A Faithful Companion

Numbers 22:23 ~ "And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road."

The story of Balaam and his donkey is one that is often told to children. Yet the overwhelming faithfulness of the prophet's beast of burden must teach us all a lesson today. Balaam rode upon a true and faithful servant, and he knew nothing of it until this epic moment occurred in his journey. Danger stood before the prophet and he was completely oblivious to it. It is my prayer for all who read this, that you will understand your part to play when it comes to the work of being faithful to those who are with you.

The story of Balaam is one of a prophet who saw opportunities for himself. Though a messenger of God Almighty, Balaam had designs of his own in order to gain wealth and influence--and all this apart from being fully and truly faithful to the LORD. 2 Peter 2:15 states, "Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing." As a prophet, he was required to only and fully proclaim God's word. So when he went with the princes of Moab he was instructed by the LORD in exactly what work was required. Numbers 22:20 says, "And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, 'If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.'" So, why would God be angry at Balaam and send the Angel of the LORD against the prophet? It appeared that he was obeying the LORD. But God who knows the hearts and the thoughts of everyone, knew the intrigue that filled the prophet's mind. 

The first thing I want to point out in our text today is this: the donkey saw the danger when the prophet could not. With a mind filled with his own notions, Balaam was blind to the danger before him. The Angel stood there with a sword drawn, clearly the next moment would be the death of Balaam. But the donkey saw the danger and did the one thing it could, it turned aside and protected its master.

Do you, beloved, when you are walking with your brothers and sisters in Christ, pay attention to the dangers ahead? If your friend is clearly headed toward the judgment of God, will you even risk harm to yourself in order to warn them away from God's wrath? Consider how Balaam responded to the beast: "And Balaam said to the donkey, 'Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you'" (Numbers 22:29). Notwithstanding the fact that the donkey spoke, Balaam actually answered with the threat of a sword. However, there was another sword drawn on the road that day, and it was aimed right at him. 

Which brings me to the second thing we need to see: sometimes when you give warning against the dangerous road that another is on, they will grow hostile to you. Many people despise those who see danger and warn others. The thief has no interest in hearing how his behavior is hateful toward God and hurtful to others. The violent man would rather believe that he is justified in his indignation than be told that the way he's choosing is fraught with deadly peril. The arrogant man prefers not to challenge his own suppositions about himself rather than hear that pride goes before destruction. 

But the faithful companion of Balaam, a donkey with no natural voice to speak, did the only thing available to it. And because it turned away from the danger waiting for Balaam, the prophet struck the donkey, threatened the animal and beat it. It could see what the prophet could not, and dear ones there may be times when you can see what your friend cannot. Do you have a natural voice to speak warning? Is there something you can do--perhaps you might be the only one who can. Consider what God told Ezekiel, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me" (Ezekiel 3:17).

2 Thessalonians 3:15 teaches, "Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." If you are to be a faithful servant of the LORD and a faithful companion to your brothers and sisters in Christ, then it is upon you to care enough about their ways to warn them if you understand that they are going astray. It could be that you will rescue them from a greater rebuke from God.

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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