22:1-3 The children of Israel continue to push through the land, through enemy and barrier. This man named Balak begins to worry as God's group draws near. Just like in the world today, the people who try to block God's children are inevitably knocked aside. Had any of the peoples compromised with or welcomed the group, they would not have entered (or lost) any battles against them.
22:4-6 Balak is smart enough to realize that he (and the rest of the Moabites) cannot defeat or stop the children of Israel. So, Balak seeks to recruit help from a known diviner named Balaam. This man Balaam is known to prophesy. Balak hires Balaam to curse the children of Israel, thus preventing them from entering his land.
22:7 Balaam listens to what the Lord says -- not because he is especially faithful, but because he knows that God's will is the only possible way of things. Balaam likes people to believe that he has power, but he knows that he does not. Although the people around him believe that he is able to curse or bless, Balaam actually follows what God ordains (because he has no power against it) and then makes it known to people.
22:8 Balaam tells Balak's messengers to camp there overnight while he consults God.
22:9 God gives Balaam a chance to be open and honest: Who are these men? He asks.
22:10 Balaam is honest with God -- because there is no point in lying to God. Always be honest about your intentions and motivations with God because He already knows. He gives us the chance to be honest... take it, you always want to work with Him rather than against.
22:11 God immediately shuts down any chance of a curse. God's children are blessed and protected by Him.
22:12-13 Balaam follows God's advice in the morning and sends the messengers away.
22:15-16 Desperate for his services, Balak sends a more honorable band of messengers to persuade Balaam to visit Moab and listen to his pleas: Balak wants the children of Israel to be cursed.
22:17 Balak offers Balaam a tempting offer: I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me.
22:18-19 Balaam is tempted by Balak's offer. The problem for Balaam is that he cannot do what Balak is asking him to do. Instead of telling Balak no outright, Balaam pretends that overnight he may be able to do some compromising with God.
The comfort here is that no amount of dealing or persuasion can take away God's promise to love and bless you.
22:20-21 God instructs Balaam to journey with Balak's men. The coniditon is that Balaam is required to speak only the word of God. God disallows Balaam from pretending that he has power. God says: "...but only the word which I speak to you - that you should do."
22:18-19 Balaam is tempted by Balak's offer. The problem for Balaam is that he cannot do what Balak is asking him to do. Instead of telling Balak no outright, Balaam pretends that overnight he may be able to do some compromising with God.
The comfort here is that no amount of dealing or persuasion can take away God's promise to love and bless you.
22:20-21 God instructs Balaam to journey with Balak's men. The coniditon is that Balaam is required to speak only the word of God. God disallows Balaam from pretending that he has power. God says: "...but only the word which I speak to you - that you should do."
22:22 Balaam begins to travel by donkey with the men and God becomes angry. We know that God only becomes displeased when people oppose His just and compassionate will. From His anger, we can deduce that Balaam has no shed his pompous attitude. Balaam is still parading around as if he is powerful. Balaam is no more than a messenger.
22:23 God's presence confronts Balaam on the donkey and immediately the donkey turns aside, showing deference for the Angel of the Lord. Not comprehending the situation, Balaam strikes the donkey in effort to get her back on the path.
22:24 The Angel of the Lord against presents Itself to Balaam and the donkey.
There is some symbol about the place the Angel of the Lord is situated: between vineyards, a wall on either side of a narrow path. God's Will and Home is flanked by beauty and abundance. The path toward that home narrow, requiring a specific type of lifestyle of compassion and justice. The wall indicates that there is no other route.
22:25 Only the donkey realizes the presence of the Angel and again, in deference, seeks to move out of God's way. The donkey steps on Balaam's foot and he strikes her again.
The donkey will not follow Balaam's orders. Every living thing reveres its/our creator. The donkey cannot be persuaded to disrespect the Lord. Even the animal is humbled in His presence.
Balaam is receiving a lesson the Lord. Are you? We all must stop manipulating and dealing to create the situations we want or think we can benefit from. The Lord has a path for His children and by living in deference to His love and guidance, we always end up beneficiaries of it.
22:26-27 Balaam and the donkey reach a spot where there is no where else to turn, the path becomes too narrow. The donkey lays down, no matter how angrily Balaam reacts to her refusal to move. We must never allow any circumstance to deter us from following our beautiful God. We make mistakes, of course. But allow Him to lead you right back to the path: always a reverent, rapt and diligent student.
Our first step can be to try to identify the ways in which we are trying to force our donkey. Figuratively. In what ways are we stepping off of this narrow path? Turning from off of it? In what ways is God standing before us and we are neglected to acknowledge His presence?
We must shed all arrogance and control. We must allow Him to be our control because nothing will lead us more gently or deftly on throughout life, toward blessing.
22:28 The Angel of the Lord speaks through the donkey: What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? Because indeed, by striking the donkey, Balaam was ignoring God and trying to forage his own way. In opposition to God.
22:29 In anger, Balaam answers that he wants to kill the donkey for disobedience.
22:30 The donkey (the Lord) responds that He has been faithful since day one. Carrying Balaam throughout his journey, and thus earning respect and kindness.
22:31 Suddenly the Lord opens Balaam's eyes of perception and he understands that he is undergoing a lesson.
22:32 God confronts Balaam; He basically says: what are you even doing? To walk in opposition to God is to walk around in circles. In chaos. You get nothing done. You go nowhere.
22:33 Even donkey responded to God's will. So what are you, Balaam, who regards himself as so intelligent and clever doing? The animals gets it right... but the human who prides himself as being so much smarter does not.
God explains to Balaam that he is lucky for the donkey's halting because it saved his life, kept him from progression too far beyond redemption's reach. For Balaam was in the process of making himself an idol for the people of Moab. He wanted to be worshiped and revered, wealthy and powerful as an oracle.
By pretending that he was in charge, Balaam opposed God and kept the Moabites from realizing who the True God is.
22:34-35 Corrected and humbled by God, Balaam offers to turn around. God instructs Balaam to proceed along the journey as His messenger. God reminds Balaam to go as a messenger not a pretend god.
The position of messenger of God is a blessed opportunity. The gift of hearing from the Lord coupled with the gift of prophesy is something all of God's children pray for. Can we be faithful messengers? Grateful for such blessings? Balaam did not love and cherish his position or the Lord. He wanted more...power, reverence... just like Satan, Ezekiel 28.
22:36-41 Balaam arrives and Balak is frantic. Balak wanted Balaam there sooner. Balaam, humbled by God, speaks this to Balak: "Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything/ The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak." Finally Balaam admits that he is powerless. Only God is powerful. Balaam cannot change the course of God's will. Even though Balak desperately wants the children of Israel to be thwarted, there is not a human on earth capable of doing it.
22:23 God's presence confronts Balaam on the donkey and immediately the donkey turns aside, showing deference for the Angel of the Lord. Not comprehending the situation, Balaam strikes the donkey in effort to get her back on the path.
22:24 The Angel of the Lord against presents Itself to Balaam and the donkey.
There is some symbol about the place the Angel of the Lord is situated: between vineyards, a wall on either side of a narrow path. God's Will and Home is flanked by beauty and abundance. The path toward that home narrow, requiring a specific type of lifestyle of compassion and justice. The wall indicates that there is no other route.
22:25 Only the donkey realizes the presence of the Angel and again, in deference, seeks to move out of God's way. The donkey steps on Balaam's foot and he strikes her again.
The donkey will not follow Balaam's orders. Every living thing reveres its/our creator. The donkey cannot be persuaded to disrespect the Lord. Even the animal is humbled in His presence.
Balaam is receiving a lesson the Lord. Are you? We all must stop manipulating and dealing to create the situations we want or think we can benefit from. The Lord has a path for His children and by living in deference to His love and guidance, we always end up beneficiaries of it.
22:26-27 Balaam and the donkey reach a spot where there is no where else to turn, the path becomes too narrow. The donkey lays down, no matter how angrily Balaam reacts to her refusal to move. We must never allow any circumstance to deter us from following our beautiful God. We make mistakes, of course. But allow Him to lead you right back to the path: always a reverent, rapt and diligent student.
Our first step can be to try to identify the ways in which we are trying to force our donkey. Figuratively. In what ways are we stepping off of this narrow path? Turning from off of it? In what ways is God standing before us and we are neglected to acknowledge His presence?
We must shed all arrogance and control. We must allow Him to be our control because nothing will lead us more gently or deftly on throughout life, toward blessing.
22:28 The Angel of the Lord speaks through the donkey: What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? Because indeed, by striking the donkey, Balaam was ignoring God and trying to forage his own way. In opposition to God.
22:29 In anger, Balaam answers that he wants to kill the donkey for disobedience.
22:30 The donkey (the Lord) responds that He has been faithful since day one. Carrying Balaam throughout his journey, and thus earning respect and kindness.
22:31 Suddenly the Lord opens Balaam's eyes of perception and he understands that he is undergoing a lesson.
22:32 God confronts Balaam; He basically says: what are you even doing? To walk in opposition to God is to walk around in circles. In chaos. You get nothing done. You go nowhere.
22:33 Even donkey responded to God's will. So what are you, Balaam, who regards himself as so intelligent and clever doing? The animals gets it right... but the human who prides himself as being so much smarter does not.
God explains to Balaam that he is lucky for the donkey's halting because it saved his life, kept him from progression too far beyond redemption's reach. For Balaam was in the process of making himself an idol for the people of Moab. He wanted to be worshiped and revered, wealthy and powerful as an oracle.
By pretending that he was in charge, Balaam opposed God and kept the Moabites from realizing who the True God is.
22:34-35 Corrected and humbled by God, Balaam offers to turn around. God instructs Balaam to proceed along the journey as His messenger. God reminds Balaam to go as a messenger not a pretend god.
The position of messenger of God is a blessed opportunity. The gift of hearing from the Lord coupled with the gift of prophesy is something all of God's children pray for. Can we be faithful messengers? Grateful for such blessings? Balaam did not love and cherish his position or the Lord. He wanted more...power, reverence... just like Satan, Ezekiel 28.
22:36-41 Balaam arrives and Balak is frantic. Balak wanted Balaam there sooner. Balaam, humbled by God, speaks this to Balak: "Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything/ The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak." Finally Balaam admits that he is powerless. Only God is powerful. Balaam cannot change the course of God's will. Even though Balak desperately wants the children of Israel to be thwarted, there is not a human on earth capable of doing it.
