Balaam has borne the brunt of many a joke. Here was a prophet who so lacked discernment that it took a donkey to sense the presence of a threatening angel and to bring the terrible danger to his attention.
Let's read Numbers 22:21-35. 21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 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.”
34 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.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
Balam lacked both discernment and intuition about what was happening around him. Not the following observations about Balaam's error:
- Balaam angered God because he disobeyed what he knew to be right (v. 22).
- It took the Angel of the Lord standing in the way to stop Balaam (v. 23).
- The seer could not discern the Angel's blockade (v. 23).
- Balaam's own agenda so consumed him that he whipped his donkey for responding to the Angel (v. 25).
- God enabled the donkey to speak when Balaam still didn't perceive his danger (v. 28).
- The donkey discerned more than Balaam and interpreted reality for him (vv. 28-30).
- It took a divine miracle for Balaam's eyes to be opened (v. 31).
No leader can long enjoy success without developing a healthy sense of discernment. Lack of discernment nearly got Balaam killed. He did not discern the Lord's presence, and he confessed his lack of discernment (Num. 22:34). God said the prophet would surely have been killed had it not been for his discerning donkey (22:33). When he finally realized his peril, Balaam had to feel both ashamed and embarrassed. It is one thing to lack discernment; it is another for your donkey to possess more it of than you do!
Unfortunately, many leaders today suffer exactly this plight. Many factors conspire to keep us from discerning the needs of the moment. Consider some common factors:
- An unrelenting schedule leaves no room for listening.
- An important agenda fosters a stubborn heart rather than a sensitive one.
- A type - A temperament makes it difficult to slow down and discern.
- A strong task orientation leaves little time for people or spontaneity.
- We desire to solve spiritual and emotional problems with external answers.
Do you want to hone your leadership skills? Then make it a priority to pray for greater discernment. Listen for and interpret the root causes of the challenges you face. Consider your gut reaction to others, but also tap your mind. Discernment takes both godly intuition and intellect.
Great thoughts of John Maxwell in his leadership Bible. It made me think about all the things that we just do on routine and forget to really listen and pay attention to life around us of what is happening. I am paying attention more to have buffers in my life so I can be sure to find and focus time to be ale to listen. Be grateful for more awareness in your life to make a difference.