A man set out on a journey thinking he was in control, but along the way, something strange happened that he could not see, and the only one who could see it clearly was his donkey.
The account of Balaam and his donkey is found in Numbers 22. It reveals God’s authority to guide, correct, and redirect people even when they are determined to move forward in the wrong direction.
Balak, the king of Moab, became afraid of the Israelites as they approached his land. He sent messengers to Balaam and offered him payment to curse Israel. Balaam asked God, and God allowed him to go, but only with one clear command: he could only speak what God told him to speak.
As Balaam traveled on his donkey, the Angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him because his path was not right before God. The donkey saw the angel but Balaam did not. Each time the donkey turned away to avoid the angel, Balaam became angry because he could not understand what was happening. In frustration, he struck the donkey, not realizing it was actually saving his life by turning away from danger he could not see.
After the third time, God allowed the donkey to speak, and it questioned Balaam about why it had been beaten. Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes so he could finally see the angel standing in the road. The angel told him that if the donkey had not turned aside, he would have been killed.
Balaam realized he had been wrong and humbled himself. He was once again told to only speak what God commanded. When he later met Balak, he could not curse Israel. Instead, God caused him to speak blessings over them.
This account shows that God is sovereign and actively intervenes to correct His people. It also shows how easily a person can become frustrated while God is actually protecting and redirecting them in ways they do not yet understand.
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