Lessons from Balaam and his Donkey Part 1

For the last several week, we have been talking about the importance of setting ourselves apart....making times that we can go somewhere with the expectation that God will show up

We had the men’s revival a couple of weeks ago and based on the testimonies a couple of Sundays ago, God certainly showed up in a huge way!

Then, we went straight into camp

On 6/20 - the Monday of camp I wrote in my prayer journal and prayed for 1 person to be saved and to come to know Christ at camp.

As you heard, we had 4 saved and 4 rededicate their lives to Christ!

God is in the business of showing up in huge ways!

This story has come up a couple of times and even Tailyn’s group made their skit out of it at camp.

I want to dive into it and look a a couple of lessons...

1. A Lesson in Focus

As we saw in the story, Balak was afraid that the Israelites were going to wipe out the Moabites as God had them do with he Amorites....

So, he calls for Balaam, who apparently had a reputation as a diviner...

There is some speculation on what that really means for Balaam...

We really don’t know much about Balaam outside of this story and a few references back to him....

Most scholars think it has to do more with dreams and visions that he experienced with God...

Nonetheless, Balak thinks that if he calls on this guy that he would come and curse the Israelites....

Unbeknown to him, Balaam was a believer in God....

So, Balak sends his people to Balaam and tells him that there is a people who came from Egypt and he would like for him to curse them....

Balaam, knowing that the divination that he has experienced, comes from God told them that he needed to go to the Lord....

Numbers 22:8 NIV

8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

So, Balaam initial focus is in the right place....

He was going to meet with God first before he agreed to anything....

God tells Balaam that the Israelites are blessed and to not go with the Moabites

Show scripture but don’t read

Numbers 22:12 NIV

12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

So, they report back to Balak and he decides to up the ante

Numbers 22:15–17 NIV

15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”

And again, Balaam’s focus was still in the right place as he says

Numbers 22:18 NIV

18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.

Balaam goes back to the Lord and this time the Lord tells him that he can go with the people but only do what God says to do....

Here is where Balaam apparently loses focus...

Numbers 22:22 NIV

22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Apparently, Balaam lost his focus while on the journey as the Lord sent His angel to stop Balaam....

My best guess is that Balaam started rethinking why he was going…maybe he had some ulterior motive...

Maybe he got to thinking about the money that he could make....who knows?

Regardless, he stopped focusing on God as God became angry and felt the need to stop him with an angel....

So, as the story goes the donkey gets scared because of the angel and runs Balaam off of the road....

Balaam beats him...

A second time, the donkey runs Balaam into the side of the wall and crushes Balaam’s foot...

Balaam again beats the donkey...

A third time, the donkey lays down and Balaam beats him again....

This time the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth and it began to talk...

Any of you heard a talking donkey? Not counting Shrek....

Yeah me neither....

So, apparently Balaam lost focus on God and he couldn’t see what God was doing....

So the lesson for us is.

What is our focus on?

Have we remained focused on God, or have we lost our focus?

Are there times that we seem to remain focused on Him and the path seems to be good....but then, something happens and we start to drift away?

Things are good, so I don’t need to continually spend time with God....

Then other things start to slip in and we question: why God?

I want to encourage you this morning to get back on track....refocus on what God has for you!

The second point is quite obvious and simple....

2. God Spoke through a Donkey

And this is where I want to tie this message back to those holy moments that I was talking about....

In cased you missed it…God spoke through a donkey...

You see, even in Balaam’s day, a talking donkey would be just as crazy as it would be today....

If Balaam were to go to all of his friends and say “yo, I was riding my donkey and all of a sudden, this donkey went crazy, I beat it, and then it started talking to me.”

His friends would think he is nuts....

But was he?

One thing that I am continually learning about God is that He is greater and more creative than I could ever imagine...

Am I willing to being open to letting Him do what He can and wants to do?

Or, do I find myself saying “God wouldn’t do that” or have some theological stance that limits what God would do?

AS I was writing this, this song came on that I feel is appropriate

It is called “what if I gave everything” Casting Crowns

All my life I longed to be a hero My sword raised high, running to the battle I was gonna take giants down Be a man you would write about

Deep in my chest is the heart of a warrior So why am I still standing here? Why am I still holding back from You? I hear You call me out into deeper waters But I settle on the shallow end So why am I still standing here?

So afraid what it might cost to follow You I'd walk by faith if I could get these feet to move But I don't want to live that way I don't want to look back someday On a life that never stepped across the line

So why am I still standing here? Why am I still holding back from You? You've given me a faith that can move a mountain But I'm still playing in the sand Building little kingdoms that'll never stand I hear You call me out into deeper waters But I settle on the shallow end

I'm so tired of standing here What if I gave everything to You?

What if I gave everything? What if I stopped holding back from You? Starting now, I'm stepping out onto deeper waters

What if I gave everything? What if I stopped holding back from You? Starting now, I'm stepping out onto deeper waters I want to see some mountains move

Ready to give everything Say goodbye to standing here

Are we ready to step out into what God wants for us?

Are we ready to fully seek Him and what He has for us?

Or are we scared.....

Over the weekend of the men’s revival, I had an experience with God that really opened my eyes to seeing that He is still working…and wants to do some crazy amazing things...

Do I really want to dive into that?

Do I really want to give everything and see where this crazy extravagant God wants to take me....or do I like the comfortable life?

I’m at this point in my life and my faith where I want to see what all God wants to do....

Michael jokingly asked me “are you becoming pentecostal” and I kind of laughed it off…not really, at least not intentionally…to be honest, I am at a place right now where I want to experience God however He wants to show me!

You know…if He wants to speak to me through a donkey....line them up!

Worship Team

Julia and I were talking about this message last night and she made a really good point....God hears the cries of His people and His creation

Balaam was beating His donkey and God opened its mouth so it could speak...

And In Luke 19:37-40

Luke 19:37–40 NIV

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

So, as we leave this morning, I encourage you to think about these things:

What is your focus on? - are you focused on God, or have you drifted away?

Are you willing to step out and see what God wants for you and has for you?

Next week we will finish the story and see what other lessons we can learn.

As we go, may we remain focused on Him and be willing to see what He wants to do in and through us!