9/3/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 2. 5-6)

“[The Angel of the Lord said] ‘The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.’ Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, ‘I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.’” (Numbers 22.33-34)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Down a beaten path. We have heard of Balaam and the donkey who spoke to him and spared his life from certain death. We can be amused at the thought of a talking donkey. We have watched the movie Shrek and can hear Eddie Murphy’s voice bringing to life, Donkey. What an original name and we laugh at the thought of it. But, in the day of Balaam, this was no laughing matter. There is more to the story than many of us have given time for. But, there are elements in the story which point us in a straight direction down a beaten path which we have trod together from some weeks now. I would offer these words as we press forward, to keep us on the “strait and narrow”: Let those with eyes to see- see; and those with ears to hear- listen! As I have offered several times, that “strait and narrow road” many times has little to do with a straight line directive. “Strait” has to do with intentionality and defined purpose. Our spiritual journey may be better described “as the crow flies” than the unbending point A to point B jaunt of immediacy. I want to spend some time in this story reflecting on the elements presented in it which we can connect to the gospel of Jesus and thus to our own journeys of faith.

Let’s start not with the beginning of the story which has to do with the fear Balak, king of Moab, experienced with the thundering herd of Hebrews moving up the east side of the Dead Sea toward him. They were not intending to take on the king of Moab but planning to enter the Promised Land of God across the Jordan opposite Jericho. Unfortunately for Balak, he was the “middle of the road.” As the Hebrews, or the Israelites as the descendants of Jacob Israel were known, travelled forward to that which God had promised, Balak was faced with becoming “the beaten path.” But, there is another “middle of the road” episode in this story which has to do with Balaam directly and not Balak. We are familiar with this part of the story because of the “talking donkey.” Three times the donkey moves in a peculiar fashion which went against its master’s wishes. Balaam was intending to go “straight” to Balak and declare what God had told him to say in light of Balak’s current situation and request. Now, mind you, a straight-line direction from Pethor to Moab was not entirely possible. It was also further than you might think since Pethor was on the Upper Euphrates River near Haran in Upper Mesopotamia. This wasn’t a jog around the block or a quick trip to Kroger or Walgreen’s. This was a journey of many days across dangerous terrain of mountains, valleys, wadis and desert plains. But, it also wasn’t undiscovered territory either. In many places, passes were cut out and reinforced for narrow roads. In other areas, there were fields, orchards, and farms where the road had to be attended to so as not to trespass. It was a “beaten” path to be sure. But, the term “beaten path” would take on a new meaning in the story of Balaam’s journey to Moab. Three times, three- mind you, Balaam’s donkey had “eyes to see” and saw what Balaam had “eyes to see” but did not see. Three times, an angel of the Lord appeared on the “strait and narrow” path which lead from point A, Pethor, to point B, Moab and Balak. Each time, the donkey who saw the armed angel as one who might have been an angel of death, acted to preserve its master and itself from certain catastrophic disaster. Once, it veered off the road and into the field. Guilty of trespasses against both the land owner and its master, the donkey was beaten and reminded. Once, it pressed against the high walls which formed the passageway leading from one end to the other like a canyon. Crushing Balaam’s leg brought on another severe beating and reprimand more sever, I would think, than the first. Finally the donkey, fearing leaving the road or bringing injury to its master, simply collapsed to the ground on its belly. It lay prostrate in the dust not knowing which was to go which would keep him from punishment. Nonetheless, Balaam, a man of God, put his staff to the donkey which elicited a verbal response catching Balaam by surprise. Not so surprised, as Adam and Eve were not surprised by a talking serpent writhing in the forbidden fruit tree, that he did not have a conversation with the donkey. It was then that the Lord who opened the donkey’s mouth also opened Balaam’s eyes to see the Angel of the Lord armed with a flashing sword standing in front of him. Could it have been or the order of angels as were appointed guardians of the gate of Eden?

And now what of this “beaten road” I mentioned. It seems that while the road was well-worn and not one less travelled, the proverbial “beaten path,” it was the donkey who was the “beaten rode.” Do we have here a foreshadowing on one who road into Jerusalem seated on a donkey, the foal of an ass? Was He not tempted three times in the wilderness in the throes of death itself on His way from the northern kingdom to the southern kingdom? And while these three appearances certainly were not “temptations,” they were invitations to death vs obedience. The first was the donkey veering into a field. It well could have been a wheat field from which bread would be made. Did not Satan tempt the hunger of Jesus with the invitation to turn “stones” which could be used to execute a death sentence, into bread which would give life? How about the second, as they passed between two established kingdoms (albeit it farms) with a decision being promoted as to moving forward to going back? Did not Satan tempt the authority of Jesus to rule and reign with the possession of all earthly kingdoms if he would turn away from God and follow Satan? And there is the third when the donkey simply collapsed prostrate on the ground as a penitent person would seeking justice, mercy and forgiveness. Did not Satan propose that Jesus tempt God’s care for “His only begotten Son” by casting Himself down to the ground believing God would send His angels to catch Jesus from a “fate worse than death”? And what would be worse than death than living with a sense of abandoning one’s God-given mission and purpose in life? Isn’t that exactly what Satan had done as he abandoned his place in Heaven as Lucifer’s, God’s own worship leader? Now, he was destined to “curse and not bless.” This was the exact fate Balaam himself faced as Balak, King of Moab and obviously much more, had called him to “curse the Hebrews” in order to preserve both their lives.

Where are we, mighty ones of God, on the beaten road of life or one feeling like we are the “beaten ride” on the road of life? Do we pursue the call to “curse and not bless” as was Balaam and Jesus and thus entertain the hope of sparing our lives? Or we do accept our call to purpose and mission to “bless and not curse” as God intended for all those who are given the promise of life on the “strait and narrow” road?

We are not alone in this journey through life. There are others who have gone before us. Let us learn from them and benefit from their fates of faith as we press forward.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.