Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 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. 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.
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 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.
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. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 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?”
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.”
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.
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.
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. 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.”
Numbers 22:21-33
Balaam and his talking donkey is one of my favorite Bible stories. I first read this story in the King James Bible when I was in junior high. At that time I found it amusing, mostly due to the archaic language. In my early 20s, I had a band named after Balaams "Donkey". I have matured somewhat since then, but I still appreciate this story. I always imagine how strange it must have seemed to the people with Balaam. In my mind, he is the only one who can hear the donkey speaking; everyone else sees him arguing with the donkey, who is making only normal donkey noises. I especially enjoy the fact that Balaam doesn't even lose a beat when his donkey starts to talk; he talks right back to her.
This is another example of God using unlikely characters to accomplish His purposes. Balaam is a lot like many of us. We are, in general, well-educated, intelligent people; we certainly think we're capable of making plans and carrying them out, well aware of the dangers we may face. The donkey on the other hand is dumb. And yet, if not for the donkey, Balaam would have been dead.
Perhaps this is why Jesus instructs us to receive his kingdom like children (Mark 10:15). Children have a knack for stating the obvious, even when the truth may be embarrassing or uncomfortable. Another characteristic of children is trust. Most small children have not yet learned that the world can be a cruel place, and that people will not always do what they say they will. Perhaps you know someone who was hurt as a child by an adult who should have been caring for them. If so, you are certainly aware of how difficult it is for them to trust others now.
Since our perception of God is so often altered by our experiences with people, it may be very difficult for you to trust God. Maybe you feel like God is standing in your path, ready to strike you down. Or maybe you feel like God will leave you when you need Him the most. Let me assure you that this will never happen. God loves you, and wants you to know Him. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
God is capable of using just about anything to get your attention. A good rule to remember is that God will never say anything that contradicts His word. Keep this in mind as you go on your way, and watch for talking donkeys.
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