Smart Ass

And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? (Numbers 22:28)

My daily Bible reading brings me to the Book of Numbers, and as the name suggests, there are many long, detailed lists of names and numbers, which make for very dry reading. The minutiae serve as an important resource for deep study, but for casual reading, it can be a little boring. It is easy to forget that it is, after all, God’s Word, and God included everything in it for a reason. That said, Numbers does include some interesting accounts that play out later in Scripture.

There is the account in Chapter 11 where the children of Israel complained because all they had to eat was the manna that God sent from heaven every morning. They were tired of the heavenly bread and wanted meat to eat. (Someone rightly questioned, “With all the herds of sheep, goats, and cattle they had with them, how is it they had no meat to eat?” Good question. I do not know the answer.) Their complaining angered God and He sent them quail to eat for a whole month until it was coming out of their nostrils![1] The lesson – don’t complain about what you don’t have, but be thankful for what you do have.

In Chapter 12, Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam, speak against Moses for his marriage to an Ethiopian woman.

Presumably this woman was Zipporah (Ex. 2:21; 4:25), the daughter of Jethro, since there is no other indication that Moses had more than one wife. However she is also called a Midianite (Ex 2:16), and this leaves her identity somewhat uncertain. Ethiopia is Cush in Hebrew, and the Cushites originally settled on the western shores of Arabia before moving across the Red Sea to Ethiopia, being gradually replaced by the Midianites. Thus, the Cushites and the Midianites probably experienced considerable intermingling and intermarriage in the process. Habakkuk 3:7 indicates that Cushan and Midian were sometimes considered equivalent.[2]

Evidently, they felt they were not getting their share of the limelight. “And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it” (Numbers 12:2). The LORD called a meeting of the three. “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:6-8, emphasis mine). God struck Miriam with leprosy for only seven days because Moses interceded on her behalf. Aaron, being the high priest, was not stricken, but the sight of his sister’s punishment was lesson enough for him. The lesson – do not speak out against the Lord’s anointed.

In Chapters 13 and 14, we have the account of the 12 spies sent out to spy out the Promised Land. Ten returned with a good news/bad news report. Yes, the land was rich and fruitful as God had promised, but it was also full of giants against whom they felt powerless. Their negative report caused the people to become fearful. Only two, Caleb and Joshua encouraged the people saying that God would fight for them to give them the land. However, the people listened to the ten negative reports rather than the two positive ones. They were ready to choose a new leader and return to their life of slavery in Egypt. This too angered the LORD, and He was ready to smite them all with plague and start all over with just Moses. But Moses interceded for the people and assuaged God’s wrath, but not without consequences for the people. For forty years they would wander in the desert until the last of the fearful died out in the desert, except for Caleb and Joshua. Hearing the LORD’s decree, the people repented and took it upon themselves to go fight against the Amalekites on their own. That did not work out well for them and the Amalekites whooped up on them! The lesson – when you trust in your own strength and abilities, you will certainly fail. It always works out better when you trust God to fight your battles.

There is also the account of the sons of Korah, Levites, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron, Chapter 16. These were swallowed up by the ground. Again, don’t mess with God’s anointed. The fate of Korah’s sons failed to penetrate the brains of those that remained, so they continued to “murmur,” and they came against Moses and Aaron. Once more, God was ready to wipe them all out, but Moses and Aaron interceded for the people.

Even so, God sent a plague that killed 14,700 of them.[3] Chapter 17 records another strange event. Following the rebellion, God had Moses gather the heads of the 12 tribes with their staffs (walking sticks) to lay before the Testimony (i.e., the Ark of the Covenant). Each staff bore the name of its respective tribe. Aaron’s staff was also placed among them. To settle who God selected as leader, that man’s staff would blossom. Keep in mind, these staffs were made of hard, dead wood completely devoid of life and completely incapable of producing fruit. All staffs were laid before the Ark that resided in the Holy of Holies. The following morning, Aaron’s staff blossomed and produced almonds.[4] “And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not” (Numbers 17:10).

God made it perfectly clear who He had selected to lead the congregation. Yet with all of his qualities, Moses was not perfect. Chapter 20 records what was arguably Moses’ greatest failure. Their wanderings in the desert brought the children of Israel to Kadesh where they found themselves without water once again. As was their pattern, they started whining to Moses about their lack of water and accusing him of having brought them out to the desert to die. Understandably, Moses was more than a little angry with the people, but he took their complaint before the LORD. God told Moses to gather the people around a large rock that was there. He told Moses to “speak” to the rock and that it would bring forth water. “And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Numbers 20:9-12, emphasis mine). Moses’ failure was not that he struck the rock, but that he did not speak to it as instructed. His failure was that he took the credit for bringing water out of the rock rather than attributing the credit to God. His punishment was that he would not lead the people into the Promised Land. The lesson – when God tells you to do something, do it the way He says to do it and not like you think it ought to be done.

The next chapter records an account repeated in the New Testament making the previous lesson clear. In Chapter 21, the Canaanite king, Arad, made an unprovoked attack on the Israelite camp and took some captive. Israel made a vow to God to utterly destroy all the cities of the Canaanites if He would deliver them into their hands. God granted their request, but along the way, they started complaining “because of the way.”[5] God must have thought, “You think this is tough, I’ll show you tough,” so He sent fiery serpents to bite them and many were dying. It did not take long for them to repent and cry out to Moses to save them. So, God instructed Moses to make a brass serpent and put it atop a pole. Then, when anyone was bitten, all they needed to do was look up at the serpent on the pole and they would not die from the snake bite. Jesus referred to this event when He spoke to Nicodemus. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). There is no other cure for the sting of sin. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, emphasis mine). The lesson – God has provided only one way to survive the sting of death; there is no other way.

I now arrive at the subject of my provocative title. The children of Israel were nearing the end of their wanderings in the wilderness. They were approaching the borders of Moab. The Moabites were the descendants of one of Lot’s daughters.[6] Numbers 22-24 records the encounter between Moab and Israel. Balak, the king of Moab, heard about the approach of the Israelites, and God’s reputation preceded them. “And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel” (Numbers 22:3). Balak got the great idea to hire Balaam to curse Israel, “for,” he said, “I [know] that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed” (Numbers 22:6). However, Balaam assured him that he could only speak as the LORD directed him, so he turned down the job. Balak would not be deterred. He sent a second delegation with a greater offer. When Balaam consulted with God about the matter, God instructed him to return with the delegation, but that he should only speak the words He gave him. So, the next day, Balaam saddled his donkey (ass) and went to see Balak. Along the way, “the Angel of the Lord with sword drawn” confronted him. Balaam did not see Him, but the donkey did, and she veered off the main road. That angered Balaam and he beat the donkey and tried to force her back on the main road. There was a stone wall along one side of the road, and when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she went up against the wall and knocked Balaam off her back. That really made Balaam angry, and he beat her again. The Angel of the Lord moved further down the road again to a place where the donkey could not get around, so she just dropped down. Balaam got off and started beating her again. Then the most remarkable thing happened. “And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28). What is even more remarkable is that Balaam was not taken aback because the donkey talked. Instead, he engaged her in conversation. “And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee” (Numbers 22:29). The donkey then laid a guilt trip on Balaam. “And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay” (Numbers 22:30).

At that point, God opened Balaam’s eyes so that he could see what the donkey saw. Balaam saw the pre-incarnate Christ with a sword drawn. “And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak” (Numbers 22:32-35, emphasis mine).

Balaam did go to Balak, and three different times, instead of cursing Israel, to Balak’s chagrin, all Balaam could utter was a blessing upon the children of Israel. In one of those blessings, he foretold the coming of the Messiah. “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth” (Numbers 24:17, emphasis mine).

At the end of the chapter, it appears that Balak and Balaam part ways in defeat. In the following chapter, we learn that the children of Israel started fornicating with the Moabite women. The fornication involved more than just illicit sex. The act was part of Baal worship in violation of the first two of the Ten Commandments. God had all the violators hanged or killed by the non-participants.

When we read further, we learn that Balaam had something to do with Israel’s sin. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people” (Numbers 31:1-2). This event took place just prior to Israel entering the Promised Land. “And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword” (Numbers 31:7-8, emphasis mine). The Midianite women they took captive for which Moses reprimanded them. “And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD” (Numbers 31:15-16, emphasis mine). So, Balaam did not just give up in defeat. He counseled Balak to seduce the men of Israel to fornicate in worship to Baal.

Evidently, Balaam was paid for his advice to Balak. The Apostle Peter writes, “… cursed children Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:14-15, emphasis mine). Jude adds, “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” (Jude 1:11, emphasis mine). Jesus Himself affirmed as much. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” (Revelation 2:14, emphasis mine). At least Balaam’s donkey was smart enough not to try to circumvent the Lord’s will. The lesson – you need to be at least as smart as Balaam’s donkey and not try to find a way around God’s will. In the end, you lose.

However, the greater lesson I learned through my reading in Numbers is that even though Israel is constantly obstinate against God (even today – their majority is secular), God is consistently faithful to His promise to Abraham, and He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. Would that our government would learn that lesson. Our puppet president is making all the wrong decisions in opposition to Israel – cursing Israel. That will only result in God cursing our country. And, if you are paying attention, God has already removed His hand of blessing from our nation. Do not be fooled. Israel will survive without the US, but the US will fade from its former place of greatness. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Notes:

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[1]  Numbers 11:20

[2]  Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., The Henry Morris Study Bible, (Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2012), p. 259.

[3]  Numbers 16:49

[4]  Numbers 17:8

[5]  Numbers 21:4

[6]  Genesis 19:36-38