10 Amazing Miracles From Scripture (4 of 10)
Balaam’s Donkey: A Donkey Says “What?”
Num. 22.22-35
October 25, 2015 CFBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A Israel had been delivered by God’s man, Moses, from the grip of Pharaoh, safely taken the Red Sea that would crush Egypt’s Army (which is next week’s message).
1 The main story of Balaam occurs during the sojourn of the Israelites in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, at the close of forty years of wandering, shortly before the death of Moses and the crossing the Jordan River into Canaan.
a Except for Israel’s clash with the Amelekites & Canaanites (Num. 14.43-45 NASB) 43"For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the LORD. And the LORD will not be with you." 44 But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp.45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.” the armies of the Son’s of Israel had kicked the fire out of every army they had faught (Amelek, The king of Arad, the Amorites, the forces of Og, King of Bashan.) (Balaam Map JPEG)
aa When they arrived at 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 out to the evil one to assist them in battle.
cc We find the Armies of Israel at their front door.
b A man named Balak is the king of the Moabites.
aa Israel was hitting well, pitchers were on fire, noone was on the DL, 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 tries two times to hire Balaam before he agrees to come help him overcome the Israelites. (Balak/Balaam JPEG)
aa Num. 22.5,7 (NASB)
5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near 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 surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.
Numbers 22:7 (NASB)
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak's words to him.
bb Balak sends his Chief of Staff, then Secretary of State to convince Balaam to come over and help them out against the armies of Israel. (Balaam’s House JPEG)
2 Balaam in rabbinic literature (Talmud) is not seen in a real positive light: (He’s described having only one eye, a lame foot, arrogant, and greedy.)
a Balaam isn’t your typical prophet (Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, etc.,)
aa He was a “soothsayer”, practice the occult, divination (22.7).
bb Diviners would speak into a hole in the ground and talk to spirits of the dead (demonic) (cf. 1 Sam. 28.8).
cc He was of the brand of prophet that shook arrows, talked to household idols, read the livers of dead goats (tea leaves.) (cf. Ezek. 21.21)
b He was a “big deal” to the nations that used diviners/soothsayers 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 He was the ancient equivalent of The Amazing Crisswell, Jeane Dixon, Ms. Cleo, or Long Island Medium (JPEGS of these people all on same screen.)
cc What Balaam was practicing was the opposite of true prophecy (Elijah, etc.), which is essentially submitting to God’s Sovereignty (Deut. 18.14 NASB) 14 "For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.”
3 Because Balaam was going to curse the Hebrews, guess which God he petitioned? YHWY!
a Num. 22.20-21, “And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the world which I speak to you shall you do.” So Balaam arose in the morning; and saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.”
aa Balaam had turned them down the first time, and was about to the second time when God decided to use this soothsayer 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’d try two times to speak curse with Balak by his side, but all that came out his mouth was blessing . . . the third time he just let God speak (cf. Num. 24)
b I’d love to tell you that eventually Balaam found God, had a saving faith in God . . . but I can’t do that.
aa In fact, although Balaam failed at cursing the sons of Israel, he played a part in an Israelite defeat by suggesting to King Balak to tempt the Hebrews with prostitutes and forbidden foods.
bb He will meet his end at the hands of the sons 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 because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand 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 way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25 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. 26 The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, 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 made a mockery of me! If there had been 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 accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No." 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes 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. 32 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. 33 "But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back." 35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you." So Balaam went along with the leaders of King Balak.
1 God performed one of Scriptures most amazing miracles using what others would have disqualified from service. (ETS)
a God shows up in the most unlikely of places, use the most unlikely of persons, to do the most powerful things. (ESS)
b Let’s look at two surprising proofs that God can work out His purposes with the most unlikely of people, places and things.
2 Pray
I The first proof that God can work out His purposes with the most unlikely of people, places, and things is . . . He uses what He wants.
A A talking donkey seems a little weird, but God used her to speak to Balaam a word of warning.
1 Right smack dab in the middle of the road, God had sent a messenger Angel (possibly Michael) to repeat the directions (v.35) God had given Balaam in v.20.
a Michael is basically saying, “God doesn’t like your ways, not happy your going there to be against His Chosen, He doesn’t like you messing with all those livers . . .just speak when your spoken too.”
b I don’t know if God made the donkey talk a real language or if He gave Balaam the gift of interpreting the donkey’s language (ala Dr. Doo-Little.) Either way, pretty cool miracle.
2 What is interesting is that Balaam doesn’t seem shocked the donkey is talking.
a Remember, Balaam is weird . . . he’s use to talking to things that shouldn’t be talked to.
aa My guess is that Balaam said “yes” to God with his mouth, but was going to get to King Balak and do what he usually did dozens of times before.
bb Shake a few arrows, speak in a whole, inappropriately touch a few livers.
b The donkey may have been God telling Balaam, “This time is different . . .way different. I’m talkin’ talking donkey different.”
aa You’re going to a get real word, in real time from the Real God.
bb It’s not the first time an animal spoke in Scripture, Serpent in garden, but this donkey wasn’t going to speak in deception & lies.
B The right move for Balaam when that donkey began to talk was to go back home.
1 God had already told him, “Do not go with them.” (v.12.)
a However, God created us with free-wills . . . we have a choice and make choices.
b Those choices should be made through the lenses of His Word and prayer.
aa If God says, “Yes.” Go for it.
bb Num. 23.19 “God is not a man that He should lie, Nor a son of man that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
cc If He says, “No.” Don’t go ahead and do it.
2 God sends us donkeys to press our foot on the wall to get our attention.
a Dating a boy/girl who grew up in church, got away from God, won’t go with you. That could be a donkey.
aa Decide to stop tithing (or refuse to) until you’re in a better financial spot, car breaks down/kids at the doctor/layed off . . .donkey.
bb I’m gonna a few weeks off church to relax, spend those Sundays putting on a new roof/ ER/ Mother-in-Laws . . . could be your donkey.
cc Are you serious, preacher? I’m talkin’ talking donkey serious, folks!
b God can use whoever, whatever, whenever He wants to GET US TO BE IN HIS WILL.
T.S.: I’m convinced on a few occasions God speaks through “human donkeys” to get done what He wants to get done.
II The second proof that God can work out His purposes with the most unlikely of people, places, and things is . . . He uses who He wants.
A Balaam could have been a mighty prophet in the House of Israel, man of God, mouthpiece for YHWY for a long time.
1 His whole life he had chased after money, but this brief moment he is surrounded by & surrendered to the Holy Spirit.
a He just couldn’t let go of superstition, sin, wickedness...yet for a few days he was performing the highest service for the Kingdom of God.
aa I see him as an OT prototype of Judas Iscariot in the NT.
bb The Apostle Peter used Balaam as an example of the destructive influence of insincere Christian teachers (2 Peter 2:15, NASB) 15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”)
b Rev. 2.14, Jesus is speaking to the Pergamum Church and invokes the spirit of Balaam to describe them.
aa Revelation 2:14 (NASB) 14 ~'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, 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.
bb Balaam is the type of church person who attempts to advance the cause of God by trying to blend the secular with the sacred, baptizing sin, church making friends with the world.
2 To me, the most amazing miracle in Num. 22 isn’t God making the donkey talk. . . it’s God using Balaam.
a We kinda expect God use very faithful, clean vessels. (Typically, yes. . . but not always)
aa Sampson was used by God and he was a drunkard and a womanizer; Balaam was used by God and he was a witch/soothsayer/sorcerer.
bb However, you need to remember . . .Sampson died blind under a collapsing building & Balaam was thrust through with a sword.
b God is sovereign and gives His gifts & uses whoever He will, whoever is available and at that season and does whatever is necessary to bring His Words, Warning, and Messages to mankind.
B The gifts are perfect but the vessels that those gifts are placed in are often times imperfect, flawed.
1 God used some incredible people in Scripture who had their life straight (Noah, Joshua, Daniel), but He also used some folks like Sampson, Balaam, Peter.
a Peter’s story turned out different from the other two because after he denied knowing Jesus he confessed & repented. (The guy who publically rejected Jesus became a preaching Rock Star at Pentecost.)
b God will use a flawed person, they can even operating in the gifts of the spirit through grace . . .but without confession & repentance of sin . . .not for long.
2 Rev. 2.21, Jesus is telling the Church of Tyratira that He’s giving them a certain amount of time to repent before He judges them.
Revelation 2:21 (NASB) ~'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
a How long do we have to repent? It is a length of time only known by God.
aa If we don’t confess/repent, God will eventually lift His hand of favor/blessing, which can trigger storms of correction, judgement, correction.
bb This isn’t an endorsement of being a hypocrite, sinful...in fact, it’s the opposite.
b I’m saying if your being used by God, operating in the gifts/fruits of the Spirit and you know your sinning/rebellion...we can’t expect to keep being used/operating in the gifts if don’t confess/repent sin.
aa I for one spent a long time claiming victory over sin when I should have been wrestling with it, being broken/mourning over it.
bb I know my vessel is poor, chipped, nothing special about it . . .I just want to spend the rest of the life God gives me in brokeness/mourning over my sin.
c Thank God He chooses to use broken, sinful people and I pray we never think we’re anything, anyone special to anyone other than Him.
aa Balaam was used by God, but not for long: Could have been a general in the Lord’s Army but was shot at dawn instead.
bb I want to be used by God for as long as He wants to use me.
cc How? Living in a constant state of confession/repentance, get over ourselves, don’t believe the hype.
Conclusion:
A God performed one of Scriptures most amazing miracles using what others would have disqualified from service. (ETS)
1 God shows up in the most unlikely of places, use the most unlikely of persons, to do the most powerful things. (ESS)
a We’ve looked at two proofs that God can work out His purposes with the most unlikely of people, places, and things is . . .
aa He uses what He wants.
bb He uses who He wants.
b God is going to use us. In what ways and for how long, in many respects is our choice.
2 God doesn’t use perfect vessels, but He uses willing ones.
a If He waited until we were completely perfect/totally mature before He used us we’d never experience blessings, miracles.
b Don’t ever judge God’s miracles, gifts by the vessel being used.
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