10 Amazing Miracles From Scripture (4 of 10)
Balaam’s donkey: A donkey says “What?”
No. 22.22-35
October 25, 2015 CFBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Israel had been delivered by the man of God, Moses, from the clutches of Pharaoh, safely taken to the Red Sea that would crush the army of Egypt (which is next week’s message).
1 The main story of Balaam occurs during the Israelites’ sojourn on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, at the end of forty years of pilgrimage, shortly before the death of Moses and the crossing of the Jordan River into Canaan.
a Except for Israel’s clash with the Amalekites and Canaanites (Num. 14.43-45 NASB) 43 “For the Amalekites and Canaanites will be there before you, and you will fall by the sword, because you have turned from following the LORD. And the Lord will not be with you.” 44 But they carelessly climbed to the top of the mountain; neither the ark of the covenant of Jehovah nor Moses left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain went down and struck them down and struck them down as far as Hormah.” the armies of the Children of Israel had expelled fire from every army they had fought against (Amelek, the king of Arad, the Amorites, the forces of Og, king of Bashan.) (Balaam Map JPEG)
aa When they arrived on the plains of Moab they faced a very different kind of enemy: the Moabites/Midianites were in an unholy alliance with the devil.
bb They were pagans who would call on the evil one to help them in battle.
cc We find the armies of Israel at the door of their house.
b A man named Balak is the king of the Moabites.
aa Israel was hitting good, pitchers were on fire, no one was on IL, young team, good coaching staff.
bb He seeks to hire a man named Balaam to come and cast a curse on the Israelites before they fight them.
c Balak twice tries to hire Balaam before he agrees to help him defeat the Israelites. (Balak/Balaam JPEG)
aa Num. 22.5,7 (LBLA)
5 And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is by the river, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and dwell opposite me.
Numbers 22:7 (NIV)
7 Then the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees of divination in their hands, and they came to Balaam and repeated to him the words of Balak.
bb Balak sends his Chief of Staff, then Secretary of State to convince Balaam to come and help them against the armies of Israel. (The house of Balaam JPEG)
2 Balaam in Rabbinic literature (Talmud) is not seen in a really positive way: (He is described as having only one eye, one lame foot, arrogant and greedy).
A Balaam is not the typical prophet (Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, etc…,)
aa He was a “fortune teller”, he practiced occultism, divination (22.7).
bb The diviners would speak into a hole in the ground and speak with the spirits of the dead (demonic) (cf. 1 Sam. 28.8).
cc He was from the mark of a prophet who shook arrows, spoke to household idols, read the livers of dead goats (tea leaves.) (cf. Ez. 21.21)
b It was a “big problem” to the nations that used fortunetellers/fortune tellers to petition the spirits/lords of the underworld.
aa He would speak to the gods/idols of the nation/people he was hired to curse, vex. (Baal, Yam, Asher)
bb It was the old equivalent of The Amazing Crisswell, Jeane Dixon, Ms. Cleo or Long Island Medium (JPEGs of these people on the same screen).
cc What Balaam was practicing was the opposite of true prophecy (Elijah, etc.), which is essentially submitting to the sovereignty of God (Deut. 18.14 NASB) 14 “For those nations that you will dispossess, listen to those who practice sorcery and to the diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.”
3 Because Balaam was going to curse the Hebrews, guess which one? He asked God? YHWY!
to Num. 22:20-21, “And God came to Balaam by night, and said to him: “If men have come to call you, get up. get up and go with them; but you will only make the world that I tell you.” So Balaam got up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.”
aa Balaam had rejected them the first time, and it was for the second time when God decided to use this diviner against the enemy.
bb God is about to bring Balaam to speak blessing over the people that Balak had hired him to curse.
cc He’ I tried twice to curse with Balak at his side, but all that came out of his mouth was a blessing. . . the third time he simply let God speak (cf. Numbers 24)
b I would love to tell you that Balaam finally found God, he had saving faith in God. . . but i can’t do that.
aa In fact, although Balaam could not curse the children of Israel, he did play a role in defeating the Israelites by suggesting to King Balak that he tempt the Hebrews with prostitutes. and prohibited foods.
bb It will meet its end at the hands of the children of Israel (cf. Josh. 13,22.)
cc As if using Balaam wasn’t hard enough to understand, let’s look at another unlikely choice made by God.
B Numbers 22:22-35 (NASB) But God was angry that he was going away, and the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he 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 his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field; but Balaam hit the donkey back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood on a narrow road among the vineyards, with a wall on one side and a wall on the other.
25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, and he hit her again. 26 The angel of the LORD went further and stopped at a narrow place where there was no way to turn right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was angry and hit the donkey with her staff. 28 And the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times? 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey: Because you have mocked me! If I had had a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now. 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing that to you?” And he said, “No.” 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed to the ground. 32 The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. 33 “But the donkey saw me and turned away from me. I’m three times. If she hadn’t strayed from me, she would certainly have killed you right now, and let her live.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, because I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if you dislike me, I will turn back.” 35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you will only speak the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went ahead. with the leaders of King Balak.
1 God performed one of the most amazing miracles in Scripture using what others would have disqualified for service.(ETS)
God shows up in the most unlikely of places, using the most unlikely people, to do the most powerful things.(ESS)
b Let’s look at two amazing proofs that God can accomplish His purposes with the most unlikely things. people, places and things.
2 Pray
I The first proof that God can carry out His purposes with the most unlikely people, places and things is… He uses what He wants.
A talking donkey seems a bit strange, but God used it to give Balaam a word of warning.
1 Right smack in the middle of the road, God had sent a messenger Angel (possibly Michael) to repeat the instructions (v.35) God had given Balaam in v.20.
Michael is basically saying, “God doesn’t like your ways, He doesn’t like you going there to be against His Chosen Ones, He doesn’t like you messing with all those livers. . . he only talks when you talk too.”
b I don’t know if God made the donkey speak a real language or gave Balaam the gift of interpreting the donkey’s language. language (ala Dr. Doo-Little). Either way, a cool miracle.
2 What is interesting is that Balaam does not seem surprised that the donkey is speaking.
a Remember, Balaam is weird. . . he is used to talking to things that should not be talked to.
aa I guess Balaam said “yes” to God with his mouth, but he was going to get to King Balak and do what he used to do dozens of times before.
bb Wave some arrows, talk together, inappropriately touch some livers.
b The donkey could have been God telling Balaam, “This time it’s different. . . different way. I’m talking donkey who talks differently.”
aa You’re going to get a real word, in real time from the Real God.
bb It is not the first time that an animal spoke in the Scriptures, Serpent in the garden, but this donkey was not going to speak with deceit and lies.
B The correct move for Balaam when the donkey began to speak was go home.
1 God had already told him: “Don’t go with them.” (v.12.)
a However, God created us with free will. . . we have a choice and we make decisions.
b Those choices must be made through the lens of His Word and prayer.
aa If God says, “Yes.“Yes.&# 8221; Cheer up.
bb Num. 23.19 “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent; He Has said he, and he will not? Or has he spoken, and he won’t do it right?”
cc If you say, “No.” Don’t go ahead and do it.
2 God sends us donkeys to press our foot into the wall to get our attention.
a Dating a guy/girl who grew up in church, walked away from God, won’t go with you. That could be a donkey.
aa Decide to stop tithing (or refuse to) until you are in better financial shape, car breaks down/kids go to doctor/get laid off. . . donkey.
bb I’m going to take a few weeks away from church to relax, spend those Sundays putting up a new roof/ ER/ Mother-in-law. . . could be your donkey.
cc Are you serious, preacher? I’m talking serious donkey talk, folks!
b God can use anyone, anything, as long as He wants to GET US IN HIS WILL.
TS: I am convinced on a few occasions that God speaks through “human donkeys” to do what He wants done.
II The second proof that God can accomplish His purposes with the most unlikely people, places, and things is . . . He uses who He wants.
A Balaam could have been a…