February 3, 2015-Trust

Numbers 22:22-28

               

²²God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road. ²⁴Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. ²⁵When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck it again. ²⁶Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

This has always been a strange message for me.  Balak was the king of Moab, a people who were fearful of the Israelites who were camping in Moab were so numerous.  With so many people and livestock, they were concerned about the animals eating all the grass.  Balak has been summoning Balaam to him asking that Balaam curse the people.  God had told him not to go, that these people were blessed and should not be cursed.   Balak sent officials again, but Balaam said no, he needed to see what more the Lord had to say.  During the night, the Lord spoke and told Balaam to go, but do only what God says.  So Balaam went.

We are told in the beginning of this reading that God’s anger was kindled.  Why? Did God know some that we don’t see in this text? One commentary I read suggested that God granted Balaam his own desire to go, with the caveat not to do anything other than what God says. 

I know sometimes my parents “let” me go to some things even though they knew it wasn’t in my best interest.  I am sure at times they were hoping I would change my mind, that my own reason, morals, values would lead me not to do whatever it was I wanted.  And I am sure at times they did, and other times not.  Is it possible that God was doing something similar… ok Balaam, you keep asking about this, after I have said no… let’s see what happens.

On the way, the angel of the Lord appears.  We are told the donkey sees the angel and veers off the road.  Did Balaam and the other men see?  Apparently not. Why?  Did they not want to see and so didn’t?  Do only donkeys see angels?  In anger, Balaam struck the donkey!  The angel of the Lord then boxed them in and the donkey laid down, but Balaam struck the donkey again! 

Now comes the part that people remember, the part that makes this a “fun” Sunday school lesson.  The Lord opens up the mouth of the donkey who then speaks to Balaam saying, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

We are told later that Balaam response is that the donkey made a fool of him and Balaam responded that he wished he could kill the donkey.  But then his eyes were opened and he saw the angel.

I would call this one of those spiritual 2 by 4 moments.  God sometimes whacks us on the side of the head to see what is right in front of us, often for our benefit. 

Have you had those moments?  Last night I was on a plane from Philadelphia to Detroit.  We were rerouted through there after the flights to Detroit were cancelled the previous day out of Charlotte, North Carolina.  I get anxious and stressed when my schedule gets interrupted like this.  I worried my luggage wouldn’t make it.  There were a lot of little funny things that had happened yesterday (one funny—my car was at a friend’s house in Detroit.  She texted me in the morning if I had another set of keys on my car somewhere.  I assumed they were lost in the house, that maybe one of her kids picked them up and took them somewhere.  I told her know.  Are they lost? I asked.  She responded nope, she knew exactly where they were, in the car with the car running, in her driveway!  Needless to say her father and husband broke into my car.)  Back to the story that is relevant… I had finished one book and was reading some materials for preaching in the coming weeks.  And there is was…. Trusting in God!  We so often are anxious and stressed because we aren’t trusting, we don’t remember what God has seen us through in the past, our own and the people of the past.  Nothing was going to happen to me but a bit of a change in schedule, and in reality it isn’t that big of a deal.  I actually whapped my head with the kindle. 

Several years I read the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff—and by the way, it is all small stuff.  Why can’t I remember that?  Frustrates me.  But God has ways of reminding us; in community, in prayer, in study.  Living a life in Christ helps me remember.  Yes, I sometimes need the 2x4, I can be a little stubborn.  But today as I sit in my home, ready for meetings to begin again tonight, I remember and trust that God is much bigger than I often give God credit for!  Amen.