Numbers 22

The Explanation

King Balak stood on his wall and looked out. Far below, he saw tents. Thousands and thousands of tents. The people of Israel had camped right next to his land, and Balak was scared stiff. "They will eat up everything around us," he said, "like an ox eats up grass."

So Balak sent messengers to a man named Balaam, who was famous for his words. When Balaam blessed someone, good things happened. When Balaam cursed someone, bad things happened. Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel.

But that night, God came to Balaam and said, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." Balaam told the messengers no, and they went home.

Balak was not the kind of king who gives up. He sent more messengers, even more important ones, with promises of silver and gold and great honor. Balaam answered, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of Yahweh my God." But he let the men stay the night again.

This time God said, "Rise up, go with them, but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do." So in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went.

And here the story turns strange. God's anger burned, because something in Balaam's heart was not right. An angel stood in the road with a sword drawn, but only the donkey could see him. Three times the donkey tried to save her master: stepping into a field, pressing against a wall and crushing his foot, then lying down flat in a narrow path. Three times Balaam, seeing nothing, beat her in anger.

Then something no one expected happened. Yahweh opened the donkey's mouth, and she spoke. "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Balaam shouted back that he wished he had a sword to kill her. The donkey asked, "Am I not your donkey? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?" Balaam had to admit, "No."

Then Yahweh opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel too, sword drawn, terrifying. Balaam fell on his face. The angel said, "Why have you struck your donkey? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me." Balaam said, "I have sinned." The angel let him go on, but warned him to speak only what God would give him.

What Does This Mean?

Balaam wanted gold and honor so badly that he nearly walked straight into danger without noticing. His own donkey saw more than he did. Would you have believed a king's promises, or trusted what you could not yet see?

God was protecting his people, even before they knew they needed protecting. Balak wanted a curse, but no curse can land on people God has already blessed.

The Common Thread

God had promised long before that he would bless his people and watch over them. Here, far from their camp, while they slept, God was already fighting for them in a dark road, with an angel and sword drawn. God never stops guarding the ones he loves, even through surprising ways, even through a talking donkey.

For You

Sometimes you want something so much, a toy, a prize, approval, that you stop noticing what is right. Ask God to open your eyes like he opened Balaam's, so you notice when your own way has become crooked.

Talk About It

Why do you think Balaam could not see the angel at first, but the donkey could?

Has God ever used something surprising to stop you from doing something wrong?

Praying Together

Lord, open our eyes like you opened Balaam's. Help us notice when we are going the wrong way, and thank you for guarding us even when we do not see it. Amen.