MINING THE RICHES
The Wisdom of Then the LORD opened the mouth
H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 14
The Ass of Balaam Talking before the Angel by Rembrandt. 1626. Oil on panel. Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris, France.
of the donkey, and she said to Balaam,“What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey,“Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam,“Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.” Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him,“Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.” And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD,“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back” (Numbers 22:27-34 NKJV).
Don T
he soothsayer Balaam was a man with a whole lot of problems. He was paid by King Barak of Moab to curse God’s people, but the Lord wanted him to bless the people He loved. Things get really bad for Balaam on his way to Moab. He can’t get his donkey to obey him! He strikes the animal three times to try to get her to go forward, but the dumb donkey just won’t listen. Unbeknownst to this “prophet,” the Angel of the Lord was standing in front of them with a giant sword.The Lord was against Balaam, blocking the road to keep him from going to Moab.The donkey, seeing the Angel, refused to go forward. How could a dumb animal see the Angel of the Lord and the prophet couldn’t? Things get even more comical.The Lord opens the mouth of Balaam’s ass and the donkey begins to speak! What’s more amazing is that Balaam answers her. He doesn’t pause to marvel at the talking donkey. He must have been too angry since he exclaims that if he had a sword, he’d kill his faithful ride. There was a sword near, wasn’t there? The “prophet” just couldn’t see it.The dumb donkey could see the Angel and the famous prophet could not.What kind of dummy has to be told by his animal that an Angel is standing right in front of him holding a sword? You and me. Our ears and eyes are closed to our Lord’s salvation unless the Holy Spirit opens them with His lifegiving Words. We could have Jesus crucified right before us and would be as dumb as this “prophet” striking his donkey who was blocked by a giant Angel he couldn’t see. The Lord opens our eyes and ears from outside of us with His enlivening Word.
