Have you ever noticed how noisy the world around us is? Especially at this time of year the over-the-top noise and bright colors demand our constant attention. Look here! See this! Amidst the holiday rush what would it take for God to get your distracted attention?

I’m sure there are many who would read Numbers 22 and shake their heads at the thought of a donkey talking to a man. But what did it take for God to get Balaam’s attention?

The people, several million strong, are camped in the plains of Moab and the King of Moab, Balak, is terrified because the Amorites were defeated by them and he fears his country is next. v. 1-3. So he sends for Balaam. “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” v. 6-7. Balaam apparently has a reputation and is offered a fee for divination by the men sent to bring him to King Balak to curse the people. He accepts the money and tells them to stay overnight so he can tell them what the Lord says. God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” So begins a back and forth. God tells Balaam not to go, that he must not put a curse on the people because they are blessed; Balaam sends the men back without him and King Balak sends even more officials to “reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people.” v. 9-17. Reward handsomely…put a curse on these people.

At first reading it seems as though God tells Balaam to go with the men to King Balak, and then He gets angry with Balaam that he goes. Balaam has already told the officials he can only say what the Lord tells him. I think it’s good to remember that God knows the purposes of our hearts…He knows.

The next morning Balaam goes with the officials and is riding his donkey. Three times the donkey turns away from the path they are traveling on and in the process upsets and hurts Balaam by crushing his foot against a wall; and by finally sitting down with Balaam still sitting on him. Why? The donkey could see what Balaam could not. The donkey could see the angel of the Lord barring the way with a drawn sword in his hand. v. 21-27. Balaam couldn’t see the angel of the Lord. So what does he do in his anger and frustration? He beats the donkey each of the 3 times the donkey protected him by avoiding passing the angel of the Lord. What did it take to get Balaam’s attention? Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” v. 28. The incredible part of this story to me is that Balaam starts answering the donkey! He isn’t struck dumb wondering how can his donkey start talking to him; no, he carries on a conversation with it in his frustration and anger. Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. v. 29-31.

Having his attention, finally, 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. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.” v. 32-33. Balaam’s path was a reckless one before God. Now He has Balaam’s attention. The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” v. 35.

I can’t help but contrast these instructions to Balaam to speak only what God tells him; and Jesus’s instructions in Matthew 10:19: But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. In this instance Jesus is reassuring His followers they are not alone so don’t be afraid because He never leaves us; in Balaam’s case, he is being told he will not curse the people but will speak only what God tells him. God knew Balaam’s heart.

I think Balaam is an interesting person. He knew enough to say He could only say what the Lord tells him to say when he’s asked to put a curse on the people. Apparently he had a reputation of blessing and cursing people for money. It begs the question what did he really understand about God? Its one thing to know of God and a whole different thing to know God. This morning reading Hearing God this Scripture reference resonated beautifully: The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being. Proverbs 20:27. With God’s help, we can come to be guided by Him and learn from Him in our inmost being. He never forces us. Balaam required a direct intervention because his path was a reckless one before God. Personally, I’d prefer the light of God’s love and the warmth of His Presence illuminating my heart so I can see what needs correcting. I trust Him.

Remember when we read Numbers 20 and Moses, in his anger and frustration with the people said…Listen, you rebels…? Yesterday, in thinking again about my problem with Jesus being sacrificed for our sins…not His, I was angry with myself and all of us that our sins cause that much harm and He reminded me what Moses said…you rebels…and I realized I was no better than Moses in his moment of anger. I was thinking “you rebels” and including myself kind of. Our anger and self-righteous judging causes harm. God’s love brings healing. His love is the only thing that can heal us and if He needs to use a donkey to get through to us then I pray that I have the sense to not get in His way. I want to be open to all that God needs to reveal to me because He is life. All of this parade of endless noise and color and distraction is not life. What will it take?