Got a Talking Donkey in Your Life?

Balaam and his talking donkey; I've always kind of liked that story – a talking donkey!

Numbers 22-24, tells us that the people of Moab were terrified of the Israelites. Because of this, Balaam is asked to go with Balak, the son of the King Zippor, to curse them. Balaam had a reputation: those that he blessed stayed blessed and those that he cursed stayed cursed. Hmm, I’m thinking that would probably be someone to stay on the good side of.

When Balak asks for Balaam’s assistance, he tells him right up front that he was going to check with God and only deliver the answer that God gave him. God tells him, “Don’t go with them and don’t curse Israel.”

So Balaam tells Balak, “Hey, God said no and I can’t defy the orders of God in anything big or little, but you can stay with me and I’ll see what God says tonight.” This time, God tells him to along with Balak but to be very careful to only do what He instructs him to do.

As he traveled along, his donkey saw an angel blocking the road. The angel was holding a sword. The donkey veered off the road into a ditch. Balaam wasn't impressed; he beat the donkey. But the donkey saw the angel blocking the road two moe times, two more times he veered off the road, and two more times Balaam beat him for doing so.

After the third time, the donkey asks him, “What have I ever done to you?” Balaam responds by telling him that he was tired of his games and that if he had a sword he would have killed him. I find it kind of odd that Balaam answer. Yeah, kind of odd.

But God gets his attention through the donkey and says to him, “I’ve come here to block your way because you are getting ahead of yourself.” Hmm, so Balaam was following the path that God told him he could follow but it took a donkey to get his attention so God could let him know that he was getting ahead of himself.

Are you following the road that you know God has told you to follow, but there’s a donkey (or two!) that keeps blocking your way? Eh, maybe before you beat the donkey down, take a closer look. Maybe you are getting too far ahead of yourself. Maybe, just maybe, God knows what is in store for you down that road and he needs to remind you the importance of only doing and saying exactly what he tells you to.