Based on the following message: 

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are camping under the stars. In the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson and asks him to look up and tell him what he sees. Watson launches into an impressive analysis—the millions of stars and galaxies, Saturn in Leo, the approximate time, the greatness of God, even the promise of good weather. Then Holmes says, “Watson, you’re an imbecile. Someone has stolen our tent.”

Sometimes we get so clever that we miss the obvious. That is the story of Balaam, the son of Beor, one of the Bible’s most puzzling figures. He takes up nearly 8% of the book of Numbers, and he is mentioned far more often than most of the apostles. Yet the New Testament is clear that he was a false prophet, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. People get fooled because God speaks true prophecies over Israel through him. But Balaam’s story, especially his encounter with a talking donkey, gives us three sobering warnings.

The Setup

Israel is camped on the plains of Moab, opposite Jericho, having just defeated three enemies, including Og, the giant king of Bashan, whose bed measured over thirteen feet long. Balak, king of Moab, is terrified. So he hires Balaam, a famed prophet-for-hire who lived roughly 360 miles away near the Euphrates, to curse Israel. Balaam’s reputation was that whoever he blessed was blessed and whoever he cursed was cursed. Balak sends messengers loaded with the fees for divination. It’s a month’s journey each way, and the stakes are clear.

Warning One: Don’t Let Fear Control Your Decisions

Fear is often rooted in falsehood. Balak had nothing to fear. God had already told Moses not to harass Moab, because He had given that land to the descendants of Lot. Balak could have done nothing and been fine.

Fear has been described as false evidence appearing real. Adrian Rogers once told a story about being trapped in a dark room in a church building under construction. He saw a big, ugly, scary man in the shadows who wouldn’t answer him. His heart pounded, and he prepared for a fight. As he walked toward the stranger, the stranger walked toward him. He was looking in a mirror.

But fear doesn’t only make us look foolish. It can cause devastating results. Balak’s fear set events in motion that eventually cost thousands of lives. Herod’s fear led to the slaughter of Bethlehem’s infants. Jeroboam’s fear led him to build idols in the northern kingdom. The servant with one talent buried it because he was afraid. When fear is in the driver’s seat, disaster is often the destination.

Warning Two: Beware of Greed

Jesus said, “Beware and be on guard against every form of greed.” The Greek word, pleonexia, describes an appetite for more and more. Balaam was a prophet for profit. Peter says he “loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

Watch what happens. God tells Balaam plainly: do not go, and do not curse them, for they are blessed. Balaam tells the messengers no. Then Balak sends a more distinguished delegation with better offers. Balaam declares that even a houseful of silver and gold couldn’t make him disobey “Yahweh my God.” Then he asks them to stay the night so he can “find out what else the Lord will say.”

What else? God had been perfectly clear. But Balaam’s heart was set on the payday, so he keeps praying, hoping for a different answer. Eventually God lets him go, but with his heart set on cursing Israel for pay, God’s anger burns against him.

Have you ever kept praying about something God already answered? Sometimes we push and push because we want what we want. A person in a relationship with glaring red flags, surrounded by loved ones saying no, keeps “praying about it” long after the answer is clear. That isn’t seeking God’s will. That’s trying to manipulate God into approving our desires. There is a difference between persistent faith, like the Syrophoenician woman who wouldn’t let go of Jesus, and stubborn rebellion dressed up as prayer.

Warning Three: Beware of Anger, Rebellion, and Pride

Here comes the irony. Balaam is a “seer,” a man who supposedly sees what others can’t. But his donkey sees the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword, and Balaam sees nothing. Three times the donkey turns aside, and three times Balaam beats her. Finally the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth, and Balaam, instead of being stunned, argues with his donkey. And loses.

The spiritually blind cannot see spiritual realities. Anger compounds it. We all know the expression “I was so mad I couldn’t see straight.” Anger blinds us to rational thought, and Balaam, in a rage, wanted to kill an animal that had saved his life. Peter says the donkey “restrained the madness of the prophet.”

Notice, too, that the word for “adversary” used of the angel is satan. The Lord Himself stood as Balaam’s adversary. James 4:6 says God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Going toe to toe with God is like a lineman facing the toughest player on the field, except infinitely worse.

Which Direction Are You Going?

God is not primarily concerned with the perfection of your life. He is deeply concerned with its direction. There are three people sitting in your chair: who you are now, who you could become walking with God, and who you could become walking against Him.

Balaam serves as a warning. Don’t let fear make your decisions. Don’t let greed set your compass. Don’t let pride and anger blind you to what’s right in front of you.

Are you heeding the warning of Balaam?