Balaam
Balaam is a prophet, but not a good one. He did hear from God, but he didn’t always do what he was supposed to do.
Balaam comes into the story in Numbers 22, shorty after the Israelites are given orders to go into the promised land and they defeat the king of Arad and the king of the Amorites.
Numbers 22:2-3
2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
So, the son of the king of Moab thought up a plan. He sent a message to the local prophet, and asked him to put a curse on the people of Israel.
Numbers 22:5-6
“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
Balaam is a prophet, so he really DOES hear from God,
but he’s also what they call a “Diviner” - someone who hears form God,
but also listens to other spiritual things.
Joshua 13:22
22 In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination.
So, Balak sends his people to Balaam, and he does the right thing and takes the night to ask God what to do.
Numbers 22:12
“Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
They go back to their boss, and he says tells them to go back and make him come. Balaam says no again, but prays about it, and God says:
Numbers 22:20
“Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Numbers 22:22
But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.
2 Peter 2:15
Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
Jude 1:11
they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error
Revelation 2:14
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
Hearing God for direction is not the same as having communion with God, and listening to Him every step of the way.
The Donkey
Numbers 22:21-27
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
Numbers 22: 28-39
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
1. God Can Use Anyone
I believe that God used that donkey, just to prove His own power. Maybe God was making a deeper statement
about him having control over all creation, but I think this is more in tone with:
Luke 19:40
If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.
God is going to have his plan unfold, and NOTHING is going to stand in the way of that… even if that means talking through a donkey!
- No lack of experience is going to hinder us from being used
- No lack of skill is going to hinder us from being used
- No lack of brain power is going to hinder us from being used
… if we are willing, God can use us!
2. We’re All Even Under God
I think sometimes we look at “Mighty Men and Women of God” and we think, oh, I’m just some normal person, how could I possibly speak into their life? If you are a follower of Jesus, you have the same Holy Spirit in you.
We need to stop acting like there’s a hierarchy of more important people in the Kingdom of God. There are definitely people with different callings, and different levels of authority, but not importance.
3. Supporting People Doesn’t Always Mean Agreeing
Sometimes we’re in a place where we are there to help someone see the plan of God on their lives. So, being a good sidekick doesn’t mean you agree with everything… Sometimes it means that you call them out, and you keep walking with them, submitting to them as they continue to mess up.
2 Peter 2:15-16
—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
