NUMBERS 22:21 “BALAAM AND HIS DONKEY” – PART 1
A) Balaam is mentioned five times in the Old Testament.
* Here in our text – Deut. 22; Josh. 13; Neh. 13; and Micah 6.
* He is mentioned three times in the New Testament – 2 Peter 2:15-16;
Jude 11; and Revelation 2:14.
B) Balaam is one of those strange, mysterious characters in the Bible.
* Some characters are clear as crystal, easy to see and easy to understand.
* On the other hand there are characters in the Bible who seem to
walk in the shadows.
C) For instance, Saul was a character like that ... Samson was like that.
* Judas is one of those mysterious characters ... You just can’t really
understand why they did the things they did.
* Balaam falls into this category.
D) The Bible tells us in 2 Pet. 2:16 that Balaam was a prophet.
* But it becomes very obvious that he was not a true prophet.
E) He was a false prophet ... He was a phony.
* We are going to see a rather amazing story unfold as we consider
the life of this man Balaam.
F) Four chapters in the Book of Numbers talks about this man
named Balaam – 22; 23; 24; and 31.
* Three references are made in the New Testament to him, which says to
us that there is an important lesson for us to learn in this man’s career.
G) He serves as a warning to the people of God.
* His name is mentioned 60 times in the Bible.
H) Keep in mind that the children of Israel were on their way
to the Promised Land.
* The old generation is dying out ... The new generation is getting ready
to enter into the land.
* As they move, they are conquering their enemies – You will find
that in chapter 21.
I) Now in chapter 22, they are going to encounter a different kind of enemy.
* They are going to find an enemy of the mountain, and they are not even aware
that that enemy is there.
* In fact, there’s no evidence that they really know what’s going on
behind the scenes here.
THAT’S THE WAY SATAN WORKS
A) The Bible says that sometimes satan comes as a roaring lion to devour.
* But on other occasions the Bible teaches that satan comes as a serpent with
subtlety and trickery, and also as an angel of light.
* It is very important for the people of God to understand spiritual warfare.
B) Do not let the extremes taught by some in the area of spiritual warfare
cause you to miss the fact that the Bible says in Eph. 6:12 “For we .......”
* God’s people need to be aware of what’s going on.
* I want to mention three things in this study of “Balaam And His Donkey.”
C) I want us to look first of all in chapter 22 .......
* And I want to talk to you about .......
(1) GOD’S PLAN
A) The opening verses of chapter 22, lets us know that the children
of Israel are on the way .......
* And Balak, who is the king of Moab, hears about them.
* In v.2-3, he has seen what they have done ... The Bible says that he was
frightened of them ... He was scared of them.
B) There was no need for him to be frightened .......
* Because we are told in Deut. 2 that the Lord commanded the children
of Israel to pass on by them.
C) There was not going to be any confrontation – But he is frightened.
* He has heard what a mighty nation this is.
D) He decides that he is going to have to call upon supernatural powers.
* He’s going to have to get into the realm of the supernatural and try to combat
this massive nation of people who are marching near him.
E) He has heard about a man named Balaam.
* We are told in v.5 of this chapter that Balaam was from Pethor by the river of the land.
* Pethor was located on the banks of the Euphrates ... That’s modern Iraq.
* It’s an amazing thing when you study the Bible how much bad stuff comes out of Iraq.
F) Here is this prophet named Balaam, and he is a prophet of some reputation.
* Balak sends some officials there, an official delegation ... The message to Balaam is,
“Come and curse these people for me.”
* Balaam’s reputation has preceded him because we are told in v.6b that Balak the king
had heard that whoever Balaam cursed was cursed and whoever he blessed was blessed.
* So he had a reputation ... He sends for him ... He wants him to curse the children of Israel.
IN v.7 – THE DELEGATION GOES TO BALAAM
A) By the way, in 1967 over in Jordan, archeologists discovered some red and black
writing on limestone which mentions Balaam and calls him a prophet of the gods.
* So we have some archeological verification of the existence of this man.
* We don’t really need it because if the Bible says that, that’s enough for us,
but it is interesting to note.
B) They send this delegation over, and in v.7 it says, “With the rewards of divination.”
* The word divination means hidden knowledge concerning the future.
* It’s in the realm of the occult ... They are going over there with money.
* They are going over there with an offer, so to speak.
C) 2 Pet. 2:15 says that Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness.
* He was interested in money ... He was in this thing for money.
* They come over to him and they basically say, “We want you to come back
with us and we want you to curse the children of Israel for us.”
* So he said, “You spend the night, and I’m going to go see what the Lord says.”
D) In v.9 and following, Balaam talks to the Lord about it.
* The answer comes back crystal clear – God says to Balaam, “You are not to go.”
* In v.12 it says, “Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not curse the people; for they
are blessed.” ... God could not be much plainer than that – “Thou shalt not go.”
E) So he comes back the next morning in v.13 and says that the Lord says,
“No, the Lord tells me I can’t go.” ... So they go back and tell the king that.
* Keep in mind that this is a journey of about ten days one way – So a lot of time
intervenes here ... But they go back and they tell the king that.
F) In v.15 he sends a bigger delegation – v.15 says, “And Balak sent yet again .......”
* In other words, they were more prestigious representatives.
* In v.16 they came to Balaam and said to him, “Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee .......”
HE UPPED THE ANTE A LITTLE BIT – HE RAISED THE OFFER
A) In v.17 he is saying to name your price – “Just tell us what it will take
to get you to come.”
* In v.18 Balaam says, “If Balak would give me his house (that is the whole palace)
full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord my God.”
B) That sounds good, but it’s just pious talk ... But he says in v.19,
“I’ll go and pray again.”
* God already told him what to do, but they have upped the ante now.
* So he says, “I’ll go pray again ... It’s not about money, but I’ll go pray again.”
C) Every time I read that I remember the story I heard years ago
about a pastor, and a church contacted him and they said to him .......
* “We’ll pay you twice what you are making now if you will come be our pastor.”
D) He said to his wife, “They have offered me twice as much to go to this church over here.”
* “I’ll tell you what I’ll do ... While I’m down here praying, you go upstairs and pack.”
* That’s kind of what you have right here ... He goes up and prays again, and the Lord says to
him in v.20 “And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto .......”
E) Basically He said, “Go on.”
* God has given His creatures a will ... If you are determined to rebel against the
clear will of God and assert your own will, God will let you do it.
* God has not put us under lock and key ... You have a will.
* You can do God’s will or you can refuse to do God’s will – So basically He says to go.
F) In v.21 it says, “And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his .......”
* Here comes old Balaam’s donkey ... This is interesting ... God steps into the picture
here and we’ve got two realities here.
* You’ve got Balaam’s donkey and then in v.22 it says, “And God’s anger .......”
NOW YOU HAVE BALAAM’S DONKEY AND THE LORD’S ANGEL
A) There is a lot of humor in this scene to tell you the truth, if this were not such a serious
matter ... Balaam is riding on his donkey ... The Lord has put this angel in his path.
* Basically what happens in these verses is the angel of the Lord stands there with sword drawn,
and Balaam doesn’t see it, but the donkey sees it.
* When the donkey sees the angel with sword drawn, v.23, she turns aside and takes
off into the field ... Balaam gets mad at his donkey and beats her.
B) The second thing, the angel of the Lord appears again in v.24-25 in the path and the
donkey sees the angel again and runs over against a wall and crushes Balaam’s foot.
* I wonder if any of you have gotten crushed feet because you got out of the will of God.
* You’ve been crippled because you refuse to do the will of God in your life.
C) Now in v.26 the angel stands there and there is nowhere for the donkey to go,
to the right or to the left.
* That’s the way God does His people sometimes ... He gets you in a hard place
when you get out of His will.
* Hosea said in Hosea 2:6 “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up .......”
* If you get out of the will of God He can get you into some tight spots.
D) There was no way to turn left or right so finally the donkey just fell down.
* Old Balaam is pitching another hissy fit – v.27 .......
* In v.28 it says, “And the Lord opened the mouth of the .......”
* v.29a says, “And Balaam said unto the ass.”
E) Now here is a man talking to a donkey and a donkey talking to a man.
* v.29b “Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in mine hand,
for now would I kill thee.”
F) The donkey basically says in v.30, “Have I ever done you wrong?”
* They are talking to one another ... I don’t know about you, but if my donkey
said something to me I would keel over dead – Now look at v.31 .......
G) You say, “Preacher, do you really believe that?”
* Yes, I believe it ... The Bible says it ... This is a miracle ... If you take
the miracles out of the Bible, you don’t have much Bible left.
H) You and I serve a miracle-working God.
* God can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it,
and with whomever He wants to do it.
CLOSE
A) Why didn’t Balaam seem to be shocked?
* It’s altogether possible in those days that it was not uncommon for
demons to speak through animals.
* We have an account of that in the Bible ... In Gen. 3 the Bible talks about
satan speaking through the serpent.
B) We do have evidence in the Bible that sometimes the demons
work through animals.
* Do you remember in Mark 5 the man named Legion and the demons
asked to go into the hogs?
C) By the way, young people, there is a lesson in that.
* The devil’s second choice is a hog ... His first choice is you.
* If you will let him, he will let you live like a hog.
* Don’t let the devil turn you into a hog.
D) Here is this donkey ... God has some unusual preachers who can
get His message to people.
* God used a rooster one time – He used a rooster to get to Simon Peter.
* The Lord said, “Before the rooster crows two times, you will deny me thrice.”
E) Simon Peter denied the Lord and denied the Lord, and about that time,
he heard the rooster crow.
* God preached a message through the rooster.
* God’s preaching a message ... The Lord basically says to him, “Go on down there.”
