The Prophet And The Talking Donkey - "doctrine Of Balaam"

God doesn’t want Balaam to go, but in His permissive will, He allows Balaam to go with the men, but tells him to do only what I tell you. God already knows Balaam’s thoughts were on that bounty, money, Balak’s men had brought. As it says in 2 Peter 2:15, Balaam’s way was greed.

Here’s where the story gets funny, Num. 22:21-35

On his way to the Moabite king, Balaam gets mad at the donkey, the ass, he’s riding, and begins to beat him, because it disobeys his lead and wanders off of the road. The donkey opens its mouth and speaks to Balaam, calls him out on his meanness: “Why have you beat me?” Here’s the funny part, Balaam responds to the donkey, as if it was the most normal thing to do. Balaam’s response to the donkey was the first recorded incident of road rage. Listen to what Balaam said to the donkey, “You’ve made me look foolish.” If I had a sword in my hand I would kill you right now.” Listen to the donkey’s response to Balaam:

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.

Even a donkey, an ass, has the discernment to not stand against an angel with a sword in his hand! And apparently, the donkey had more spiritual discernment than the man. Because, Balaam’s focus was on that reward, that money, and he wanted to get to it. So he beat the donkey, who seemingly was not going where he wanted him to go fast enough.

Verse 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 it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

If it wasn’t for Balaam’s donkey, Balaam would have been slaughtered. But, remember what Balaam first said to the donkey, “You’ve made me look foolish, if I had a sword in my hand I would kill you”. Balaam was more worried about what the messengers of Balak thought of him than his own donkey he had known for quite some time.

Have you ever found yourself treating a stranger better than your own family? Have you ever found yourself worrying so much about what someone you barely know thinks of you that you treat those who knows you the best bad and wrong? There’s something messed up about us, it’s a part of that sin nature inside us, where we worry about our image, worry about what other people think, then those who we are closest to us, those who care for us the most, get our left overs. Not good thing people. This itself is that rebellious nature in us. Love always begins at home first.

Anyway, back to Balaam and his donkey. Once Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the whole picture, he knew the donkey was not making him look foolish but was actually saving his life.