Have you ever been in a temptation and felt something was trying to keep you from sinning? God will use any and every means to turn us off our sinful path. In this second devotion in the A Man and His Donkey series, we look at how God allows us free will but still tries to keep us from sinning.
Nuggets
- God always allows us free will to choose between Him and Satan.
- Still, God will use any and every means to turn us off our sinful path.
- God allows the trial to happen so we can grow from the experience.
- The angel stood in the gap between Balaam and sin.
To read devotions in the title series, click the appropriate button below.
Save By a Donkey
Even though Balaam was a prophet of Jehovah, he was greatly tempted by Balak’s offer of money to curse the Wilderness Wanderers. God intervened to try to keep him on the straight and narrow. Let’s see what happened.
Let's Put It into Context
“Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: ‘This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me. I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!’” (Num. 22: 15-17 NLT)
Balak had sent messengers to Balaam to try to get him to curse the Wilderness Wanderers. God had told Balaam no, so he grudgingly sent the messengers home.
Balak didn’t like that. But since Balaam hadn’t flat out told him no, Balak assumed he could buy him off.
Well, Maybe
“But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. But stay here one more night, and I will see if the Lord has anything else to say to me.’ That night God came to Balaam and told him, ‘Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.’ So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials” (Num. 22: 16-21 NLT)
The second time Balak sent men to convince Balaam to offer up the curse, he pandered to Balaam’s covetousness. The response Balaam gave can be read as a good response if we read it as “No amount of money will buy me off.”
But if we read it as “Buddy, you have got to top this if you want me to do what you want,” that is flirting with sin. Satan is going to continue to tempt us when he thinks he has a shot of winning.
Balaam did fall into this temptation. Balaam got to the point where he didn’t care what God had said. He wanted the money.
It is surprising that God said that it was okay for Balaam to go with them. However, it is not so surprising as God always allows us free will to choose between Him and Satan.
God told Balaam to follow His directions. He didn’t change His mind between the two answers. Balaam changed. Balaam had already chosen to take the money.
One Smart Donkey
It seems funny that God was angry because He had told Balaam that he could go with the men. But it really isn’t.
Sometimes, God allows the trial to happen so we can grow from the experience. If He would not allow it, we would not grow closer to Him.
That doesn’t mean God has to like the situation. He would much rather have us obedient.
Isn’t it said that of those who have been given much, much will be expected (Lk. 12: 48)? Balaam was given much. He knew God and was a prophet of God. Balaam should have known better.
And here Balaam goes chasing the money. He was going to go curse the people God had blessed. Yes, the Israelites weren’t any cleaner than Balaam, but God had blessed them.
God is always angry with unrighteousness. Cox wrote, “And what could the unrighteous leaning of Balaam be but that, in the conflict between his own interests and desires and the will of God, he was permitting his interests and desires to prevail over his sense of duty, suffering the baser elements of his nature to override the promptings of that in him which was highest and best, giving way, in short, to the temptation which Balak had held out before him, and scheming how he might please man without altogether breaking with God.”
God isn’t going to keep us from sinning. We have to show we are not falling into temptation.
Why could the donkey see the angel but not Balaam? Cox said it was because Balaam was too preoccupied with the material gain he was going to earn.
We know that God will fight Satan for us. Isn’t it amazing that sometimes God will fight us for us? “The holy angels are adversaries to sin, and perhaps are employed more than we are aware of in preventing it, particularly in opposing those that have any ill designs against God’s Church and people” (Henry).
Isn’t that how it goes, though. We are so happy that God is allowing us do to something we know we shouldn’t— and then everything starts to fall apart.
Oh, we will blame everything but ourselves. It can’t be our fault for choosing the wrong decision.
Balaam appears to me as someone who was stuck on himself. And he gets corrected by a donkey.
And remember, Balaam was supposed to be a soothsayer — someone who could see into the future. But the donkey could see the angel when he couldn’t.
Balaam knew what God wanted. But just knowing isn’t enough. We have to obey. We have to make it part of our character.
I wonder if Balaam was so hard on the donkey because he knows he really shouldn’t be doing this. Don’t we do that sometimes? When we want something we know we shouldn’t, and are having troubles getting it, don’t we lash out at things and people?
Out of the Mouth of the Animal
“Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. ‘What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?’ it asked Balaam. ‘You have made me look like a fool!’ Balaam shouted. ‘If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!’ ‘But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,’ the donkey answered. ‘Have I ever done anything like this before?’ ‘No,’ Balaam admitted” (Num. 22: 28-30 NLT)
I wonder what that poor donkey felt. He was abused for Balaam’s inability to see. Now, he was actually getting to talk back.
The donkey reminded Balaam they had a history. He had been faithful to Balaam all of Balaam’s life. Now, Balaam was turning on him because he can’t see what the donkey saw.
Some have said the donkey really didn’t speak. Balaam just had a vision. Cox said that Balaam was a trained animal whisperer, so the donkey “spoke” to him.
Since Balaam is on the road, it wouldn’t seem like a dream — unless that, too, is part of the dream.
You know, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is God sent the angel to talk to Balaam. The angel stood in the gap between Balaam and sin.
Again, Balaam is so focused on himself and his prizes that he doesn’t pay attention to anything else.
I don’t know which is more amazing — the donkey spoke to Balaam or Balaam carried on a conversation with the donkey. And didn’t think it was strange at all!
Making the Connections
Remember back when we were walking through Ephesians, we talked about covetousness. Covetousness is a greed for wealth and possessions. Paul said the law pointed out his covetousness.
To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.
Paul was like Balaam? Hmmm. Either Paul wasn’t bitten as bad, or he was better at disciplining Himself.
So, God used Himself, an angel and a donkey to get Balaam’s attention. “But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you” (Job 12: 7 CSB).
In other words, God wants us to be attentive to Him, and He will use whatever means He has to to get us to pay attention. He’s not going to just give up on us.
True, Balaam isn’t mentioned before this, but remember the words that were used to describe him. A man of integrity. A wise man. A prophet of God with a great relationship with Him. A gifted man.
Balaam had all of this going for him — and he still caved to Satan. It isn’t about our abilities. It is about our heart. Is our heart right with God?
Father. Satan is ever willing to tempt us to try to get us to turn from You. He will use anything in his power to do so. Thank You, Lord, that You are more powerful than he is. Help us to withstand him. We know You allow trials to happen so that we may grow. May we always grow toward You. Amen.
What do you think?
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