Read: Numbers 22:22-3
“But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path.
Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. The donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and pressed herself against it. So he hit her once again. The Angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.
Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, ‘What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?’
Balaam answered the donkey, ‘You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!’
But the donkey said, ‘Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?’
‘No.’ he replied.
Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in His hand. Balaam knelt and bowed with his face to the ground. The Angel of the Lord asked him, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because what you are doing is evil in my sight. The donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. If she had not turned away from Me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.’”
Understand:
- Why did the donkey stop three different times while she was travelling with Balaam?
- What did the Lord do to the donkey?
- What was Balaam’s reaction to the donkey?
- Why had the donkey stopped those three times in the first place?
Listen: This is, perhaps, one of my favorite lessons from the Bible. The Lord was trying to get Balaam’s attention but he wouldn’t listen. What’s funny about this is that, if you read the story in Numbers, Balaam would seek God’s voice and He would talk directly with him. Imagine that! Imagine being able to sit and have a conversation with God just like you would with anyone else. Now, you might ask yourself, if Balaam was able to talk openly with God, then why did the Angel of the Lord appear to him and why did He use a donkey to really get his attention? I think this happens to all of us sometimes. (Not the talking Donkey necessarily) We read our Bibles, we have our quiet times with the Lord, and really think we are hearing His voice and, truth be told, maybe we are hearing His voice but are we listening to what He is actually saying? I believe that this was what God was trying to teach, not only Balaam, but all of His people who would read about Balaam and his donkey in Scripture.
What does God have to do to really get us to listen to what He is saying to us? He will “lead [us] along the right path”(Psalm 23:3) but if we, just like Balaam did, try to do things our own way, He’s going to get our attention. This isn’t to say that the next time God wants to get your attention that you should expect a donkey to knock on your front door and talk to you. But, you should expect God to get your attention in some way.
In this passage of Scripture, the Angel of the Lord explains to Balaam, pretty much, that if it wasn’t for his donkey, He would have struck him down dead. There’s a reason that God wants to get our attention and maybe we are hearing Him but think about if you are really listening to Him and acting in obedience. You know what one of the best parts of this story was to me? When the donkey asked Balaam what he had done that would make him beat her, Balaam answered her. That’s it! He answered her. Do you notice that Balaam didn’t draw back in shock that his donkey had suddenly started talking and was asking him a question? He simply told him why he had beaten him. It was almost as if he knew he could expect miracles from the Lord at anytime and maybe he just figured that this was one of those times. He knew these things and yet the Lord still had to do something more to really get his attention. Are you making God go out of His way so you will listen to Him? Not just hear Him but really listen and obey so He can lead you along the right path.
Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us when we ignore You. You are always trying to lead us in the right direction but sometimes we let our own self get in the way. Help us to not only read and hear Your word but also to listen to You. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
Majacka Literary Creations 