Balaam,s folly Numbers 22:21-35 Balak king of Moab had heard what Israel had done to the Amorites, so he sent for Balaam the prophet to come and curse Israel. Balaam was offered wealth and position and though God told him not to go he still was persistent and in these scriptures saddled up his donkey to go.As he went the Lord sent the angel of the Lord and he stood in the way of the donkey. The poor donkey saw the angel standing in the way with his sword drawn, when you see and angel with the sword drawn you know something is going to happen. The donkey turned aside into a field, Balaam hit the donkey and brought it back into the way. Balaam was determined to do this, nothing was going to stop him because greed and the promise of fame are tactics of the enemy, and it is that which drove him on.They came to the vineyards, there was a wall on either side of the road, the angel appeared, the donkey was scared and headed for a wall, crushing his foot Balaam hit the donkey again. Balaam was still determined to go on. The angel then stood in a narrow place were there was no room on either side, the donkey saw the angel again and fell under Balaam, he was angry with her and hit her with his staff, Balaam was determined, the thought of wealth and fame drove him on.
The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, she said why have you hit me these 3 times? Balaam shows no surprise at the donkey talking, he says that the donkey mocked him and that if he had a sword he would have killed her. The donkey reminded Balaam that she was his and he had rode on her from the day she was his, and she had never ever done anything like this before. Balaam replied no to the donkey, you would think that he would be surprised but he answers the donkey.
The Lord opens the eyes of Balaam, he sees the angel and bows and falls flat on his face, the angel then speaks about the donkey and how she had seen him, but yet Balaam had hit her 3 times, the angel went onto say that the donkey had saved his life, because his way was perverse before the angel. Balaam repents and says he would go back, but the angel told him to go on with the men.
I wonder if his repentence was more to do with himself. The thought of wealth and position would have driven him on, we know the story how he tries to curse Israel but ends up blessing Israel, it reminds me of today so many are cursing Israel, when really we should be blessing Israel because they are chosen of God. And we are the blessing of Abraham because of Jesus dying on the cross making a way for us to be brought into His kingdom.
Just to finish with this Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
