God Uses The Natural (a Donkey!) Supernaturally
Subject: Christian Aspiration
Subject 2: Holy Spirit
Synopsis: God can use anyone to communicate the dangers of presumptuous sin, selfishness, lack of trust and coming judgment.
Text: Number 22:21-33
I. Introduction
A. The Bible is full of examples that show how God takes the natural and uses it in a supernatural way.
1. Our text this morning is an excellent example of just such a situation.
2. Prayer
3. READ TEXT
B. I encourage you to read the full account of Balaam.
1. Called a soothsayer or diviner in Joshua 13:22.
2. Read about how he was hired to curse Israel and instead he blessed Israel.
3. But, he did tell Moab’s king how to trip up Israel — and it was successful.
C. Because Balak the King of Moab was threatened by Israel as they came out of Egypt from slavery, he hired Balaam to curse Israel.
1. It took a little bit of negotiating, but Balak finally came up with enough money and other incentives for Balaam to defy God.
2. The old adage is that everyone has their price.
3. For Judas it was 30 pieces of silver.
D. Just as betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver did not work out for Judas,
1. Neither did the price Balak paid Balaam.
2. Balaam ending up being killed by Israel in Joshua 13:22.
E. But the thing I want us to focus on is not Balaam as much as Balaam’s donkey.
1. His donkey was apparently an ordinary donkey.
2. One that he had had for quite some time.
F. But God took a natural, ordinary donkey and did something extraordinary and supernatural with her.
III. Don’t Pray
A. It all started when Balaam was determined to go with Balak’s men.
1. God had already told Balaam not to go with Balak’s men.
B. But Balaam was determined to pray about it until God changed His mind.
1. But God never changed His mind.
2. He was never going to allow Balaam to curse Israel.
C. Israel was on a mission from the Lord Himself.
1. They were His people called to accomplish His purpose.
D. There are times when we just don’t have to pray about a situation to know what we should do.
1. We don’t have to pray about whether or not we should do something expressly forbidden in the Word of God.
2. Lying, stealing, committing sexual sin, murdering someone, hating your parents … and so many more.
3. We just do NOT have to pray about these things.
4. They are contrary to God’s Word.
5. They are contrary to the way God made us.
E. We don’t have to pray about whether we should forgive or have faith or read the Bible…
1. These are things we KNOW we should do.
2. We don’t have to pray about these things.
3. We may need to pray for God’s help to be able to DO these things, but not whether or not we should do them.
F. If we do what we are told not to do or omit doing what we are told to do, will God immediately strike us down?
1. Probably not.
2. I personally wouldn’t risk it.
G. Psalm 86:15 (NASB95) But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
1. But I also know how the Lord feels about presumptuous sin.
2. That is, a defiant sin that presumes forgiveness from God.
3. Numbers 15:30–31 (NKJV) ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ ”
4. Psalm 19:13 (NASB95) Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
H. Balaam acting presumptuously.
1. He thought he could defy God and since God didn’t kill him instantly he MUST have gotten away with it.
IV. Talking Donkey
A. So Balaam saddles his donkey and rides off with Balak’s men.
1. And God didn’t like it.
2. Vs. 22
B. In verse 23 we have an interesting idea:
1. Read Vs. 23: “When the donkey saw…”
2. Either animals in general (or donkeys in particular) can normally see into the supernatural realm, or God took the donkey’s natural eyesight and supernaturally enabled her to see what Balaam, his servants and the king’s men could not see.
3. One way or the other, the donkey avoids the angel of the Lord who is ready TO PUNISH Balaam’s presumptuous sin.
C. Three times Balaam’s donkey avoids the angel who is ready to kill Balaam for his defiance against God’s CLEARLY intended will.
1. Each time Balaam strikes the donkey.
D. Finally, God allows this donkey to use her natural mouth to perform a supernatural activity:
1. To speak in a language that Balaam can understand.
E. Now I know that in this age of animation and computer graphics, a talking donkey is no big deal.
1. After all, how long have we heard Eddie Murphy’s voice coming out of a donkey in the Shrek movies.
2. We have been desensitized to the miraculous by such things.
F. But in the real world, animals do not talk.
1. Some birds can mimic and seem to talk.
2. Even some dogs seem to be able to mimic human speech.
G. But donkeys do not have a brain that allows for a thought process that then allows them to vocalize, in human terms, distress at their master’s actions.
1. I’m sure many would love to do so.
2. Again, if they could even put together a thought process, let alone form words with a mouth that isn’t formed to be able to allow for human speech.
V. What the Donkey Said
A. However, in our text, God supernaturally used the natural mouth of a donkey to speak.
1. What did she say?
B. First, she called Balaam’s treatment of her into question.
1. She asked what she had done that was so horrible that Balaam felt he was justified in striking her over and over and over.
C. Notice Balaam’s reply:
1. It’s all about me.
2. That’s all I think about:
i. Me! Me! Me!
3. And you have embarrassed me.
D. Balaam’s selfishness and self-centeredness is exposed.
E. Next the donkey asks about trust.
1. Over the many years you have ridden me, haven’t I proven to you that I can be trusted?
2. And Balaam has to admit that he has always trusted his donkey.
3. I have to imagine that she has kept him safe from all sorts of dangers on more than one occasion.
F. And then the Lord gave Balaam the ability to see into the supernatural realm.
1. He saw the angel and heard him speak.
2. The angel spoke of his cruelty to the donkey.
3. The angel spoke of Balaam’s journey being in rebellion against God.
4. The angel spoke of how the talking donkey had saved Balaam’s life.
G. Through her actions, Balaam’s donkey had warned him of judgment to come.
1. Balaam was cruising towards destruction.
2. But God used a talking donkey to stop him in his tracks.
3. At least temporarily Balaam was spared.
4. Too bad he didn’t choose to make it permanent.
VI. Conclusion
A. What relevance does the talking donkey have for us today?
B. First of all, if animals could speak, what would they tell us about our focus in life?
1. Would they tell us, like Balaam’s donkey did, that we are too focused on ourselves?
2. That we are willing to hurt the people and animals around us because we are selfish?
C. Secondly, what would a talking animal tell us about our level of trust?
1. Would they tell us of our need to trust their God-given instincts to help us when we are blind to the true situation?
2. Would they tell us we needed to trust family members more?
3. Would they tell us that we needed to trust God more?
D. I believe that God used the natural mouth of the donkey to communicate some supernatural messages to Balaam that he would not have heard any other way.
1. In the same way, maybe God wants to use us to communicate a message to others that they cannot hear any other way.
E. That message can come through the way we live.
1. It can come in words we speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
F. The Holy Spirit can reveal things we could not know otherwise.
1. Just like the donkey revealed the angel of the Lord ready to punish Balaam’s rebellion against God’s will.
G. The Holy Spirit can communicate things that everyone should know and yet they ignore:
1. Jesus is coming.
2. Are we ready?
3. Will we fall upon God’s grace found through Jesus Christ?
4. Or will we end up under God’s judgment?
5. Facing hell.
6. Facing a Christ-less eternity?
H. As the old question states:
1. If God can use a donkey why can’t He use me?
I. The Lord will constantly bring us into contact with people who need a supernatural word.
1. He can take our natural ability to communicate and transform it into an ability to communicate supernaturally.
J. God has done it over and over again:
1. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost and God used it to bring conviction to thousands of people.
i. NOT condemnation — conviction that led to salvation.
ii. I doubt all responded as they should have.
iii. But 3,000 did repent and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.
2. Stephen preached and the entire ruling council was convicted.
i. However, NONE of them responded as they should have — in repentance and surrender.
ii. Instead they stoned Stephen to death.
3. Paul preached.
i. And Roman authorities were convicted.
ii. Entire towns were convicted by the Holy Spirit.
iii. Many were saved.
K. Who was Peter?
1. Just a rough, uneducated fisherman.
L. Who was Stephen?
1. Just a deacon in church helping to distribute food to widows and orphans.
M. Who was Paul?
1. A judgmental Pharisee changed by the power of God on the road to Damascus to imprison Christians.
N. But God used them in supernatural ways.
1. The Holy Spirit anointed them to accomplish God’s will.
VII. Invitation
A. This morning God is able to use my natural human capability of speech in a supernatural way. To warn you:
1. About presumptuous sin
i. Especially greed and disobedience to God’s will
2. About selfishness
3. About a lack of trust
4. About judgment to come.
B. He can use my natural ability to speak in a supernatural way. To encourage you:
1. To repent and surrender to Jesus.
2. To be willing to be used by God in whatever way He chooses.
C. God ministers in supernatural ways through His servants, but God always leaves the decision up to you.
1. What will you do?
D. Will you:
1. Repent of your sins and surrender to Jesus’ control of your life?
2. Repent of your reluctance to be used of God in supernatural ways?
3. The choice is yours — make the right one — the one that leads to eternal life.
