SOMETHING'S AMISS
Helpful Prerequisite: Read the Book of Numbers, Chapters 22 through 24. This is the context of this blog. More specifically, Numbers 22:20, 21, 22, 32.
Before we get to the meat of the situation I thought I would paraphrase the story to the best of my ability.
The nation of Israel, numbering MANY people, with the help of God - came out of the slavery of Egypt, defeated the Amorites, and took up residence right next to Balak, ruler of the Moabites, along the Jordan across from Jericho. Balak did not care for his new neighbors and sent a message to a man who evidently was anointed with a ministry, from Yahweh, that allowed whatever he curses to be cursed and whatever he blesses to be blessed - Balaam. This message from Balak acknowledged Balaam's special power and asked him to come from his home in Pethor, near the River Euphrates, and curse these new neighbors so that he might subdue them.
The first entourage of dignitaries were elders of Moab and Midian that were sent to convey the message. Balaam received the message and then said, "Have a seat over there for a while fellows while I go consult with God." So, Balaam and God talked about it and God said, "Do Not go back with THESE men. Plus, I have blessed and plan to continue to bless the nation of Israel." So, the messengers returned without Balaam and with this news that Balaam would not be coming. This did not stop Balak's persistance. Balak tried again by sending "other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first." (v.15) This did the trick. Balaam responds again correctly and says that he must check with The Boss first. Then Balaam speaks with God and here IT is...
"That night God came to Balaam and said, 'Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.' " (That is verse 20)
"Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab." (That is verse 21)
"But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him." (That is verse 22)
Do you sense something amiss? In verse 20 God tells Balaam to "go with, but do only what I tell you". Then in verse 21 Balaam obeys and gets up and prepares to go "with the princes of Moab" by saddling his donkey. Balaam did something wrong. It was so incorrect that "God was very angry" at Balaam and sent "the angel of the LORD" (some believe the pre-incarnate Christ) to stand in the road AND oppose him. We find in verse 32, after the angel of the LORD speaks to Balaam that Balaam has a problem of recklessness. "I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me." (Only one person can speak for God this way - God. Confirming this angel as the Pre-incarnate Christ. For Balaam did not serve an angel, but Yahweh!) After researching this word reckless, I found the original Hebrew word yawrat to mean - rash (as an adjective, acting or tending to act too hastily or without due consideration.) or to rush headlong, which is a manifestation of disobedience.
Maybe he should have waited to start out on his trip a little later in the day. The verse says, "Balaam got up in the morning...". From the definition of yawrat, I get the sense Balaam was rushing things and had not yet heard any more specifics from God as to "do only what I tell you".
In addition, notice where the majority of Balaam's troubles came from - the donkey. Balaam "saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab". Did God tell Balaam to do this? Even though Balaam might have thought this would be an automatic sequence of events to transpire - get up first thing in the morning, get the mode of transportation ready, and go, like supposedly told - he didn't listen very well or follow directions very well either. Look at the results (22:22-35).
"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. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, 2"What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" 9 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." 30 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. 31 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. 32 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. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back." 35 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak."
Balaam was blinded to the Angel of the LORD and to his disobedience because he was still using his tool of disobedience - the donkey. After beating the animal several times, the LORD gave the donkey the power of speech. What really is a funny and interesting statement from the donkey to me is - "Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" This thought conveys the idea of a history between Balaam and the donkey, enough history to where Balaam should have known the behavior of this animal and acted upon it because Balaam's answer was "No" (you have not been in the habit of doing this to me).
Once the tool of disobedience was taken out of the way and Balaam could see The Angel of the LORD, the situation got better after that point. In fact, The Angel of the LORD gave Balaam another directive to follow..."Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you."
Obedience/Disobedience Test #2 = PASS!
Before we get to the meat of the situation I thought I would paraphrase the story to the best of my ability.
The nation of Israel, numbering MANY people, with the help of God - came out of the slavery of Egypt, defeated the Amorites, and took up residence right next to Balak, ruler of the Moabites, along the Jordan across from Jericho. Balak did not care for his new neighbors and sent a message to a man who evidently was anointed with a ministry, from Yahweh, that allowed whatever he curses to be cursed and whatever he blesses to be blessed - Balaam. This message from Balak acknowledged Balaam's special power and asked him to come from his home in Pethor, near the River Euphrates, and curse these new neighbors so that he might subdue them.
The first entourage of dignitaries were elders of Moab and Midian that were sent to convey the message. Balaam received the message and then said, "Have a seat over there for a while fellows while I go consult with God." So, Balaam and God talked about it and God said, "Do Not go back with THESE men. Plus, I have blessed and plan to continue to bless the nation of Israel." So, the messengers returned without Balaam and with this news that Balaam would not be coming. This did not stop Balak's persistance. Balak tried again by sending "other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first." (v.15) This did the trick. Balaam responds again correctly and says that he must check with The Boss first. Then Balaam speaks with God and here IT is...
"That night God came to Balaam and said, 'Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.' " (That is verse 20)
"Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab." (That is verse 21)
"But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him." (That is verse 22)
Do you sense something amiss? In verse 20 God tells Balaam to "go with, but do only what I tell you". Then in verse 21 Balaam obeys and gets up and prepares to go "with the princes of Moab" by saddling his donkey. Balaam did something wrong. It was so incorrect that "God was very angry" at Balaam and sent "the angel of the LORD" (some believe the pre-incarnate Christ) to stand in the road AND oppose him. We find in verse 32, after the angel of the LORD speaks to Balaam that Balaam has a problem of recklessness. "I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me." (Only one person can speak for God this way - God. Confirming this angel as the Pre-incarnate Christ. For Balaam did not serve an angel, but Yahweh!) After researching this word reckless, I found the original Hebrew word yawrat to mean - rash (as an adjective, acting or tending to act too hastily or without due consideration.) or to rush headlong, which is a manifestation of disobedience.
Maybe he should have waited to start out on his trip a little later in the day. The verse says, "Balaam got up in the morning...". From the definition of yawrat, I get the sense Balaam was rushing things and had not yet heard any more specifics from God as to "do only what I tell you".
In addition, notice where the majority of Balaam's troubles came from - the donkey. Balaam "saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab". Did God tell Balaam to do this? Even though Balaam might have thought this would be an automatic sequence of events to transpire - get up first thing in the morning, get the mode of transportation ready, and go, like supposedly told - he didn't listen very well or follow directions very well either. Look at the results (22:22-35).
"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. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, 2"What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" 9 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." 30 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. 31 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. 32 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. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back." 35 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak."
Balaam was blinded to the Angel of the LORD and to his disobedience because he was still using his tool of disobedience - the donkey. After beating the animal several times, the LORD gave the donkey the power of speech. What really is a funny and interesting statement from the donkey to me is - "Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" This thought conveys the idea of a history between Balaam and the donkey, enough history to where Balaam should have known the behavior of this animal and acted upon it because Balaam's answer was "No" (you have not been in the habit of doing this to me).
Once the tool of disobedience was taken out of the way and Balaam could see The Angel of the LORD, the situation got better after that point. In fact, The Angel of the LORD gave Balaam another directive to follow..."Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you."
Obedience/Disobedience Test #2 = PASS!
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