Numbers 22:32

New International Version

The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.

For Meditation
When words cannot dissuade us from moving on the evil desires in our hearts, God can surprise us with the unthinkable, as the story of the prophet Balaam illustrates.

 Balak, the Moabite king, summons the prophet Balaam to come and pronounce a curse on Israel (Numbers 22:4-6). God forbids him from going. When Balak sends a second, high-powered delegation to him, the Lord gives Balaam permission to go, but on one condition, that he only does what God tells him (20). However, the angel of the Lord stands in the way of Balaam to oppose him in the middle of the journey. When Balaam struggles with his donkey, God enables the animal to rebuke the rogue prophet.

So why did God oppose Balaam when He had approved the trip?

Peter and Jude shed the light we need to understand it. The prophet was all after money and not the honor of the Lord (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11).

The path Balaam had chosen was reckless and pointed to a wicked adventure against the beloved people of God. He carried his original intention of profiting from the adventure in his heart, though he told the delegation that:

 “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could do nothing great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God” (Numbers 22:18).

Balaam took God’s permission to honor the invitation of Balak as a license for gain (20) and pushed his way towards Moab, with the promise of Balak to reward him all over his mind (17). God used his donkey to call him to attention (30).

 We must be careful to remember that God knows our hearts more than we do. His knowledge goes deeper into the realm of preconception. The Psalmist expresses this very well in Psalm 139:4.

 “Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.”

 The Hebrews writer adds this:

 “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Yes, everything, including the attitudes and intentions of our hearts (Heb. 4:12-13).

 We cannot agree with God on one issue and go away intending to do otherwise. We cannot continue to call Him Lord and continue in disobedience. The allurement of money and wealth is wicked to the heart and opposes righteousness. But God’s response to such deceptiveness is never pretty.

 So, let us be straight with God before a donkey opens its mouth to rebuke us.