OCTOBER 9, 2025
Numbers 22:22-30 (HCSB)
Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel
22 But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. 25 The donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. 26 The Angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”
30 But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?”
“No,” he replied.
Nathan Cripe
If we have the right type of friends, sometimes they may see things that we can’t see. In this passage, Balaam’s perceptive, discerning friend was his faithful donkey. Ha! Doesn’t it seem funny that Balaam didn’t act at all surprised when his donkey spoke to him?
I wonder if he looked back later and thought, “Wow! That was weird!” Anyway, Balaam’s donkey was given the ability by God to see the angel that was trying to attack Balaam, and God let the donkey save Balaam’s life by getting Balaam out of harms way. Do you have friends that are sensitive to what God is showing them and willing to warn you to keep you out of harms way? If so, are you willing to listen to their wise counsel? How do you treat them if they suggest that you’re on the wrong path and not honoring God? Seek to find perceptive and Godly friends, be willing to listen to their wise counsel (of course, along with praying and seeking God yourself), and thank God for those who faithfully care enough about you and about God to say the awkward things you need to hear and to challenge you when you’re getting off track.
Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel
22 But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. 25 The donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. 26 The Angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”
30 But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?”
“No,” he replied.
Nathan Cripe
If we have the right type of friends, sometimes they may see things that we can’t see. In this passage, Balaam’s perceptive, discerning friend was his faithful donkey. Ha! Doesn’t it seem funny that Balaam didn’t act at all surprised when his donkey spoke to him?
I wonder if he looked back later and thought, “Wow! That was weird!” Anyway, Balaam’s donkey was given the ability by God to see the angel that was trying to attack Balaam, and God let the donkey save Balaam’s life by getting Balaam out of harms way. Do you have friends that are sensitive to what God is showing them and willing to warn you to keep you out of harms way? If so, are you willing to listen to their wise counsel? How do you treat them if they suggest that you’re on the wrong path and not honoring God? Seek to find perceptive and Godly friends, be willing to listen to their wise counsel (of course, along with praying and seeking God yourself), and thank God for those who faithfully care enough about you and about God to say the awkward things you need to hear and to challenge you when you’re getting off track.
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