Numbers 22: Talking Donkeys

In Hebrew, the Book of Numbers is called "In the Wilderness." That is what this book is all about. It picks up where Exodus left off. We are on our way to the Promised Land. Along the way, there are many lessons to learn about trusting God and believing for miracles in every area of life.

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Bible reading plan- http://www.experiencerlc.com/the-bible/
Free weekly newsletter- https://www.brandoncannon.com/

SOAP Bible Study Method- https://www.brandoncannon.com/soap/
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Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT).
Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome, Mission, And Audience Invite
• 0:57 Setup: Numbers 22 And Shrek Donkey
• 1:52 Context: Israel Near The Promised Land
• 3:07 Balak Seeks Balaam To Curse Israel
• 5:21 God’s First Answer: Do Not Go
• 6:24 The Richer Offer And Conditional Permission
• 7:21 The Angel, The Donkey, And The Beatings
• 9:05 Donkey Speaks And Balaam’s Eyes Opened
• 10:45 Balaam Meets Balak: Only God’s Words
• 12:05 Takeaway: Blessed By God, Stand Firm
• 13:10 Prayer, Benediction, And Next Chapter Tease

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:01

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. In this podcast, we will be breaking down the Bible one chapter a day. Whether you are a new believer or have been following Christ for a while, we believe that you will learn something new and fresh every single day. So thank you for joining us. Let's get into breaking down the Bible together.

SPEAKER_01: 0:23

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon. Today, Numbers chapter 22. And this is one you're not going to soon forget. If I were, if I were to title this chapter, All I Can Call It Is Talking Donkeys, okay? Talking Donkeys. Have you ever seen the movie Shrek? Well, we're going to talk about the sidekick for Shrek, uh, Donkey, who was read by a guy named Eddie Murphy. And I'm not going to try to do my Eddie Murphy voice, but I picture Donkey in this chapter and it just changes how I see this. And a guy named Balam. We're going to get to that in just a second. But as always, if you like what we're doing here and you're watching this on YouTube, make sure you like this video, comment on this video. I saw something on my analytics the other day that says 60% of people who watch these videos are not subscribed to the channel. It really does help us if you subscribe to the channel. If you are my podcast brethren, I love you so much. Thank you for listening to this every day and giving me a chance to kind of just gush about God's word and kind of be a you know a fellow traveler with you. As man, I just the main thing, my goal of this whole thing is just to enjoy God's word together. God's word's so good and it is bizarre in all the right ways. It's wonderful. Today we're going to read the most bizarre thing in the world. Oh my goodness, it's going to be amazing. But we want to make sure we share with this with people. So make sure that you're also going into our Facebook group, type in Bible breakdown discussion, and let me know if your pet could talk to you. What would they say? Uh that may or may not be a good thing, but if your pet could talk to you, uh, what would they say? So let's jump into this. Let's make sure we remember our context. And that is the nation of Israel has been in the wilderness for 39 years. At this point, they are headed toward the promised land. They're getting really close. Leadership is starting to change over. Miriam and Arian Aaron Arian have died and they've turned it over to the next generation. And now some of the Canaanites are starting to try to attack the nation of Israel, and uh they're losing. They're losing bad. And so now the enemies of God have got a plan. I said, okay, look, the nation of Israel, you know, they there's something going on here. And they're their God Yahweh, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, he's pretty awesome. So we got to come up with a way to break these guys up. Either we need to get God to turn away from Israel, or we got to get Israel to turn away from God. So the first thing they're gonna do is they're gonna try to see if they can get God to turn away from Israel. And what they're gonna do is they're gonna get a guy named Balaam. He is a local shaman, a local um kind of medicine man of the time who is uh acquainted with the spirit world. And he's gonna try to get this king, he's gonna try to get Balaam to curse the kingdom or the kingdom of Israel. And so he's literally gonna try to see if he can convince Yahweh, the God of God of gods, king of kings, lord of lords. Remember, every time you see capital L-O-R-D, it means we would say in English Jehovah, but in the Hebrew dialect, there is no J, so it would be Yahovah. And the right way to say it is Yahweh. And so that's he's gonna try to see if he can get Yahweh to turn against the nation of Israel. Well, as you can imagine, it's not gonna work well, but something bizarre happens in this chapter. So let's get to it, and then we're just gonna go for it. Here we go. So if you got your NLT Bibles open with me, got your cup of coffee ready, maybe you go to our Facebook group and I want to see a picture of your favorite coffee cup, as well as answering the question if your animals could talk to you, what would they say? Here we go. The Bible says at Numbers chapter 22, verse 1. Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River across from Jericho. So there they are. They're right there, ready to cross over the Jordan into the promised land. Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moabites, had had seen everything the Israelites had done to the Amorites. And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites were there, they were terrified. The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, This mob will devour everything in sight like an ox devours grass in the field. So Balak, king of Moab, sent messengers to call Balaam, son of Baor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. The message said this. So what they did was they sent a messenger, and the messenger went to Balaam, and he said, Look, a vast horde of people have arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people that you bless, and cursings fall on any people that you curse. So all he's doing is saying, I need your help. Not offering him anything, whatever, just say, hey, dude, come, come do me a solid. Well, Balak's messengers, who were the elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam a place to place a curse upon Israel. So the king says this, and then they also going to tuck a little bit away, but the main thing is no promises, but if you need it, right? They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message, saying to him, then wait, they went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him. Stay here overnight, Balaam said. In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say. So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam. That night God came to Balaam and asked him, Hey, who are these men visiting you? Balaam said to God, Balach, son of Dipor, Zippor, king of Moab, has sent this message. And he says the same thing we just said. Look, the vast horde of people have arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me, and perhaps I will be able to stand up and drive them from the land. But God said to Balaam, Don't go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed. The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's officials, Go on home. The Lord will not let them let me go with you. Now, if we were in Alabama, which I'm from, we would say, Get on out of here, get on out of here. Yo, you are not gonna do this, and I'm not supposed to go with you. Verse 14. So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, Balaam refused to come with us. Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a large number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him. This is what Balak, the son of Zippor, says, Please don't let anything stop you from coming to help me. I will pay you very well to do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me. Now, what I love, pause, is Balaam has already said, I'm not going. But now, because a large sum of money comes, this is what happens. But Balaam responded, Even if Balach were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. But I know I can, but that's a lot of money. So stay here one more night and I will go see if Yahweh has anything else to say to me. That night, God came to Balaam and told him, Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them, but do only what I tell you to do. Now pause. Now, once again, if you've never seen the movie Shrek, then this is going to be lost on you. So just imagine a talking donkey and that's sufficient. But if you've ever seen the movie Shrek, he has a sidekick, right? A funny sidekick who is a donkey who talks. And he is voiced by the legendary comedian Eddie Murphy. And he is just absolutely hilarious. So in my mind, Balam is getting ready to head out, and he's heading out and he's riding on a donkey. Very common for the time, but something's gonna happen, and the donkey is going to talk. The only time in recorded history a donkey has talked, but it did happen. And so I want you to imagine with me Eddie Murphy's voice coming through this donkey, and let's see what we got. So here we go, verse 21. So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent an angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and his two servants were riding along, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into the field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back on the road onto the road. Poor donkey, right? Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between the two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the mess out of this donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. Finally, the donkey's done had enough. This time, when the donkey saw the angel, Joker just laid down under Balaam. In a fit of rage, Balaam beat the mess out of that animal again with his staff. Now listen, here's it is then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak and said, What have I done that you that deserves you beating me these three times? It asked Balaam. Can we just pause? Can I tell you? I've had to get on to my dog before. I've had to tell my dog no no before. If I ever told my told my dog no no, and that dog said to me, Fool, why are you telling me no? Can I tell you? I got nothing to say. After I pass out cold, the dog wins. Whatever the dog wants, the dog gets. Balaam did do that. The Bible says to indicate immediately after the dog, after the donkey says something, he just says, You know why I beat the mess out of you? Because you made me look like a fool, Balaam shouted. If I had a sword with me, I would just kill you. Can I tell you, Balaam, don't do that? Because you are now a rich man, because you own a talking donkey. Verse 30, but I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life, the donkey answered. Have I ever done anything like this before? No, Balaam admitted. And that had been the end of the story for me. But verse 31 says, Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down to the ground before him. Pause. Also, what should be inserted here, but not. And then he said, Donkey, I am sorry. Thank you for saving my life. But he didn't do that. Verse 32. Um, no, actually it's not verse 32. He said, You know what? I lost where I was. I was so excited thinking about this. Okay, here we go. Verse 35. But the angel said to Balaam, Go with these men, but I say only what I tell you to say. So Balaam went on with Balak's officials. When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land. Verse 37, Didn't I send you an urgent request or invitation? Why didn't you come right away? Balak asked Balaam. Didn't you believe me when I said I would richly reward you? Balaam replied, Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth. Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kariath Huzoth, where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see some of the people who were spread out below him. Wasn't that amazing? And I think I skipped a couple of verses there, but you get the point, man. It was it's crazy what's going on because uh it's just it's just getting crazy up in here. But it's amazing what God is doing to protect the nation of Israel. What I love about this, like remember, the overall idea of the book of Numbers is learning to trust in the Lord. And here's the thing when the enemies of Israel are conspiring to destroy them, conspiring to turn God against them, I love how God said to Balaam, You cannot curse them because I have called them blessed. You know what's amazing is it does not matter who is against you, as long as God is for you. And if God is for you, people will try to stand against you, but they will lose every single time. And I wonder in your life right now, where do you need to remember that? Where do you need to remember that though everything and everyone may stand against you, if God is with you, all things are possible. I love the famous D. L. Moody quote that said, If God be your partner, make your plans large. I hope that was a blessing and encouragement to you. Let me pray for us. God's been talking to us. Let's talk to him, and then we're gonna read our verse today. God, thank you so much that you are with us and you are for us. And it does not matter what stands in our way. When you call us blessed, it is done and it is good. And we celebrate that today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Never forget the promise of God that says in Numbers chapter six, may the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not to your own understanding and all of your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for Numbers chapter 23.