This Is Not Happening (Balaam) Series

Verses 20-22 are very interesting. “That night God told Baalam, ‘You may get up and go with these men, but be sure to say only what I tell you to.” Sounds like God has allowed Balaam to go right? In fact in vs:21 Balaam does go. Yet, a number of translations say that God was mad with him for going. For example, the NLT gives us verses 19-22 this way: “That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But be sure to do only what I tell you to do.”So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and started off with the Moabite officials. But God was furious that Balaam was going..” The NIV has similar language and the KJV says that “God’s anger was kindled because he went..” Why would God tell him to go and then get mad at him for going? Two possible answers. (1) Some scholars think that God really wasn’t giving him permission but in exasperation saying, “Ok, you’re going to go anyway so go ahead.” Kind of like a friend who asks your advice and you give it but the friend really doesn’t want to hear it so you say, “Ok, go, do what you want.” That’s not permission but resignation. Some think that’s what God did. (2) But another possibility and the one that I hold to is not that God was angry that Balaam went, but that he went with the wrong attitude. That’s why I picked the LB paraphrase today because I think it gives the gist of it. Vs:21-23a - “So the next morning he saddled his donkey and started off with them. ...” You see, Balaam was going with the attitude: “I’ll figure out some way to get this jackpot.” 2 Peter 2:15 tells us the “rest of the story.” In talking about people who displease God it says, “They have gone off the road and become lost like Balaam... who fell in love with the money he could make by doing wrong...” You see, that’s why God was angry that he went. He went with the wrong attitude, with a greedy, sinful heart.

But while Balaam is going with this sinful attitude God prepares one of the most incredible unexplained phenomenon to get his attention.

II GOD’S DONKEY:

I had one of our great young ladies admit to me the other day that when she heard that one of the “X-File” messages was about a talking donkey she said, “There’s no talking donkey in the Bible!” I understood her doubt. This is hard for us to believe, why even animated characters in the movies find it hard to believe.” VIDEO CLIP - Shrek - 1:03

We laugh at that and accept it in the movies because we know animals can’t talk! And yet here in Numbers 22 is an incident where a donkey speaks! How can we believe that? Well, to tell you the truth, it is unexplainable, it is incredible but I think the basis in believing this is summed up in the statement: “If you can believe the first verse of the Bible.. “In the beginning God created...” then believing the rest of the Bible is a piece of cake.” Let’s face it, if God can make everything out of nothing than making a donkey speak a few words is child’s play! It’s really a choice.. And I choose to believe the Bible is literal when it comes to these things. I believe God gave this particular donkey the power of speech for a reason. Let’s look at how and why it happened.