Numbers 22:21-41. 12-19-16. GOD WARNS US OF OUR WRONG PATH

-my devotional

Numbers 22:21-41.                                                     By Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 32                                                                         12-19-16

“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.’” (32)

In this passage, God tried to stop Balaam from his reckless path. He tried in several ways, even causing a donkey to speak. Finally, God opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel. It was revealed that Balaam’s path was reckless. But his heart was set. He really wanted to go with the Moabites. He didn’t want to change his reckless course. God allowed him to go, but told Balaam to speak only what he would have him speak. Balaam should not have come to Balak. He was enticed by the reward for placing a curse on Israel. Hoping that God would oblige him, he sacrificed animals in the company of the officials and went up to the Israelite camp. Balaam was greedy with an impure motive for money and recognition. He did not care about the glory of God, God’s redemptive work nor his influence among the people of God. In our study of this passage, let’s learn more about the Lord, who cares about us so much, that he forgives and tries his best to intervene, even when we seem determined to go down our own reckless path.

Part 1: God Was Trying To Stop Him (21-35).

God tried to stop Balaam in so many ways. Look at verses 21-30, “’21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 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. 23 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. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25When 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. 26 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. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 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?” 29 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.” 30 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.”

God had allowed Balaam to go, but it was not God’s will. It was a concession to a stubborn man. Look at verses 20-23, God let Balaam go with Balak’s messengers, but he was angry about Balaam’s greedy attitude. The truth is, he was going anyway, hence, the anger of the Lord. Balaam claimed he would not go against God just for money, but his resolve was beginning to slip. In some ways, this was a spiritual test.

God was very graceful. He tried to stop Balaam by sending an angel in certain areas along the path. They were all situations where there could be no avoiding the angel and there could be no excuse as to why he did not listen. First, the angel was standing in the path of the road. Next, he was standing in the path through the vineyard with walls. Then the angel was standing in a narrow place.  God even tried to intervene through a donkey, who was enabled to speak, trying to warn Balaam.

Balaam was so blind and hard hearted, that he just could not see God trying to help him. When he heard the donkey, he got very violent. Look at verse 27. Donkeys were the all-purpose, highly dependable for many essential jobs. Balaam became so angry when his donkey refused to move because the donkey was supposed to obey his commands. But the donkey, seeing the angel refused to budge. Three times Balaam refused to learn from the animal. So blinded was he for money, that even a donkey talking with a man’s voice failed to make him hesitate and think, “Hmmm…Could God be trying to tell me something through this?” Balaam even answers the animal, brushing aside the phenomenon of what was taking place.

It is so amazing that Balaam was still so blind to see God’s attempt to intervene. It is also amazing how blind we human beings can become if it were not for the grace of God opening our eyes to the reality if the world around us. Sin can have such a hold upon a person that they take all leave of their senses, in order to carry out their desires. Our sins blind us to God’s loving interventions.

But God did not give up on Balaam. God opened his eyes to see the angel. Balaam could see himself a little bit, before God. Look at verses 31-34. “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. 32 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. 33 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.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

     Balaam was awestruck by the angel. He knew that that if he says the wrong thing he is a dead man. And if it wasn’t for the donkey, the angel would surely have killed Balaam. The angel exercised great restraint as he spoke.

Through the angel, God made it clear that the path Balaam was choosing was a reckless path. Look at verse 32, “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.”  It was a warning. Clearly the path that Balaam chose was a reckless one before God. God let him know it. But that still didn’t stop Balaam from pursuing it. He is very stubborn.

There are paths, that even believers pursue, that are reckless ones. They rush down those paths because of unholy desires. Somehow, they are deceived, so much so that they cannot even recognize God who is trying to help them stop and choose another path. But praise Jesus. He does not leave his people without warning. He tries to intervene, and to open our eyes to our reckless course and choose a new course that is pleasing in his sight.

Finally, after one huge effort by God to open up Balaam’s eyes, he appears to repent. Look at verse 34, “Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.” He confessed his sin and offered to returned home. He seems to have been sincere, but we will learn that he never actually changed.

There is one point to learn here, when God opens our eyes, then we can repent. We cannot repent until, by God’s grace, our eyes have been opened. We need to see ourselves before the light of God. Until we receive that grace we can never repent for we cannot see our sin until we behold the sinless one, Jesus. Part of our regular prayer should be that God may open our eyes to the recklessness of our sinful ways and guide us along the right path…the path of following Jesus.

     God could sense that Balaam still wanted to go with the Moabite officials. Look at verse 35. “The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.” Balaam sounded penitent, but he did not truly repent. He still had a strong desire for an earthly reward. God allowed Balaam to continue, but the prophet would only be able to speak what God put into his mouth. Still, blinded by greed, Balaam made a fateful choice. He didn’t realize that he had just signed his death warrant.  We can avoid Balaam’s mistake by looking past the temptations of fame or fortune and see the long-range benefits of following God.

I thank God that he tries his best to help us to stop us from our destructive course. We like to insist on our own ways, that see right to us. But the Lord knows the right path. God knows the correct way. This may not seem to make sense to us, but it is the best way. We need to open our blind eyes and follow God’s way. I need to react when the Spirit of God and with the Word of God try to speak to me. Lord, grant me eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart that is set to obey you and follow you.

Part 2: Balaam Was Blind (36-41).

Verses 36-41 read, “When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?” 38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” 39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.”

Balaam was charged to speak only the words that God gave him. But he spoke words that God did not tell him to speak, like words on how to make unauthorized sacrifices. These other words, which the Lord did not give him, would being about his own death later on.  There is even a possibility that Balak offered these sacrifices to Jehovah. We don’t know. But their sacrifices could never be accepted by the Lord.

Balaam and Balak were curious to see the effect that their offering had made on the Israelites. Would the Israelites be cursed or not? Look at verse 41, “The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.” Bamoth Baal means the high places of Baal. It was the first point on the way to the high plans of Moab. From this vantage point they could see the entire Israelite camp. The way of Balaam was going to create so much suffering among the people of God, and grieve the Lord so much, as we shall see.

Balaam was such an evil man, but his ways could never usurp the plan of God. In the end, God would use this evil man to reveal his blessing and purpose for the Israelites and his judgment for the Moabites. God’s plan was much greater than Balaam’s plan. God sovereign power was much more powerful than Balaam’s greed.

Prayer: “Lord, I confess that I choose reckless paths. I thank you for intervening. Help me to follow your path.

One Word: God intervenes when we are reckless