Oh, to be an ant on the pathway that day.

The entourage would have been impressive – princes of Moab and all their attendants. They were dressed in their finest, obviously trying to make a good impression with the man riding the donkey. Gold was everywhere – on the clothes, the head pieces, in their hands – you could almost smell the wealth on the pathway. They rode with their chest puffed out in a grand display of self-importance.

The man riding the donkey followed suit. He was confident in himself, too, knowing that he had scored the “big one.” This was the job he would be able to retire off of. His mind was filled with visions of wealth and pleasure, and on the group rode.

My, how things changed.

Soon that man, the sorcerer of great renown – the one who was feared by entire nations because of his ability to curse and bless – was reduced to having a shouting match with his donkey in the middle of the road. The proud hat had slipped over his eyes in his sweaty frustration. His fine clothes were spattered with mud. He walked with a limp because his donkey had crushed his foot.

As we read this account of Balaam in Numbers 22, I have two reactions: The first is to chuckle as I imagine the scene of a talking donkey and a humiliated prophet. The second is to ask why. I mean, it’s a tremendous story. I would assume that a great deal of money could be made if Hollywood ever featured a talking donkey, perhaps as a sidekick, in a movie franchise. But why? Is this story in Scripture just for a bit of comic relief?

The answer is no. Think about the setup for the story and you’ll see. The Israelites have been walking around in the wilderness for 40 years. They are on the cusp of the Promised Land – perhaps even within eyesight of it across the Dead Sea. The king of Moab is frightened by their presence and he knows that he is powerless to stop their advance. So he hires the famous Balaam, a sorcerer, to curse the people of God.

And look at what the God of Israel does to the best hope of the enemies of His people.

He reduces this famous sorcerer to having an argument with a jackass.

But that’s only after this great man had to go to God to ask for permission to curse His people. That’s right – the enemy of God’s people had to ask for divine permission to curse Israel. And what do you think God said?

Just as Satan had to ask permission to afflict Job, Balaam could not overrule the sovereignty of our great God.

Feel the hope of this infuse your spirit: Once God has decided to bless, nothing in all creation can prevent Him from doing so. Not a great sorcerer. Not a cosmic adversary. Nothing in all creation. Paul put it better than I can:

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us who is against us? He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:31-39).

Indeed. Amen and amen. In Christ, the Balaam’s of the cosmos are reduced to talking with donkeys.