A donkey and a bum

Read Numbers 22.

In this part of the Bible, Israel had just defeated two nations that stood in the way of them reaching the Promised Land.  They defeated Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan.  Now they camped next two Moab and Midian who were scared, although not scared enough to turn to the Lord.

Balak the son of Zippor hired Balaam, a mystic, to go curse Israel.  Balaam decided to pray about it, but God told him not to go.  Balak sweetened the deal with more money.  Balaam prayed about it again even though God clearly told him no the first time.  God said to go but say only what he says.

So we now have two individuals being pressured to do the wrong thing: Balaam and his donkey.  Sadly, a mere donkey was smarter than Balaam.  An angel stood in the way of Balaam and the donkey with a sword ready to kill them.  The donkey stopped.  Balaam beat her three times.  The Lord blessed the donkey by giving her speech.  She asked, "why have you beat me these three times?"  Balaam still doesn't realize the real fool in the story.  "You have made a fool of me.  If I had a sword, I would kill you."  Finally, God opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel and that the donkey was right.  He said he would turn around, but God said to go and say only what he wanted Balaam to say.

Balaam tried seven times to curse Israel, but God turned those curses into blessings, including a prophesy of the Messiah (Numbers 24:17-19).

Balaam knew that God would not allow him to curse Israel, but he still wanted Balak's reward.  In the next chapter, Moab sends beautiful women to seduce the Israelites.  And it works.  It leads them into sin through adultery and idolatry combined.  Many people get killed as a punishment.  In Numbers 31:16, it is revealed that Balaam advised everyone to send the women.  By that time, he had been killed in battle against Moab and Midian.

But let's return to the sweet donkey.  She was under pressure to do the wrong thing.  She looked to her Lord and maker to save her from her situation.  Balaam was under pressure to do the wrong thing, and he looked to his own cunning to get him out rather than repent and turn to the Lord.  Israel had no idea that mud was being slung at them from above until it was too late.  They were not prepared for the temptations that Balaam would send, but because God loved them and chose them as his nation, he gave them victory after a severe chastisement.  24,000 people died in a plague.

When it comes to adversity and pressure to sin against God, do you look to yourself or repent and turn to the Lord?  Is a mere donkey more godly than you?

At this moment in my life, I lost one job back in October, moved on to a restaurant job in November, pulled out of children's ministry for the time, and have no clue if or when I can get back to where I was before. I honestly think it was because I moved from an ideal situation from the past three years to seek better pay when I should have stayed where I was.  I looked to my own means for advancement rather than wait on the Lord.  And now I'm in a serious set-back.  To I keep going in my own plans and schemes?  Or do I wait and look for the Lord to vindicate me?  No good dwells in and of myself, so I must learn to look to God and realize that he is enough for me.  I wish I could know he is enough for me before he becomes a last resort.  Can I do that?  Can you do that?