WHEN A DONKEY SPEAKS, LISTEN
TEXT: NUMBERS 22:21-34
THEME: LISTENING TO THE COMMANDS OF GOD.
Has God ever talked to you through a chicken? Have you ever hear the voice of the Lord from a horse? What would you do if an animal talked to you? The first reaction may be that you are hearing things. The second reaction would be that you are going crazy. The third reaction is denial. The fourth reaction is shock. The final reaction should be to listen. If an animal ever speaks, it is best to listen.
Balaam has first hand experience with this dilemma. He had a donkey speak to him. The account is told in Numbers 22:21-34 “So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 or the left. 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. 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?" 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." And 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." 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. 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. "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." And 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."
Balaam was seeking to go to a place that God did not desire for him to go. The angel of the Lord comes out to meet him. But fortunately, Balaam’s donkey sees the angel standing with a sword waiting to punish Balaam for his disobedience. The Donkey three times refuses to lead Balaam into danger. But three times Balaam beats his donkey for his seemingly disobedience to his commands. Finally, the donkey speaks up. After a brief conversation Balaam is able to see the angel of the Lord standing before him. He is thankful for the loyalty of his donkey. The angel of the Lord would have killed Balaam for his disobedience. Balaam realizes that he was disobeying God and his donkey became a hero to him.
God is serious about obedience to him. There always seems to be a battle between the Lord and his people. God desires to exert his will upon us but we want to live by our wills. We desire to be the captain of the ship. But God desires to guide our paths in life. God demands obedience and if we are rebellious to his will he attempts to get the message across to man even in unexpected ways.
This is exactly what happened to Jonah. Jonah was commanded to head to Nineveh to preach to the people so that they would have the opportunity to repent. But Jonah personally did not want to obey the Lord. He had racial feelings towards those in Nineveh and knew that if he preached the people would repent and be freed from sin. So instead of obeying the Lord he took off after his own will. Because of his disobedience God had to remind him of his call. Since Jonah did not want to listen to the voice of the Lord, God thought maybe he would be more receptive to the rumblings of a whale’s stomach. After three days of hearing the insides of a whale, Jonah was released and he went to Nineveh and preached. Sometimes the voice of the Lord comes from strange places.
God can use animals, people, his own word, and wise counsel, whatever he wants to communicate his will. People may not want to listen to him. But God is trying to communicate with us. We pray for wisdom in James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” We believe that wisdom can be given through people, through reading, through meditation, and through even animals. God has the ability to relay his desires to us. If we look for the messages that the Lord is trying to give us, we might learn something.
Recently, one Friday evening, I arrived home from school in a bad mood. I recently took a test and I put a sarcastic comment on it. On the test, the teacher wanted about 16 lines to answer a question. So at the end of the essay I wrote, “Since sentences seem to be important, I guess I will write a few more.” On the test the teacher took off 2 points. Personally, I was upset and felt wronged. He had no right to take off points. So I arrived home and told Charity about the injustice that I received from the teacher. Then Charity shocked me “Serves you right for being rude.” What, I could not believe what I was hearing. He was wrong, he was mean to me. I did not want to hear that I was rude. I was not ready to hear the wisdom of God on the topic. Over the weekend, I gave this some thought. So on Monday, I was eating Breakfast with a friend and told him of the situation. I was seeing his thoughts on the topic. Once again, I heard some wisdom. “You deserved it” he said. “He is the teacher and you are the student and he can ask for anything he wants.” “Who are you to judge the validity of it?” Finally, I realized the terrible nature of my behavior. Both Charity and my friend were right. I was being prideful and rude. So I made it a point to apologize to my teacher. God is instructing us all the time and he can use people to depart wisdom and instruction to us.
But like Balaam we do not always appreciate those who seek to help us. We can become upset with those who God is using to instruct us or rebuke us because of our disobedient to his will. Most people do not want to listen to God’s instruction that comes through others. Sometimes our pride or our rebellious will comes through to block the message. Instead of looking to see the reason that his donkey was being stubborn, Balaam was simply stubborn himself. He did not look for the will of God, but he took out a stick and he beat his donkey. In fact he did this three times. Many people do not really want to hear the will of the Lord in their lives. People will reject it even if it comes directly from the Bible itself. People will certainly ignorant it if comes from a person or an animal.
We say that God disciplines us because he is treating us like a son in Hebrews 12:5-7 “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” A Friend of mine was in the ministry for 3 years before he quit and went into business for him. When talking with him about the call to ministry he said he was rebellious to the Lord. In his business he made 2 millions dollars in the first year but lost 200,000 dollars. He realized that the Lord wanted him in the ministry. This was his calling. But it took some punishment for him to realize his mission in life. It fact it was an elder that came to him and told him that he was truly called to preach the Gospel of Christ. He accepted his counsel and went back into ministry. Now he is a successful minister for a very large congregation in Nashville. He is truly exceptional in ministry. But he fought it at first.
This is why God has to remind us of our role of obedience to him. Balaam wanted to disobey the Lord. He wanted to practice his will instead of God’s will for him. Balaam was going down a path that God did not accept. Fortunately, there was a donkey there to save him.
A chicken also saved another Biblical character. Jesus even told Peter that he was going to deny him three times. But Peter did not believe it himself. Matthew 26:69-75 “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a certain servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." And when he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." And a little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for the way you talk gives you away." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a cock crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.”
It was not until Peter heard the rooter crowing that he realized his sin and disobedience. The chicken reminded Peter of his call and commitment to Christ. The rooster was the voice of God convicting Peter’s heart to repentance. The sound of the rooster’s call sounded like the voice of God screaming in his ear “you have disobeyed me.”
Todd writes that he serious had an anger problem in his life. He admits that he was verbally and physically abusive to his wife on numerous occasions. But he tells about the time that he stopped for the rest of his life. One time he was yelling at his wife over some little detail and his little boy walked out of his room crying. He said his boy looked at him and said “Please do not yell at mommy, Please.” Todd at the moment said he heard the voice of the Lord. He realized the man he truly was. He was a selfish, mean, angry man. He says that after that night, he never raised his voice or his hand against he wife again.
