God Stands in the Way

God Stands in the Way

Numbers 22:31 – Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. 32 – The angel of the LORD said to him, “why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing is perverse before me.

Verse 33 – The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.”

3 times the donkey tried avoiding the angel of the LORD, 3 times she was beaten by an irate Balaam who felt like he looked foolish in his own eyes and in the eyes of his servants and anyone else who might have been around for being on a donkey that wasn’t behaving. And he conveyed these thoughts to the donkey when she spoke to him!!

The donkey took the blows for misbehaving in Balaam’s eyes when it should have been Balaam receiving the blows for being perverse in God’s eyes.

Please consider these verses: Isaiah 53:4 – But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 5 – He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.

Verse 6 – All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 7 – He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth.

Verse 8 – He was led away after an unjust trial – but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded. 9 – They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully.

These verses detail the prophecy of Jesus Christ; His suffering and death for our sins. He stood in the way to oppose Balaam. He stood in the way opposing humanity and went to the cross taking the blows that were meant for us. Just as the donkey testified that she had never done anything to treat Balaam badly, so it is with the Lord. God has always ever loved us. All of His actions speak of His love for us even when it happens to hurt or be inconvenient.

Dear Lord, thank-you for standing in our way, for opposing us in our perversity, and for taking the blows meant for us. Thank-you for your unfailing love! Amen.