BALAAM AND HIS TALKING DONKEY: 3/10/08
NUMBERS 22: 1-35
Today we’ll take a look at a man, named Balaam, who was all tied up in the occult, Balaam was not an Israelite, he was a native of Pethor a city in Mesopotamia, and he would sell his satanic power to the highest dollar, as we get into the message we’ll see his main objective was financial gain.
Back in chapter 21 we’re told that the Israelites defeated every enemy that came against them, Israel was then and still is today, Gods chosen and special people, all any one has to do is take a look back at Israel’s history to see that all people that has caused trouble against His people are gone, but Israel is still alive and well, their all over the world today, what happened to Egypt, Assyria Babylon and Nazi Germany?
No nation has been blessed of God like Israel, not only with material blessings and divine protection, but primarily with spiritual blessings to share with the whole world.
Paul lists some of them in Romans 9:1-5. Israel gave the world the knowledge of the true and living God, the written Word of God, and of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world.
I’ve said it many times, as long as the U.S.A. will stand by Israel, God will stand by us.
Listen as I read today’s text found in Numbers 22: 1-35
Vs. 1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, “Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.”
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.”
Balak, king of Moab, didn’t realize that God had told Israel not to attack Moab in Deut. 2:9 9And the LORD said unto me,* Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
The Moabites were relatives Of the Jews, being descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot (Gen.1 19:26-37).
Israel desires to live in peace, but Satan hates Gods people and is always trying to wipe them off the face of the earth, just like their enemies want to do today, if only they knew, its impossible to do.
7And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. 8And he*[balaam] said unto them, ‘Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me:” and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
In those days, people believed that each nation had its own god, and Balaam knew that Jehovah was the God of the Israelites. Therefore, he went to seek the Lord’s will about the message from Balak.
Let me say that It was God who came to Balaam, not Balaam who brought God to himself, and the Lord wouldn’t low him to accept the invitation. God made His will very clear:
9And God came unto Balaam, and said, “What men are these with thee?” 10And Balaam said unto God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 11Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.”
12And God said unto Balaam, “Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.”
13And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes** of Balak, “Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.”
14And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, “Balaam refuseth to come with us. “
15And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. 16And they came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: 17For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.”
Balaam knew that without the God of Israel on his side, he would fail in his attempt to curse Israel, so he told the delegation he wouldn’t go with them.
But he didn’t tell them the reason: and that was Israel couldn’t be cursed because God had blest them. If he had told this to this delegation, that would have put an end to the negotiations and the princes would never have returned to Pethor.
But Balak still wanted victory over Israel, so Balak sent Balaam a larger and even more impressive delegation of princes with the promise of paying any fee Balaam asked, plus bestowing royal honors on him. Knowing God’s will in the matter, Balaam should have refused even to consider this second offer, but the hireling soothsayer was still hoping to find some way to get around God’s will.
The very fact that Balaam even considered the new offer was showing his subtle ways. That’s the way the devil is he is subtle like we’re told in Genesis as he talked to Eve. With his lips Balaam professed to obey the Lord, but in his heart he coveted the money and hoped God would change His mind.
18And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. 19Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.”
20And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, “If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.”
Why was God angry with Balaam going with the men, when He was the ONE who told Balaam to go in the first place? The Lord wanted total obedience to his command, not a half-hearted attempt at service that had an alternative, which was a selfish motive.
21And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
God was angry with Balaam for defying His will and allowing the love of money to
control him. We’ve all heard the old saying “dumb animals,” well in this case the animal was smarter than her master and his servants! She saw the angel of the Lord holding a sword and blocking the way; and by turning aside, she saved Balaam’s life.
22And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. 24But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again. 26And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
Three times the donkey changed the route and three times her master beat her. Balaam was filled with anger; and if he had some kind of a weapon he would have killed his faithful donkey.
Peter called it the madness of the prophet in
2 Peter 2: 15-16 15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
27And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, “What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”
We wonder why Balaam wasn’t shocked when his beast spoke to him with a man’s voice. I mean animals just don’t talk. It could be that in the past Satan’s demons had spoke to Balaam through animals.
A person has reached a very low level in life if God has to use brute beasts to communicate with him.
29And Balaam said unto the ass, “because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.”
30And the ass said unto Balaam, “Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?”
And he said, “Nay”.
31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32And the angel of the LORD said unto him, “Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: 33And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.”
34And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.”
35And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, “Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.”
So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
The angel warned Balaam that he was rushing headlong and recklessly on a wrong path that could only lead to ruin, and then Balaam offered to return home.
His words, “I have sinned,” were not evidence of sincere repentance. Judas Iscariot said in Matt. 27:3-4 3Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself,** and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.
But Judas didn’t turn to God for mercy. What good is it to say pretty words if your heart goes right on sinning?
Ps. 54:4-5 4Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 5He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth. 6I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
Or the prodigal Son as hen truly confessed his sin.
In His permissive will, God allowed Balaam to continue on his journey, but He warned him to speak only the messages that God gave him.
For the first time, Balaam realized that there was more involved in this happening that he had experienced than cursing a nation and making some money. So as the Lord used the donkey to rebuke her master, God would use Balaam to reveal great truths about Israel in the future.
I’m sorry to say that Balaam’s encounter with the power of the Lord had no effect upon him, for he went back to his former ways of evil and sin.
In chapter 31:7-8 the Israelites fought against Midian by command of God and Moses. Numbers 31:7-8 says7And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. 8And they slew the kings
of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword
For Balaam, the wages of his sin truly was death. Romans 6:23
And God is still the same today, and the wages of sin is still the same today.
