Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Numbers 22:28-34
Balaam and His Donkey
Balaam and His Donkey
28 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.
29 "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"
30 "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.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
32 "Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the Lord demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going."
29 "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"
30 "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.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
32 "Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the Lord demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going."
Each time I prepare a post on my reading, I ask the Lord for something that I can understand and that would bring a message to me and to anyone else who may read it. As I began Numbers, and tried to pay close attention to what I was reading, I just started laughing to myself (and perhaps a little bit outloud). All I could think to myself was that I wish I had a talking donkey that could lead me away from a path that takes me away from the Lord. The donkey did not make Balaam look like a fool, she was trying to protect her master from impending doom. What did the poor donkey get in return for her faithful protection.....three beatings. When we sin, we often look to blame others. We often stubbornly resist the Lord and try to do things our own way. We ignore good advice from those who love us and have our best interests at heart. We may even get angry and chastise them for getting in our way. Lord, I thank You today for those You have put in my life who are always guiding me on a path to You. Thank you for Your mercy and forgiveness when I stray; help me to stay Your course.
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