Monday, Nov. 18
Numbers Chapters 22-24 Click here to read
Balaam is best known for the story of his talking donkey. Incredibly, though, that’s not the most surprising thing about the donkey or Balaam.
As the Israelites prepare to take the promised land, one of the kings in their path is Balak, king of Moab. Balak, a worshiper of Baal, calls on a respected prophet among his people, Balaam, and seeks to have him curse Israel to keep them from taking his land.
While Balaam is not a follower of the Hebrew God, he is an honest prophet and insists he can only speak what is revealed to him. And what God reveals to him leads him to bless, not curse, the Israelites.
When he finally consents to go to Balak in person, an angel blocks his path. Balaam cannot see the angel, but his donkey can and turns aside in fear, and finally lies down rather than moving forward.
When Balaam beats the donkey for its disobedience, the donkey speaks to him in protest, and Balaam is finally able to see the angel.
Not surprisingly, we usually focus on the talking donkey, but there are more significant lessons to be gained today.
First is the lesson that God will get his message communicated, even if it takes unusual means. We see this in the donkey speaking, but it is no less surprising that God would speak through Balaam, a prophet of Baal.
In Luke 19, the Pharisees tell Jesus to silence his disciples and he responds by saying, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” One way or another, God will be heard.
Second, and related, is that God uses an animal as a witness. The donkey is given the ability to see an angel even before Balaam is.
I don’t want to suggest that all actions by animals or other natural phenomena reveal the will of God, but we do well to remember that God keeps that path of communication as a possibility.
Third, we see that righteousness and wisdom can enable people who do not worship God to be used as instruments of God. Integrity is vital to speaking God’s truth, and is not limited to believers.
Balaam defends his blessing of God’s people by saying in 23:12, “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?”
This sounds much like the vision Peter receives in Acts 10, when a voice from heaven tells him, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Later on Balaam will turn against God, but in this encounter with him he behaves with integrity.