As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, God told them they would have to fight for it. He wasn’t going to hand it to them on a silver platter. They had to want it, to earnestly desire it, to come to cherish it because of their effort, their blood, sweat and tears.
If you’re going around invading and claiming territory, word is going to spread. The Israelites took over the territory of the Amorites. The king of Moab heard of their victory, and knew that now the Israelites were camped nearby. “When they saw how many Israelites there were, he and his people were terrified” (Numbers 22:3).
So what did the king do? He reached out to Balaam. Balaam was the go-to guy in these kinds of situations because he was a sorcerer for hire. For the right price, he would confer with the appropriate god(s) and get back to you with their message – giving whatever blessings or curses the buyer was in the market for. He was a rubber stamp. A tarot card reader whose vague predictions could cover any circumstance.
That doesn’t mean that God couldn’t use him. The king sent messengers and money, asking Balaam to curse the Israelites so they wouldn’t be able to hurt the Moabites. When Balaam prayed, God answered and told him not to do it. So he sent the messengers away. But they came back, this time with offers of more money. And instead of sending them immediately on their way, Balaam said, “But stay here one more night to see if the Lord has anything else to say to me” (Numbers 22:19). Stay here one more night and see if God changes His mind and lets me accept the job (and the money).
Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. James 1:14-15
God did allow Balaam to go. But I don’t think that God changed His mind. God’s intention never changed – Israel would not be cursed. Balaam’s greed actually placed him into a “but God” position – the Moab king hired him to curse Israel, but God eventually used him to bless Israel and curse Moab. I think God allowed Balaam to go because He gives free will. He showed Balaam the best way, what He wanted. And when Balaam didn’t do it, God intervened.
“He sent an angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block [Balaam’s] way” (Numbers 22:22). Balaam’s donkey was given the ability to see what Balaam could not – the angel of the Lord blocking the path with a drawn sword. The donkey tried to squeeze by, to go around, but eventually he could not. Every time the donkey changed course to protect Balaam, Balaam beat him for it, until eventually the donkey spoke.
“What have I done to you that deserves your beating me these three times?” it asked Balaam.
“Because 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 always ride on,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” he admitted. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes.” Numbers 22:28-31
The miracle wasn’t the donkey speaking, it was Balaam’s eyes being opened. He had been blind but now he saw. God’s stubborn love and mercy confronted him when He blocked Balaam’s path and said, “You cannot pass. You can go no further in your wrong direction. The path you are on is headed for destruction and I can allow you to go no farther.”
Our God does the same for us. When we follow our own desires that are in opposition to what God intends, God respects our free will. Sometimes, He causes our path to veer off the course we think is best, and we yell and shout and shake our fists at God, angry that He is not letting us go our own way. We are blind to His mercy.
Balaam was a different man by the time he reached his destination. Standing before the Moab king, he spoke the blessing over Israel God instructed him to give. His first words are: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of the man whose eyes see clearly, who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls down with eyes wide open” (Numbers 24:3-4).
Many years later, a tiny baby was laid in a donkey’s manger – God’s boldest intervention in all of history. Those who see Jesus see the heart of God. “I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind” (John 9:39). Stop. I can let you go no further in your wrong direction. I have come to walk with you, to guide you and demonstrate for you the way you should go.
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8