Seize the Moment – Day 596
Walk in the Way of Jesus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, November 3.
Do you remember the Sunday School story of the man whose donkey talked to him?
The story of Balaam is told in Numbers 22—24. It’s about a seer (an old word for prophet), named Balaam, who was hired under pressure by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites.
Two supernatural events happened to Balaam on his way to Balak:
- An angel speaks! God’s anger arose against Balaam, so God sent the angel of Yahweh. A donkey saved Balaam’s life. The angel testified to this in Numbers 22:33: “But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”
- A donkey speaks! Before Balaam knew the donkey was saving his life, he beat his donkey for being obstinate. As if preparing Balaam for God’s rebuke from His angel, Numbers 22:28a states, “the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey.”
Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke—a mad prophet, a talking donkey, and an angel are traveling down the road together … But this is no joke; rather, it is a real historic event used to warn us to not follow the way of corruption!
Peter compared false prophets and teachers to Balaam in 2 Peter 2:15-16:
Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet (cf. Jude 11-13).
Seize the moment and walk in the way of Jesus! The best way to not be led astray into the way of Balaam is to abide in the easy yoke of Jesus Christ.