Was the Donkey Wrong?

[GodspromisesRyes]

So a lesson that i already mentioned, is that when God tells us something listen the first time! Do not think that YOUR circumstances will all of a sudden change Gods mind, and do not believe anyone bringing you a second differnt word, sometimes even God because He has meant for you to heed him the first time.

Num 22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.

Num 22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
Num 22:20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, [and] go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

Num 22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Num 22:22 ¶ And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants [were] with him.

We learn this also in another incident

1Ki 13:7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
1Ki 13:8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
1Ki 13:9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

1Ki 13:11 ¶ Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
1Ki 13:13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
1Ki 13:14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, [Art] thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I [am].
1Ki 13:15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
1Ki 13:16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
1Ki 13:17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
1Ki 13:18 He said unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied unto him.
1Ki 13:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
1Ki 13:20 ¶ And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
1Ki 13:21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
1Ki 13:22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which [the LORD] did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
1Ki 13:23 ¶ And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back.
1Ki 13:24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
1Ki 13:25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told [it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
1Ki 13:26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard [thereof], he said, It [is] the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.

 

[Vince]

Folks, I'm going to abandon this thread. Some people have gotten upset trying to defend the traditional view, which cannot be upheld by Scripture.

If the donkey had submitted to God's will, instead of using her own intelligence to correct His will, Balaam would have been killed and everyone would have been better off.

 

[GodspromisesRyes]

Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?


Vince, i have already left the topic of the donkey and am talking about balaam, and learning to heed the first word that God gives us, and how we are to learn that if we keep seeking him to get what we want, when He has already told us what to do, we will get from him what we want, our idol.

So here is something else we notice between the account of balaam and the account of the prophet who ate in the land where he was not to. They both had respect for men over top of respect for God. Balaam, for the king and princes. Special note is made to tell us that more honourable men were sent to him, and then he was taken to the king and honour and riches were offered to him. In the case of the prophet, He could not be swayed by a king to disobey the Lord, so it was not the power of the kings or princes that he valued but when an older prophet came to him and said his word was from the Lord ( which it may have been) the prophet valued the word of an older prophet over what God told him personally.

So firstly we see we should not be a respector of men, nor should we do things to be seen of men and care to be loved by men or esteem men higher than we ought to. Secondly we see that often other religious people, even very faithful brethern, may be used of God to try us. They may come giving us advice or wisdom that sounds good but is contrary to what God has personally instructed or commanded us to do. We cannot turn aside from Gods word to us personally and say " o well the pastor said I should do this instead, the prophet said i should do this,". Often what God tells us may not even appear to make sence or to matter in the moment, but if we heed another who comes in his name, over Him or if we do not know His voice enough to trust it over the voice of another we may well be found rent of a lion.

Here is another point as well, when we see God speak of these events later, His take is very differnt and what He focuses on later is very differnt. He focuses on how HE did not heed balaam but still made balaam bless Israel and show forth His righteousness.

 

[jasoncran]

vince have you ever been around those things, not very bright. and can be mean. usually they arent if treated right.

Are you talking about donkeys or Christians?

lol. both! now that you mentioned it!

 

[Mysteryman]

vince have you ever been around those things, not very bright. and can be mean. usually they arent if treated right.

Are you talking about donkeys or Christians?

lol. both! now that you mentioned it!

Jason

Thats how I saw it, and I have been waiting for you to say it. LOL

Both - :rolling