Year 7, Day 137: Numbers 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This is a great chapter.  Where else but in this chapter do you get a talking donkey?  In fact, not only does the donkey talk, the donkey is very street smart!  The donkey knows enough to protect itself from the Lord.  In doing so, he protects Balaam.  The only problem is that Balaam isn’t smart enough to see the danger himself!

Let’s back up the story and find out how this points us to the real issue.  After all, why is God so angry when He is the one who told Balaam to go with the men?

If we look back to the very beginning, we can discover the answers.  Balak and some other leaders come to Balaam and offer him a good sum of money.  They want to buy his favor.  They want to buy his favor because they know that God listens to him and he listens to God.  The people that Balaam curses are truly cursed.

Naturally, God doesn’t want His services being bought.  Neither does God want His servants being bought.  God tells Balaam to tell the men to go home.  That sounds reasonable.  That sounds like God.

However, that’s not the end of the story.  The people come back.  They appeal to Balaam once more.  No doubt they remind him just how lucrative the proposal would be.  Balaam listens and invites them to stay.  Although God has already said no, Balaam comes back to God.  Balaam has been tempted by their offering.

I think we see in this passage just how human Balaam happens to be.  He is willing to listen to God.  But he is also willing to allow himself to be tempted.  He is willing to look past his relationship with God – and more importantly, God’s command.  He is willing to desire wealth and prosperity more than God.

This brings us back to the story with Balaam and his donkey.  Why can’t Balaam see the angel of the Lord that is threatening him?  He can’t see because his eye is focused elsewhere.  Balaam isn’t looking to God with all that wealth before him.  The donkey can see to save his life.  Balaam is tempted into the world.  This is why God has every right to be angry.  His servant is walking down the road to sin.

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