“Bible animals: Balaam’s donkey”
Numbers 22:21
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus.
“A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse, of course, that is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.”
If you’re anywhere over the age of sixty, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re not, then you probably have no idea what I just said.
Let me explain. You see, back in the early 60s, there was a television show called Mister Ed. It was a story about a horse and his eccentric, klutzy, but friendly, architect owner whose name was Wilbur Post.
And the funny thing about Mr. Ed is that he could talk, not to just anyone--not the doctor, not the policeman, not the neighbors, not even Carol, Wilbur’s wife. The only one he would talk to was his owner, Wilbur, which made for quite a lot of trouble--like the time when Wilbur was in jail for something he didn’t do and Mr. Ed was the only witness that could set him free, or when Wilbur converted the barn into a temporary polling place and Mr. Ed wanted to vote too, or when Mr. Ed visited a local car wash to get a good shower, or when he saved a little girl on a runaway horse.
So was Mr. Ed really a talking horse? Of course not! Horses can’t talk! His lips only moved on cue when a trainer touched his hoof. Mr. Ed was a very smart horse, but he most certainly couldn’t talk.
In the book of Numbers chapter 22, we hear about an animal that could talk. But it wasn’t a horse. It was a donkey! It’s one of the strangest Bible stories there ever could be!
Across the pages of Scripture, we read of men and women from all walks of life. Often, the Holy Spirit gives us a razor-sharp picture of many of them.
But there are quite a lot of exceptions, characters whom we don’t know very well, people whose backgrounds are a little fuzzy. Darkness hides their true nature and we’re not always sure just who they are or what they believe.
In the Old Testament, for example, there’s Cain, Esau, Samson, Saul, and Absalom, and we really can’t be sure of any of them. In the New Testament, there’s Judas, Demas, Ananaias, and Sapphira. And there was a rich young ruler who asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And as he walked away sad because he didn’t want to give up his great wealth, we wonder if he ever came back to believe in Jesus.
So it was for a man named Balaam. He was a dark, mysterious character, a prophet for hire, a religious racketeer--truly one of the strangest characters in all of the Bible!
I’ll read the words of Numbers chapter 22: “Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.’ So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor” (Numbers 22:1-5).
Let’s step back for a moment to see what’s going on.
Now as far as we can tell, Balaam really didn’t believe in God. Instead, he was more or less a fortune-teller by trade. He was an internationally known sorcerer, sort of a Middle-Eastern “witch doctor.” And the way he made his money was when someone paid him to either curse or bless people.
And apparently, he was rather good at it. As far as Balaam was concerned, religion was more of a business than a life-style.
And the book of Numbers chapter 22 also introduces us to another man, a king named Balak. He’s the king of Moab and he’s afraid. You see, the people of Israel were making their way through the wilderness towards the Promised Land--all two million of them. They’ve already defeated the Amorites and Balak’s afraid they’ll destroy him too. In fact, the Bible says he was filled with dread because of the Israelites. He said, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field” (Numbers 22:4).
So what does he do? He knows he can’t beat them and he can’t very well just ask them to leave. So he comes up with another plan. He summons Balaam, our little Middle-Eastern “witch doctor,” and says, “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they’re too powerful for me. Perhaps then I’ll be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed” (Numbers 22:5-6).
Now if I were to ask you to list all the major military powers in the world, you’d likely say China, Russia, France, Britain, Canada, India, countries in the Middle East. We know those countries and how strong they are. And we know the odds if one of them decided to attack us.
But what if another army, some other foreign army, suddenly showed up and took out China, France, and Canada? And chances were good that they would attack us next. Then what?
Now remember, God led the Israelites through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. Plagues had destroyed an entire nation, and the people passed, miraculously, through a sea on dry ground.
So now you get the idea of just how King Balak must have felt. He was surrounded by a strange and foreign people, with a powerful God and a powerful army, and he didn’t have a clue what to do.
And put yourself in Balaam’s place. The president calls you. He says there are foreign invaders and the country is terrified. No traditional military defenses can save us and you are the man, or the woman, of the hour. You and you alone can save the nation. And while there’s nothing that anyone else can do, you have the power.
And if there’s anything you can do, you’d be more famous than a movie star or a rock star, and your thankful nation would deposit more money in your bank account than you can possibly imagine.
The president is desperate. The people are afraid. What are you going to do?
So what does Balaam do? He says, “Give me a moment and let me talk this over with God.”
So he does. And what does God tell him? He said: “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
Shoot! Things are not going as well as planned. And when Balaam told old King Balak he couldn’t go, Balak sent even more princes with even more money, and said, “Please come, for I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say!”
So the very next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. But the Bible says God was angry that he went, and sent an angel to block him, to stop him, to stand in the middle of the road.
Now let’s talk about Balaam’s donkey for a moment, because he is our animal for the day.
In Bible times, donkeys were really important, much like a farmer’s pickup or a UTV. For example, the Bible says Abraham saddled his donkey when he went to sacrifice Isaac. Joseph’s brothers took donkeys to bring back grain from Egypt. And on Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. Even the Tenth Commandment says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s…ox or donkey…” (Exodus 20:17).
Donkey’s were essential for transportation, plowing fields, grinding grain, and carrying heavy loads. They were gentle, friendly, and dependable.
But one funny thing about them is that, whenever they sense danger, they freeze. They refuse to move.
So when Balaam’s donkey saw an angel standing in the middle of the road, what else would it do but freeze and refuse to move?
So off jumped Balaam, (who couldn’t see the angel), to beat it and to get it going again.
And when the Lord’s angel appeared again, the donkey swerved to the side, crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall and laid down once again on the road. And as Balaam started to beat him once again, the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth to say, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times? Am I not your donkey, which you have always ridden? Have I ever done anything like this to you before?” (Numbers 22:30).
And that’s when the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. And when he saw the angel standing in the middle of the road with his sword drawn, he bowed low and fell facedown to the ground.
And the angel said: “I have come here to oppose you, because your path is a reckless one before me. If your donkey had not turned away, I would most certainly have killed you.” Then the angel said, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you” (Numbers 22:35).
And as Balaam stood before Balak, he said, “I must speak only what God puts in my mouth” (Numbers 22:38).
When the apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he said, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).
So what then do these words mean to teach us?
Probably the same lesson that Balaam once learned--don’t mess with God. Don’t try to manipulate Him. Don’t tell Him what to do. It’s risky. It’s dangerous. And in the end, it can get downright deadly.
That is, after all, what Paul once wrote to the Galatians: “Don’t be deceived. God cannot be mocked” (Galatians 6:7).
And the other lesson is this--God will never give up on you. When we go our own way and stray from His path, He’ll send obstacles to slow us down. He’ll do everything He can do to stop us. He speaks through the devotions we read, through the time we spend in His Word. He speaks through friends. He speaks through songs we hear on the radio. He speaks in ways we would never expect, even as shocking as hearing a donkey talk. He’ll use every method at His disposal.
The only question is--are you listening?
And that’s just the way God is. He’s constantly at work, changing and correcting and nudging us--the work Jesus did when He died on the cross, the life He gives as He rose from the tomb, the work of His Spirit helping us grow. God never gave up on Balaam. And He’ll never give up on you!
Ten years ago, Don Francisco wrote a song called Balaam. One of the stanzas reads like this: “Now that donkey’s just a donkey, but she’s still the thing God used, and that’s the point I want you all to see. The Lord’s the One who makes the choice of the instrument He’s usin’. We don't know the reasons and the plans behind His choosin’. So when the Lord starts usin’ you, don’t pay it any mind. He could have used the dog next door, if He’d been so inclined.”
The story of Balaam and his donkey reminds us, dear Lord, of the danger of stepping outside of Your will. Grant that we may live as You want, always resting calmly and confidently in Your will. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen