When A Donkey Talked (Numbers 22:28)

Introduction

I want to begin tonight by providing a thought that I want you to have throughout this lesson. It’s not a new thought. How many passages could be cited? That being religious, one who believes in the existence of God is not alone sufficient to avoid an unfavorable eternal destination. And I make that observation because it relates to our person of interest tonight. And because so many people rest their hopes on the fact that they’re not antagonistic to belief in God or belief in Jesus as the Savior. That they believe in those things. They believe the Bible is the Word of God. They even worship on a somewhat regular basis. And so because they’re not just outright opposed to God and his things, because they invest in some measure in the things of God that they therefore feel I’m okay.

You know, on the day of judgment, we’re all not going to go together and stand before the throne and say, okay, it’s time to judge the decorary church of Christ, you’re either all in or you’re all out. That’s not the way it works. While what you do among this group is going to matter, you will stand before God individually. So I want you to think about that as a backdrop. And then I want to make this observation. Scripture, but you already know this. I talk about it all the time. Scripture is amazing. And I don’t know if there’s enough superlatives to describe how amazing it is. If you were reading through the Old Testament and you were going to anticipate which biblical characters are mentioned, will be mentioned in the New Testament and which will not.

Just start reading through the Old Testament. Which ones are going to find mentioned in the New Covenant and which will not? There are some surprising people mentioned and some surprising people not mentioned. And I’ll just give you a few. I mean, would you think reading through the Old Testament that there would be mention in the New Testament extensively of Melchizedek, who seems to be just a footnote in the Genesis story. And that Jonathan, the one whose soul was knit to David, who was a man of great faithful exploits, I have a sermon on Jonathan that I love to preach, that he would not be mentioned at all in the New Testament. Or that in the story of the judges that it would actually be Barach and not Deborah, who is mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11.

Interesting. And tonight, that we would have mentioned an old testament soothsayer from Mesopotamia, Balaam. And yet, Elisha conspicuously absent. Interesting is it not. And not only is Balaam mentioned in the New Testament, he’s mentioned three times. In 2 Peter chapter 2, we have reference to the way of Balaam, providing further clarification to an Old Testament story, much like further clarification is given in Hebrews to the Melchizedek story, a lot more clarification. In 2 Peter chapter 2 and in Jude, somewhat parallel context about false influences and false teachers, but it says, forsaking the right way, these false teachers have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Baor, not to be confused with another Balaam. I mean, this is the Balaam of the Old Testament, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

Now, you might not necessarily see that in the story of Balaam in the Old Testament. But also, a couple of books later in Jude, the tiny epistle, verse 11, woe to them. For they have gone the way of Cain. And for pay, they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam and perished in the rebellion of Korah. While far from possessing no faith at all, the story of this Old Testament prophet teaches us much. One little tidbit about Balaam. The name of Balaam actually appears in a painted text on a wall in a bronze age sanctuary in Dare Allah in Jordan, eight kilometers east of the Jordan River, somewhat near where the story takes place in the book of Numbers. Now, reconstructing the contents of that prophecy that’s painted on the wall is difficult.

But I’m told, and I’ll just take some authority’s word for it because it really doesn’t matter in the whole scheme of things, that the text refers to divine visions and signs of future destruction. There is little doubt that this Old Testament figure was a real historical figure. Now, he is mentioned in the Bible, settles it for me. But the fact that there is an extra biblical, something outside of the Bible, testimony to this character is even all the more marvelous. Is it not? The Balaam story, as it’s revealed in the Bible. Our kids know the name Balaam because they remember that’s the occasion when a donkey talked. Now, I originally advertised this sermon when a donkey talks. But the sermon is more about Balaam than the donkey.

1. You Cannot Successfully Curse God's Plan

So I’ve just said there was an occasion when a donkey talked, and that story that revolves around this fellow Balaam is what I want to talk about. So I had a brief title change there, a small change in the title. When a donkey talked. We’re going to get to that in a minute. But I want to make some observations about the story of Balaam. And it’s a lot of Old Testament material. I’m certainly not going to read all the chapters that pertain to this. I’m going to give you the shortened version of the story of Balaam, and you can go back and read it further this week. It’d be great reading. Now, if you’re familiar with the story of Balaam, this point becomes rather obvious, and that is that you cannot successfully curse God’s plan.

The Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness. They are about to approach the land of Canaan for conquest, and they have defeated the Amorites in the previous chapters.

Did I say Baak? Okay, I got that right. All right. Balak, actually. King Balak of Moab and the Moabites. They fear the nation of Israel because they have defeated the Amorites. Apparently, the renowned prophet Balaam is summoned to curse Israel. Like I suggested, he’s from Mesopotamia. Deuteronomy chapter 23 makes that clear. He is called a magician or a soothsayer in that text. But look at Numbers chapter 22 and beginning in verse 2, where it says, now Balak, the son of Zippor, saw what Israel had done to the Amorites. So Moab was in great fear, rightfully so, because of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. So they send to Balaam and says, There is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land.

I love how they really go all out in the description. They cover the surface of the land. Come and curse them for me, Balak says. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out. But God says to Balaam, You shall not go. Do not go with them, and you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed. And so Balaam refuses the invitation. Oh, but they send now a more distinguished entourage to come to Balaam and to plead for him to come. More distinguished than the number than the former, it says, and more numerous in Numbers 22 and verse 15. And then Balaam says, as Balak says, I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me.

Okay, that’s verse 17. And Balaam answers, and this is interesting, and says to the servants of Balak, though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God. Now notice Balaam does not disbelieve in God. But he throws out this side, even if you were to give me basically a ton of cash, a ton of gold and silver to come, I could not contradict the command of the Lord. Balaam at least has wisdom on that point. And he says, Stay here, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me. Okay, so there is dialogue between Balaam and God. On more than one occasion.

Don’t go with them. But now he’s waiting another word. And finally, God comes to Balaam at night. It’s interesting to me, God doesn’t answer Balaam right away. He comes to him at night. If the men have come to call you, and this is Numbers 22, 20, rise up and go with them, but only the word which I speak to you shall do. So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. And then this in verse 22. This is Numbers 22. But God was angry because he was going. Now, this is what gives students of this material problems. God tells him to go. At first he tells them, don’t go, and then he tells him to go on when the second entourage comes.

And then it says God was angry with him because he went. So which is it? Well, I think the clue has already been provided. I want you to flip over to 24. 24 and verse 13. After the third occasion, when he fails to curse the nation of Israel, it says in verse 10 of chapter 24, that Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. And he struck his hands together. I called you to curse the enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times. What are you doing? You’ve had three opportunities, and you’ve blown it every time. Verse 13. Now this is helpful. I would circle this verse.

That’s what he said back in 22. And he says it again. Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord, what the Lord speaks, that I will speak. And then he engages in one more prophecy about the future of Balak and surrounding nations at the end of chapter 24. And that’s somewhat the end of the story in regard to the blessing rather than the cursing. But I want you to notice two times he has mentioned Balak giving him money.

I think the fact that’s mentioned twice is emphasizing that Balaam is still hoping there’s some monetary remuneration for his efforts. Now understand, I have a limit here. I cannot curse God’s people.

Because that’s really what we’ve read in those New Testament passages, right? And I’ve only mentioned two of the three. In 2 Peter 2 and Jude 11, his penchant for the material is what’s mentioned in those passages. A wrong motivation. And I think it further explains why God says, okay, go ahead and go, but then he is angry with him when he goes. Because what’s going to happen? Balaam is still going to bless and not curse God’s people. Point one. You cannot successfully curse God’s plan. But he’s angry because Balaam is still looking at this material angle from which he could profit from these activities that Balak wants him to engage in. Now notice that the attempt at cursing in chapter 23 begins with seven sacrifices. There’s a lot of debate about who those sacrifices were to, and that they may not have been intended for the real God of heaven.

But when the first cursing doesn’t occur, Balak begins to surmise what we need is a new venue. So they try a new venue. In chapter 23 and verse 13, please come with me to another place. This first place didn’t work. Now remember, he’s already said, I can only speak what God wants me to speak. First venue doesn’t work, we go to another venue. And so he says in verses 20 and 21, and I just want to draw your attention to these verses. Behold, I’ve received a command to bless. When he has blessed, then I cannot revoke it. We’re learning something here, and that is that God’s will is going to be accomplished. Just like the promise to Abraham is going to be accomplished. Just like the scheme of redemption is going to be accomplished.

And Balaam knows it’s much like the statement of Gamaliel, is it not? If this is of God, we cannot overthrow it. Or else we’ll be found fighting against God in Acts chapter 5. And they flog him anyway. If this is of God, you can’t stop it. And Balaam is saying precisely the same thing. You can’t revoke it. He has not observed misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord his God is with him. And then this in verse 21, and the shout of a king is among them. That’s some foreshadowing, I believe, in verse 21. Certainly they are on their way to great things, is the idea. And then in chapter 24 and verse 1, when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness and then began his third blessing rather than cursing of the nation of Israel.

And I would just observe about chapter 24 and verse 1 that Balaam was a pleaser, but only in regard to what he could get out of it.

And I would also say in chapter 24, verses 10 and 11, when he says, I called you to curse, Balak says, I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times. He says, Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but the Lord has held you back from honor. Underscore that line. Balak says, now you’ve blessed him three times, and I told you to curse him. And now I could have, I could have done more for you, but God is holding you back from honor. Now listen.

Numbers 24, verse 11. He always has. He’ll tell you know, things could have gone better for you, but you were listening to the Lord. You could have had more fun. Your life could have been better, richer, more enjoyable. If you would have just listened to me rather than God. He still tells you. Young people, he tells you that. He tells you that the Lord’s ways are too strict and too demanding. That serving God doesn’t pay off. And that you ought to just serve yourself. There’ll be more for you that way. The devil always uses this tact that we read about in Numbers 24 and verse 11. And so I think the story of Balaam suggests that the end result was what God wanted. He blessed Israel rather than cursing them.

2. God Can Control the Mouth of a Donkey

But while the actions were correct, Balaam’s intentions were evil. And so we have the donkey story that unfolds back in chapter 22. And the angel of the Lord that is stationed in the path, so that the donkey can’t proceed. Only the donkey could see the angel. Wow, if we could only peer into the spirit realm and see what angels were doing. This donkey saw an angel in the path. And there was a wall on either side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. This is the second time he struck the donkey in verse 23. And the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand to the left.

And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she just lay down under Balaam. So Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with a stick. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey. Not many animals have talked fluent Hebrew, I don’t know what language he was speaking. Whatever Balaam was talking, that’s what the donkey was talking. What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times? And then Balaam proceeds to have a conversation with the donkey.

Apparently the donkey can understand. Because you have made a mockery of me, if there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now. And the donkey says to Balaam, this discourse continues, Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever done this to you before? Then the Lord opened the angels of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed all the way to the ground. And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was contrary to me.

I would just observe this. Perhaps. Why does God deal with it this way? I mean, certainly he is humbling Balaam to some degree with this discourse that he has to have with his animal. But maybe it’s more about the fact that God opened a donkey’s mouth to speak words. Maybe the point is that God can control the mouth of a donkey, and he can control your mouth. Balaam the prophet. And from this he will bless the Lord. Bless his people three times. Okay, so that’s the story of Balaam and the donkey. But I want to make one more point as I finish tonight. This seems to be the end of the story. But it is not. Turn back to the book of Revelation, chapter 2 and verse 14, because here’s the third reference.

3. Satan's Adaptive Assault

And I say this for the end because this is different than 2 Peter 2 and Jude 11. Look at Revelation 2 and verse 14. As Jesus addresses the church in Pergamum, he says, But I have a few things against you. Revelation 2 and verse 14. Because you have some who hold the teaching of Balaam. What? Didn’t know he had a teaching. Who kept, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. Well, now that doesn’t relate to the donkey story. That must be something later. Look over in Numbers 31. You still have your hand in Numbers. Look at Numbers 31. And I’m just going to cut right to the middle of this.

It’s in a bigger context. But in Numbers 31 and verse 16, behold, these caused the sons of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Paor. So the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. Oh, now what was this? This is something additional. Now go back to the text where we were in Numbers 22 through 24 and look at 25, because that’s the incident, which is referenced later in Numbers 31 and also in Revelation chapter 2, this matter of the sin of Paor apparently involving the practice of immorality as it relates to idolatry, and this is the occasion that you’ll remember that the zeal of the Lord came upon Phineas, and he took the spear and he ran the people through who were committing an immoral act as they were engaged in it.

Now that would probably diminish a lot of adultery in our world if there was more of a threat of that occurring in the midst of the act. But that was all arranged and encouraged through the influence of Balaam and Balak. And we’re not told that as the story unfolds in chapter 25. We’re told later about their hand in it. Now here’s the point that I want to make that is very practical and relevant to your circumstances. And that’s this point that I said I was going to be talking about tonight, and that is Satan’s adaptive assault. The devil is intent on destroying us any way that he possibly can.

Now, when the Lord refused a series of three temptations, it says the devil went away from him. He got a respite from the outright assault, but only until an opportune time, the text says. He wasn’t done with his assault on the Son of God. And the devil will not be done with Israel merely because Balaam could not curse them. Because God would not allow it. I’ll just get them caught up in idolatry and immorality. That’ll work just as well to destroy them spiritually. And God sends a plague. In verse 8 of Numbers 25, because of the sin that was growing rampant in the can.

He could bring a false teacher, one with ill motives like Balaam. He could bring someone in our midst who changes and corrupts the gospel, like the Galatians were influenced, a whole region of churches who are being bewitched. This persuasion does not come from him who calls you, Paul warns. This mixing of the old law with the new and binding of circumcision, and he deals with that in the book of Galatians. God could destroy us if we would somehow start to embrace a message that was false and change the gospel. We could become accursed, according to Galatians chapter 1, verses 8 and 9. But I’ll tell you if that tact doesn’t work with Decker Prairie, he’s not done. He’s got a lot of other options at his disposal.

Another lust of the flesh. He could cause us to start hating and biting and devouring one another, which is also mentioned in Galatians, by the way, in Galatians chapter 5. He has a lot of things that he can do. He could try to just destroy us collectively by all of us engaging in some practice of error. And if that doesn’t work, then he might try to pick us off one by one, like he did with the apostles, like he was successful with Judas, and he tried to do with Peter, and he was successful for a moment, but though he desired to sift Peter like wheat, Jesus said, I pray for you. Let your faith fail not. And when you are converted, strengthen your brothers. You’re going to recover.

Perhaps it is spiritual neglect. Perhaps it is unloving attitudes in our relationships with our brothers. He has numerous ways at his disposal. Maybe he’s just simply going to extinguish your fire and enthusiasm for the Lord. And encourage spiritual neglect. Spiritual laziness. Be consumed with our own agendas rather than our mission that we talked about this morning. Now let’s go back to the initial thought. Just because of our association with the Lord. Do not think that we can rest on the laurels of a faithful past. Because of our association with truth, I’ll tell you one of the things that I really believe so strongly is that the truth of God is taught in this place. The truth that saves people’s souls and the truth that sets free, and that we are intent upon not altering or manipulating that message, but we are preaching God’s saving truth and simplicity.

Conclusion

And that’s what I tried to do this morning. As I talked about God’s part and man’s part and talked about how we gain access, I believe I teach, I taught the will of God and truth this morning that can save a soul. But just because we are associated with truth, Balaam was associated with truth. Balaam declared truth three times. He knew, he believed in the existence of God. He valued the words of God. And yet, when the conquest of Israel happened. According to Joshua chapter 13.

Sad end. The one who had so much opportunity. And that’s what I want to leave you with tonight. The tragic part of the Balaam story. I know we’re intrigued by the fact that a donkey talked, and it’s neat. But the truly sad thing about the story of Balaam is here we have a man of so much potential, so much opportunity. And he squandered it. Because he loved things. Hey, Balaam. If we could talk to him now, let’s mic him up in the next realm. Tell me about that house full of silver and gold of Balak. How much does that mean to you now? Would you have lived your life differently? And you know the answer to that question. But the relevance to you and me is simply this.

Are we making the most of the opportunity? What a horrible tragedy. Do you realize how many people there are in the world who don’t know what you know? Who have not been exposed to what you’ve been exposed to in the truth of the gospel. They are misled and deceived, and they haven’t a clue, and they don’t even understand the New Testament as it talks about salvation. And here it is, it’s been laid in my lap for 53 years. The first four I had no idea what I was hearing. But it’s been laid in my 55 years, actually. Forgot how old I was. I mean, the truth has been poured into my lap for decades, okay? Over five decades. What a horrible tragedy. If I were to somehow squander, having been so blessed, having been blessed with the association of God’s people.

And I lose my way. Horrible tragedy. An eternity of regret. Let us learn from the story of Balaam. And not squander either our opportunity or potential in the kingdom. You need to respond to the invitation. Come now as we stand and sing.