Stricken Rock and Donkey

“In the first month the whole community of Israel came to the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. There was no water where they camped, so the people gathered around Moses and Aaron and complained: ‘It would have been better if we had died in front of the LORD’s Tent along with the other Israelites.’” (Numbers 20:1-3 GNB)

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take the stick that is in front of the Covenant Box, and then you and Aaron assemble the whole community. There in front of them all speak to that rock over there, and water will gush out of it. In this way you will bring water out of the rock for the people, for them and their animals to drink.’” (Numbers 20:7-9 GNB)

“He and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses said, ‘Listen, you rebels! Do we have to get water out of this rock for you?’ Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank. But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, ‘Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.’” (Numbers 20:10-12 GNB)

“Because of you the LORD also became angry with me and said, ‘Not even you, Moses, will enter the land.’” (Deuteronomy 1:37 GNB)

“At that time I pleaded with the LORD and said, 'O Sovereign LORD, You have only begun to show Your greatness and the strength of Your hand to me, Your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as You do? Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.' But the LORD was angry with me because of you, and He would not listen to me. 'That's enough!' He declared. 'Speak of it no more.” (Deuteronomy 3:23-26 NLT)

“Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo…which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land…extending to the Mediterranean Sea…Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.’ So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.” (Deuteronomy 34:1-7 NLT)

“At the springs of Meribah the people made the LORD angry, and Moses was in trouble on their account. They made him so bitter that he spoke without stopping to think.” (Psalms 106:32-33 GNB)

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take the stick that is in front of the Covenant Box, and then you and Aaron assemble the whole community. There in front of them all speak to that rock over there, and water will gush out of it. In this way you will bring water out of the rock for the people, for them and their animals to drink.’” (Numbers 20:7-9 GNB)

“Aaron will be your spokesman and speak to the people for you. Then you will be like God, telling him what to say.” (Exodus 4:16 GNB)

“He and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses said, ‘Listen, you rebels! Do we have to get water out of this rock for you?’ Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank. But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, ‘Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.’” (Numbers 20:10-12 GNB)

“You did not trust in me so far as to uphold my holiness in the sight of the Israelites.” (NEB)

“You didn’t trust me! You didn’t show the Israelites how holy I am!” (GW)

“Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the LORD God had made. The snake asked the woman, ‘Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1 GNB)

“He and Aaron assembled the whole community in front of the rock, and Moses said, ‘Listen, you rebels! Do we have to get water out of this rock for you?’ Then Moses raised the stick and struck the rock twice with it, and a great stream of water gushed out, and all the people and animals drank. But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, ‘Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them.’” (Numbers 20:10-12 GNB)

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Hurry and go back down, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me….Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation’” (Exodus 32:7-10 – GN).

“But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God and said, ‘Lord, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power? Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people.” (Exodus 32:11-14 – GN).

“But even the archangel Michael did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.)” (Jude 1:9)

“Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. His face became as bright as the sun and his clothes as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and were talking with Jesus…Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love and with whom I am pleased. Listen to him!’ (Matthew 17:2-5 GW)

“King Balak sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor…They brought him this message from Balak: ‘I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land. They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then perhaps we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.’ So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak’s message.” (Numbers 22:5-7 GNB)

“Balaam said to them, ‘Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the LORD* tells me.’ So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.

God came to Balaam and asked, ‘Who are these people that are staying with you?’ He answered, ‘King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out.’ God said to Balaam, ‘Do not go with them, and do not put a curse on the people of Israel, because they have my blessing.’” (Numbers 22:8-12 GNB)

“The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, ‘Go back home; the LORD did not give me permission to let me go with you.’ So they returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them. Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first. They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak: ‘Please don't let anything prevent you from coming to me! I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me.’” (Numbers 22:13-17)

“But Balaam answered, ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not disobey the command of the LORD my God in even the smallest matter. But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the LORD has something else to tell me.’ That night God came to Balaam and said, ‘If these men have come to ask you to go with them, get ready and go, but do only what I tell you.’ So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders.” (Numbers 22:18-21 GNB)

“God was angry that Balaam was going, and as Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the LORD stood in the road to bar his way. When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road. Then the angel stood where the road narrowed between two vineyards and had a stone wall on each side. When the donkey saw the angel, it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey.” (Numbers 22:22-25 GNB)

“Once more the angel moved ahead; he stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side. This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick.

Then the LORD gave the donkey the power of speech, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?’ Balaam answered, ‘Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you.’ The donkey replied, ‘Am I not the same donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever treated you like this before?’ ‘No,’ he answered.” (Numbers 22:26-30 GNB)

“Then the LORD let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downward on the ground. The angel demanded, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey three times like this? I have come to bar your way, because you should not be making this journey. But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey.’ Balaam replied, ‘I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me; but now if you think it is wrong for me to go on, I will return home.’ But the angel said, ‘Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.’ So Balaam went on with them.” (Numbers 22:31-35 GNB)

“When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him.. Balak said to him, ‘Why didn’t you come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I wasn’t able to reward you enough?’ Balaam answered, ‘I came, didn’t I? But now, what power do I have? I can say only what God tells me to say.’” (Numbers 22:36-39 GNB)

“From the high rocks I can see them; I can watch them from the hills. They are a nation that lives alone; They know they are blessed more than other nations. The descendants of Israel are like the dust--- There are too many of them to be counted. Let me end my days like one of God’s people; Let me die in peace like the righteous.’” (Numbers 23:9-10 GNB)

“God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done. I have been instructed to bless, And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.” (Numbers 23:19-20 GNB)

“The nation is like a mighty lion; When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it. Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.” (Numbers 24:9 GNB)

“Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward.” (Numbers 24:11 NLT)

“Then he uttered this prophecy: ‘The message of Balaam son of Beor, The words of the man who can see clearly, Who can hear what God is saying And receive the knowledge that comes from the Most High. With staring eyes I see in a trance a vision from Almighty God. I look into the future, And I see the nation of Israel. A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation. Like a comet he will come from Israel.” (Numbers 24:15-17 GNB)

“When the Israelites were camped at Acacia Valley, the men began to have sexual intercourse with the Moabite women who were there. These women invited them to sacrificial feasts, where the god of Moab was worshiped. The Israelites ate the food and worshiped the god Baal of Peor. So the LORD was angry with them.” (Numbers 25:1-3 GNB)

“Remember that it was the women who followed Balaam’s instructions and at Peor led the people to be unfaithful to the LORD. That was what brought the epidemic on the LORD's people.” (Numbers 31:16 GNB)

“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.” (Revelation 2:14 NLT)

“They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet’s insane action.” (2 Peter 2:15-16 GNB)

“How terrible for them! They have followed the way that Cain took. For the sake of money they have given themselves over to the error that Balaam committed.” (Jude 1:11 GNB)

“The Israelites had also killed Balaam son of Beor, who used magic to tell the future.” (Joshua 13:22 NLT)

“You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 GNB)

“You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,” Your affectionate uncle  SCREWTAPE

“The story is a warning against religious eloquence, our own or someone else’s. Balaam had a great reputation as a man of God. He was both knowledgeable and eloquent. But it was all show. His oratory was all in his mouth, not in his heart. He has nothing inside. He was undoubtedly talented; he made a fine impression, but there was no substance to him. He was a hollow man. What he really wanted to do was please whoever was paying him, or admiring him. Balaam said all the right things, but he did all the wrong things. If you take only what Balaam said, he sounds like one of the great men of God: prophetic, poetic, sincere.

“But his life was all greed, ambition, and selfish gain. It’s one of the easiest styles for Christians to pick up – this learning to sound righteous, then letting appearance substitute for a life of obedience to God.”◦Eugene Peterson