Why did Balaam "saddle his donkey" despite God's earlier warning in Numbers 22:12? The Two Clear Statements God Gave Balaam • Numbers 22:12 – “God said to Balaam, ‘Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they are blessed.’” • Numbers 22:20 – “During the night God came to Balaam and said, ‘Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but only do what I tell you.’” Why the Donkey Was Saddled Anyway 1. Mixed Motives in Balaam’s Heart • 2 Peter 2:15 notes that Balaam “loved the wages of wickedness.” • The second delegation arrived with “more numerous and more distinguished officials” (Numbers 22:15). The increased honor and reward tugged at Balaam’s greed. • Outwardly he sought God’s will; inwardly he hoped God would change His mind. 2. God’s Permissive, Not Prescriptive, “Yes” • God’s first answer was an unqualified “No.” • Balaam pressed again, so God gave a conditional “Go… but only the word I speak to you” (Numbers 22:20). • Psalm 106:15 illustrates this principle: God sometimes “gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul.” The permission exposes the heart. 3. Rapid Response, Revealing Desire • “So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went” (Numbers 22:21). • The eagerness shows he was driven more by Moab’s gold than by God’s glory. • Jude 11 calls this attitude “the error of Balaam for profit.” 4. Divine Anger Exposes the Motive • “God’s anger was kindled because he went” (Numbers 22:22). • The journey itself wasn’t the issue—God had just permitted it. • The issue was the covetous intent behind it, proven when the angel confronts him (Numbers 22:32). Lessons for Today • A second “word from the Lord” that contradicts the first is suspect; God’s moral will doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). • Repeatedly pushing past God’s clear command may lead to a permissive “yes” that brings discipline, not blessing. • Motive matters as much as action. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that God discerns “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” • The allure of honor or wealth can blind even the spiritually gifted. Revelation 2:14 warns the church not to tolerate Balaam’s doctrine of compromise. Takeaway Balaam saddled his donkey because the promise of reward eclipsed reverence for God’s earlier “No.” God allowed the trip to expose that hidden greed—and to turn the prophet’s own mouth into a blessing for Israel instead of a curse. |
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