WHO HINDERED BALAAM’S DONKEY?
by Erwin Bourne—March 17, 2002
Indigenous people from distant villages come to stay
overnight at the Casa Grande. We try to limit “bed
and breakfast” to native preachers and missionaries,
but we have certain obligations. Much like
“Christians” in the United States, when overnight
guests leave, they pack the roll of tissue, the bar of
soap, and maybe even the towel. So a party left our
mission base the other morning. They had scarcely
exited the front gate when Jean checked their room.
The sheets were missing off the bed. The visitors
were out of sight headed for the river port. Jean
jumped on the four-wheeler to pursue. Scarcely twenty
feet down the driveway she realized the “moto” had a
flat tire. She returned to the house only to discover
the sheets hanging on the line to dry. She firmly
believes that God let the air out of the tire. Much
damage could have been done in that community where
AMA has a church.
In my Bible studies, I have come up against two very
difficult phrases both found in II Thes. 2:7. 1).
The mystery of iniquity doth already work, and 2).
only he who now letteth will let. Here are two
powerful forces working against each other. At this
point I long for my Bible commentaries stored in a
shed in Colorado Springs. Since these phrases I have
quoted are from the KJV, I will also examine other
versions to gather a conclusion. The (NIV): 1) For
the secret power of lawlessness is already at work,..
2). But the one who now holds it back will continue to
do so till he is taken out of the way
God was furious with Balaam for going, so he sent the
angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his
way (Num. 22:22 NLT). The donkey sees the angel with
a drawn sword and bolts off the road into a field.
Balaam gets the donkey back on the road, but the angel
stands at a place where the road narrows between two
vineyard walls. The donkey tries to squeeze by but
crushes Balaam’s foot. The donkey gets beat and the
road grows narrower. When they encountered the angel
again, the faithful animal lies down and his master
flies into a rage beating the donkey again.
Then the dumb beast speaks, “Why have you beaten me
these three times?”
Enraged Balaam shouts, “If I had a sword with me, I
would kill you!”
Then Balaam sees the angel with a drawn sword in his
hand demanding: “Why have you beaten your donkey? I
have come to block your way.
—Erwin and Jean Bourne