1. Numbers 22:1-12
2. Numbers 22: 21-24
Psalm 141
Illustration
A farmer who wanted to sell his donkey. A potential buyer showed up and looked the animal over. He asked if he could hitch him up to the wagon and see how he worked. The farmer did so and climbed up into the wagon with the customer handing him the reins. The customer tapped the reins but the donkey didn’t move. He said, “Giddyup” but the donkey just stood there. He cried out “Ya Donkey” but it just looked straight ahead. The farmer got down off the wagon, picked up a two by four and hit the animal right between the eyes. While the donkey staggered the farmer got back up into the wagon and said, “Now try it.” The customer tapped the reins, the donkey moved out and the old farmer said, “He’s a good donkey, but sometimes you have to get his attention first.” Aren’t we like that sometimes? We say we want God’s guidance but often God has to first get our attention? Well, today we want to talk about the opposite scenario. A time where God used a donkey to get a man’s attention.
What to do when you find yourself walking outside of God's will for your life.
Num 22:21
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam 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 a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam , and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam , "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" 29 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." 30 The donkey said to Balaam , "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."
Who was Balaam?
• Balaam was not a Jew but a foreigner.
• He was not a righteous man or a biblical prophet but a sorcerer, a sort of ancient seer or "witch doctor."
• He would use his powers to place curses on people for money. As this was his business, not his life-style.
• Balak, The king of Moab had seen what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and was afraid. He wanted Balaam to use his powers to place a curse on Israel - hoping to conquer the people. Obviously, neither Balaam nor Balak had any idea who they were dealing with!
1. Balaam seemed to acknowledge that the God of the Israelites was indeed powerful but he did not worship.
2. He was ready to accept Him as God, but not HIS god.
Have you ever known anyone like that? They recognize who Jesus was and who God is, but only in an intellectual way.
Balaam was ready to obey God’s command as long as he could profit from doing so. Although he realized the awesome power of Israel’s God, his heart was occupied with what he could get from his occupation.
Three time things happen in different way?
A. Three time the donkey see the angel with a sword (Num 22: 23-27).
B. Three time Balaam beats the donkey (Num 22: 27, 32).
C. Three the donkey saves the life of Balaam (Num 22: 33).
D. Three time King Balak took Balaam to 3 different place to curese the Children of Israel. (Num 22:39-40, Num 23: 13-14, Num 23:28)
E. Three time God did not allow Balak to Curse the child of Israel (Num 23: 5-10, Num 23:18-24. Num 24:3-11)
1. Start With Obedience – green light
When King Balak first sends word to Balaam through messengers, he is asked to inquire of the Lord. Balaam does so and as a result received his answer: Num 22:12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed."
This is a clear statement. God did not stutter. He gave his instruction in a way that Balaam could easily understand.
2. See Divine Obstacles – yellow light
God eventually allows Balaam go with the messengers, but He was not pleased about his attitude. It was a reckless path certainly plan B. His greed for the wealth offered by the king had blinded him so that he could not see how God was trying to stop him. Though we may know what God wants us to do, we can become blinded by the desire for money, possessions, or prestige.
If you are driving down the road and everything is coming against you then you have to ask yourself at some point if the problem is not that the world is full of bad drivers but that maybe you are in the wrong lane.
3. Stop When Opposed (Repent) – red light
The angel went ahead of Balaam to oppose him 3 times. Often when God wants to get our attention there is a repeated test. E.g. Peter denying Christ. In each case we see that the angel used a path that was narrower until it was impossible to pass. God often does this in our lives. When He sees us going the wrong way he begins to apply pressure which increases the further we go. E.g. the harder you hit a wall the harder the wall hits you!
When Balaam finally realized that it was the Lord that was opposing him he reacts in 3 ways:
a. Humble yourself – he bowed low (vs. 31)
b. Acknowledge your mistakes - I have sinned (vs. 34)
c. Don't repeat the offense - I will go back (vs. 34)
Illustration
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note.
The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die.
After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works”!
Conclusion
We have the same choice to make, do we hold on to what we have because we don’t believe there are better things in store for us, and settle for immediate satisfaction? Or do we trust God and give up all that we have to get what God has promised us? I think the choice is obvious. We need to pour in all the water, trust God with everything. Then once we have experienced what God has to offer, the living water, we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump, believe me it works”!
God has given us all one life, one jug of water. You can just drink it down and live for yourself or you can seek God's plan and invest it and, in so doing, connect to the deep spring of God's great power and blessings. I can tell you from experience today to listen to God’s will – it works! It worked for me, and it will work for you.
