodus chapter 9 verse 13, And the LORD said unto Moses,
Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh. And
saying to him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let
my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send
all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon
thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like
me in all the earth. What is God doing with Balaam?
I'm gonna let you know that there is none like me in all the earth. I will override every hope he
has of cursing the children of Israel, just as we find here
that Moses was raised up and he's standing before Pharaoh.
Now, verse 15, now I will stretch out my hand and I will smite
thee and thy people with pestilence and thou shall be cut off from
the earth. In the very deed of this cause have I raised thee
up. What did he say to Pharaoh? Pharaoh
has a long lineage, he's been rich, his parents have been rich,
and now he's right here, and right before him stands Moses,
and he delivers the message that God delivered to him. He says,
for this very reason have I raised thee up, to show in thee my power,
and that my name shall be declared throughout all the earth. What
do we remember about Balaam? God overruled him. God determined
he would not curse the people and that he would deal with him
in his omnipotency and put his own words in his mouth. Can you
imagine when Balaam got those words how bad they tasted? When he went there with the idea
of cursing and he came back with only a blessing for the people
of God, how bad that tasted, oh my goodness. And he kinda
got that spewed out of his mouth, and the second opportunity comes
to do it. And you know what God did? He
stuck the same words back in his mouth and got to taste them
again. And the third time, again, what
is God demonstrating? I am omnipotent. I will overrule, I will interfere,
I will take care of my people and I will do it as I will do
it. Verse 16 here in the book of
Exodus, And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee
up, for to show in thee my power, and that my name may be declared
throughout all the earth. Not you, Pharaoh, but my name,
my power, not your power. And as yet exalted thou thyself
against my people, that thou wilt not let them go. You know,
the Lord tells us in the next chapter, chapter 14, I'll harden
Pharaoh's heart. Oh my goodness, God wouldn't
do that. He did. He hardened Pharaoh's heart.
God intervened on the behalf of his people. His omnipotency
is declared throughout all the world. He dealt with a most powerful
king at the time and hardened his heart. And the result of
that hardening was that he would go after the children of Israel
and God would take care of him for time and for eternity at
the same time. It is so interesting when we
read about the conquest of the land. The children of Israel
are just about ready to go into the land. And you know, as we
see him overriding with Balaam, putting his own words in his
mouth, he can't say anything else. And he is making his pei
so upset. What have you done? I asked you
to curse these people and you blessed them. Well, I can't say
any more than God gave me. Bitter pill in his mouth. And
you know we find this as God overrides and overrules and all
things. When Joshua sent two spies into the land, into Jericho. You know what's astonishing to
me is when they come to Rahab. Now they know God directs them
right, the right place to go, to Rahab. And you know what Rahab
said? We feared you for the last 40
years. When you crossed the Red Sea, we heard about it. We are
afraid of you already. Why was the city locked up? Because they were afraid of Israel.
And you know, they conquested Jericho in such an astonishing
way, they didn't do anything. They marched around it. They
had not one thing to do with lowering those walls or destroying
the walls of Jericho. God took care of that. You know,
you read in some commentaries that horns destroy that. My goodness. What people will do to disregard
what the Word of God has to say about how God does His business.
He destroyed the walls of Jericho. And He destroyed it in such a
way that they could go into the city. Another thing that is so
astonishing to me, read with me in Isaiah chapter 44. Throughout
the scriptures, God has declared His omnipotency over all things. He's omnipotent over Balaam and
Balak. He's omnipotent over His own
people. It is a God that is omnipotent that is dealing with His people
even today. He deals with them according
to His omnipotency, His power. His power is the only thing that
can raise us from the dead. His power is the only thing that
can take us out of the pit we're in. In the book of Isaiah chapter
44, we read about a man by the name of Cyrus. Now the interesting
thing about this in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 44
verse 28. In Isaiah chapter 44 and verse
28, we read about a man by the name of Cyrus. There in verse
28, the scriptures share this. that saith of Cyrus, He is my
shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be built, and to the temple thy foundation shall be
laid." This is not historical. These words were written 150
years before Cyrus was born. God had Peradenture already directed
what was going to happen. This is before the children of
Israel have been even put in Babylonian captivity. He is writing
about the man that will release them. Turn with me to the book
of Ezra, chapter 1. In Ezra 1, verses 1 and 2, we
read the glorious statement here about this man by the name of
Cyrus, named by God, God's servant, 150 years before he became the
servant of God in such a way. In Ezra 1, verse 1, we read these
words. Now the first year Cyrus, king
of Persia. Ezra 1, verse 1, the first year
of Cyrus, king of Persia. Now we just read about him in
the book of Isaiah. Isaiah, that passage of scripture
was written approximately 150 years. My goodness, it is no
small thing for God to open up the mouth of a false prophet
and stick his words in it and say, go prophesy and fulfill
all my bidding. And when he gets over there,
Hoping and hoping against hope that he can curse the children
of Israel. He opens his mouth and the words of the Lord flow
out and Balak the man who has hired him says what have you
done to me? You know what? He's gonna say
that three times. What have you done? I'm paying you to curse.
Who's the overriding? Who's the omnipotency one? Here
in the book of Ezra chapter 1 verse 1, Now in the first year of Cyrus,
king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah
might be fulfilled, The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus,
king of Persia, that he made a proclamation. Do you think
that Cyrus goes down to the temple and prays? Do you think that
Cyrus is offering sacrifices unto the Lord? Do you think that
Cyrus even knows anything about God Almighty? Nope. He doesn't know a thing. He's
not a believer. God is using him as he said he
would. God has someone on the throne
in Persia where the children of Israel are, and he said 150
years prior to this, he will let my people go. Now in the first year of Cyrus,
king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah
might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus,
king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all
his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, thus saith
Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given me all
the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him
a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. And he goes on to say,
we'll let them go. You know in the book of Matthew
chapter 12 verse 14, turn over there with me if you would. We
have this statement made about man, made by man, that's what
we want to say, made by man. Made by man about the Lord. Matthew
chapter 12 verse 14. It is no small thing. God can
deal with a situation 150 years in advance. You know when he
really dealt with that situation? Eternity past. When did he really
deal with Balaam and Balak in eternity past? When did he really
deal with Joseph going down to Egypt in eternity past? This is not just the writing
of history as it goes on. This is the purpose of God being
fulfilled. This, He's carrying out His will.
All that He purposed before the foundation of the world is being
carried out. By Balaam and by Balak. By Joshua and the children
of Israel at Jericho. By Joseph in Egypt. All of these
things. And here we read in Matthew chapter
12 and verse 14. Then the Pharisees went out and
held counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him. We have
the people against God, who's going to win here? They make
counsel on how they might destroy Him. Well, do you know what?
They are absolutely fulfilling the eternal purpose of God. That's why Christ came. He came
to lay down His life, a ransom for many. He came for the purpose
of saving His people from their sins. Well, let's just jump from
Matthew 12, verse 14 over to the book of Acts, chapter 2.
In the book of Acts, chapter 2, we read this about that same
incident. determined. They just started
thinking about how we might destroy Him. In Acts chapter 2 and verse
23, the wonderful words of God is shared with us that this has
all been taken care of beforehand. These men moved as it was determined
by the Lord. Balaam moved as it was determined. You cannot curse my people. I will use you as an object lesson. I will teach my people that I
will overrule in all things on their behalf. I will make my
power known. And here in the book of Acts
chapter 2 and verse 23, this same one that they determined
on how they might destroy him, him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. He's already been delivered
for this purpose. And now we see how it's going
to happen. God has worked this out gloriously
on His behalf that He might demonstrate how overriding, how omnipotent
He is in all things. He moves upon people to come
up against the Lord, and then we find out that He's already
been delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. When was that? before the foundation of the
world, that was, for knowledge. Ye have taken by wicked hands,
have crucified and slain. As we found out this morning,
that man was released from prison. Pilate would have let Jesus go.
It was overridden. Barabbas is released. Can you
imagine what he was thinking while he's down there in that
prison when he heard all those words, crucify him, crucify him,
crucify him? And if I was down in prison with
that sentence over me, I'm a murderer and a robber and I have tried
to overthrow the government, they haven't heard what Pilate
has said. They haven't heard what the people have said. But
all they can hear is crucify him, crucify him, crucify him.
And then the guards come down and release him out of prison
and they have a hold of his hands. What's going to happen to me?
They know. He knows what's going to happen
to him. And as soon as he steps out in the light, he says, go
free. What are you talking about? Isn't that what the Lord does
for us? took us out of prison, out of darkness, and said, you
are free, because he laid down his life for you. Oh, the scriptures
continue on. Not one hair of your head is
lost without God's knowledge and purpose being performed.
The truth of the matter is God's overriding all things. And we,
turn with me to the book of John chapter six, John chapter six.
before our time completely runs out, turn with me a couple of
verses in John 6 that just share with us that God is overriding. He proves it so often in the
scriptures, and now He demonstrates it here. Look at John. He just demonstrates it right
before our very eyes. He said, All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. I'm overriding. I am omnipotent. I will override. I stopped a
man who wanted to curse and turn it into a blessing. I opened
the mouth of a donkey to speak to that prophet. I overrode with
Pharaoh. For this purpose have I raised
thee up. And on and on the verses go,
and now we come down to us. All that the Father giveth me
shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me, what? I will
in no wise cast out. Why? Because he's omnipotent. He's the one that overrides and
overrules. We may have said a dozen times,
I'm not going there. I don't want to hear that. But
God in his omnipotence, And you know when he gives us the word
in regeneration, they're not bitter words to us, they're sweet
words. Oh, it's like a honeycomb in
the mouth. So sweet, the word of God to
his people, that he would care before the world began, care
before he created Adam, care that he would have a lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. He'd have names written down
in the Lamb's Book of Life. He would care. And then in time,
all that the Father giveth me shall come unto me. And then
in verse 39, and this is the Father's will, which hath sent
me, that of all which he hath given me, I shall lose nothing.
but should raise it up at the last day. And in verse 45 of
that same chapter it says, it is written in the prophets, and
they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and hath learned of the Father, what? Cometh to me. I will draw them with cords of
love. They shall come. I will draw
them out of every nation, kindred, people, and tongue. I will bring
them here to Christ. Every man that hath heard. John chapter 19. Turn with me
to the book of John chapter 19. One more time, Pilate speaks. The writing above the cross of
a convicted person, that writing up there was the accusation.
This is why we're crucifying them. And Pilate had, and this
is just part of it, if you look at all four Gospels, you'll read
it all, but here it says, Pilate wrote a title and put it on the
cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews. And this title then read, many of the Jews, for the place
where Jesus was crucified, was nigh to the city, and it was
written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Why was it written in
so many languages? So everybody could read it. Some people were Hebrews, some
people were Greeks, and some people were Romans. So they got
to read it in their own language. And then said the chief priests
of the Jews to Pilate, write not the king of the Jews, but
he said, I am king of the Jews. Verse 22, the omnipotency of
almighty God exercised in a pagan man. What I have written, I have
written. Did they change it? No. Pilate
was used of God to bless the people of God. What I have written,
I have written. Well, we find God overruling
in all things, and if he didn't, there would not be one person
on the right-hand side If he didn't override in our lives,
didn't demonstrate his omnipotency in our lives, we would never
come to him. But all that the Father giveth
me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I will in
no wise cast out. What's that mean? I'll never
be angry with. I'll never despise. I will love
him with an everlasting love like I've always loved him. All
right, Brother Mike, if you'll come.