Snapshot
👀: Original post.
My Dear Friend,
Don’t fool around with sharp knives, or you may be cut. Don’t play with fire, or you may be burned. Don’t walk on high ledges, or you may fall. And don’t flirt with the permissive will of God, or you may be judged. Just ask Balaam.
Numbers 22 tells the story. Balaam was a prophet, and therefore was in touch with God, but he was not obedient to God. When a Moabite king asked Balaam to speak a curse over Israel, and offered to pay him well, God’s warning to Balaam was swift, threefold, and unmistakably clear: “Thou shalt not go with them,” “Thou shalt not curse the people,” “For they are blessed” (v. 12).
After God’s “no, no, and no” response, Balaam declined Balak’s first offer, though weakly. So, Balak sent another, promising more money, power, and honor. Balaam’s response is illuminating. He told Balak’s messengers he would consult to see if the Lord had anything “more” to say - something new or additional that might change God’s earlier message (v. 19). Thus, Balaam opened the door to deception. Why?
God had already told Balaam His perfect will, without equivocation or obscurity. It was plain: “Don’t do as Balak asks!” He even graciously explained why: God had blessed the very people Balak wanted to curse! But Balaam didn’t like this response because he desired the additional money, power and honor Balak offered. So, he tried to find middle ground.
Playing along with Balaam’s dangerous game of folly, God revealed His permissive will to Balaam, hoping he would decline: “If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them” (v. 20). But Balaam didn’t decline their offer. Now, Balaam thought gleefully to himself, he had divine authorization to do what he wanted to do all along - say or do whatever it took to get wealth and honor! Brushing God’s original Word aside, he repeated God’s second word over and over in his mind, trying to justify himself and appease his conscience, as he set out on his way, moving cautiously through spiritual no man’s land.
The further he went, the more the deception grew. Soon he received a new prophetic revelation: “We can disobey God’s orders and go our own way and still have God’s favor and blessing!” Wow, this was bestseller material, a megachurch builder! Oh, how wise he had been to ask the Lord to tell him something “more!”
Grieved and angry, God sent the “Angel (Messenger) of the Lord” (v. 22) - no less than the preincarnate Christ - to deal with this prophet who had chosen God’s permissive will over His perfect will. You know the story.
The Lord Jesus, with His sword of judgment drawn, confronted the erring prophet, standing squarely in the middle of the road. Balaam’s stubborn sin had by this point blinded him to spiritual realities, so he couldn’t see Jesus. But his donkey could. So, the donkey turned aside to spare Balaam. But this “donkey warning” went unheeded by the mulish prophet. Balaam angrily struck the donkey and returned blindly to God’s permissive path (v. 23). All he could see was Balak’s rewards and honors awaiting him.
The path then passed narrowly between two vineyards (v. 24). So, in an attempt to avoid Jesus' sword of judgment, the donkey brushed one of the walls, hurting Balaam’s foot. Another donkey warning! But the mulish prophet still paid no heed, again striking his mount (v. 25). His intensely selfish focus was still blinding him.
Finally, the two vineyards' rock walls were directly by the roadside, leaving the seeing donkey and blind seer no room to pass. The permissive will of God had ended. It was now go back and live or go forward and die. There was no more middle ground of grace. Still the insensitive prophet couldn’t see, so his discerning donkey just fell flat on the ground. Like the others, this final donkey warning went unheeded. And in a rage, this stupid, cruel man beat his wise, compassionate animal and wished dead the very beast who had kept him alive! God had had enough.
He intervened, opening Balaam’s eyes. Suddenly, his delusion dissipated. Spiritual reality flooded back in. He realized he had been living in a fool’s paradise - God’s permissive will! He understood now God had permitted, but never approved, his mission of disobedience. He realized now God’s first Word was His last Word and any words “more” were only a test, to see if he would be uncompromisingly obedient or disobediently compromised.
Graciously, the end of God’s permissive will afforded Balaam one final chance to live - and the stupid prophet wisely took it. Finally, he became as sensitive and prophetic as his donkey. Finally, he heeded his donkey warnings. Finally, he surrendered: “He bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face” (v. 31). Finally, he confessed, “I have sinned” (v. 34). Finally, he embraced God’s perfect will again, “I will turn back” (v. 34, NKJV). But it could have ended very differently.
Had Balaam pressed on without repentance and confession, he would have been slain. Yes, Jesus, whom the Father has appointed sovereign Judge of all, would have executed him then and there (Jn. 5:22, 26-27; Jas. 5:8-9; Rev. 19:11). Never heard of “Judge Jesus” before? Get used to the title. Jesus Christ will judge (evaluate, and reward or punish) all mankind, first His church (1 Pet. 4:17), then Israel, and finally all nations (Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15). This may sound like nonsense, but makes perfect sense: who better to justly and mercifully judge us than the One who justly and mercifully died to save us?
Paul warned of Jesus' judgeship when he taught that disobeying Christ, or willfully choosing to live in God’s permissive will, causes us to be “weak,” meaning spiritually or physically infirm; or “sickly,” meaning sick or diseased; or even to “sleep,” meaning die early without fulfilling our kingdom work (1 Cor. 11:30). The wise apostle was advising us to not play Balaam’s game of folly, to not seek something “more” when God’s Word speaks clearly, to never try to live in the alluring, entrancing middle ground of God’s permissive will. Why? Paul knew there was an end to it.
Our lesson? There is coming a time, and soon, when Christ will stand before this Balaam-like world, that has long known His saving will but refused to embrace it, with His sword of judgment drawn. He will no longer tolerate willful disobedience from truly born-again Christians. All “Balaam missions” will soon cease. It’s time we heed the “donkeys” - pastors, teachers, fellow Christians - who bravely and faithfully keep telling us what we know is right but don’t want to hear. Why? When the Angel of the Lord bestrides our path, there will be no room to get around Him any more. Judgment - a divinely enforced restoration of divine order - will, it must, “begin at the house of God” (1 Pet. 4:17).
Let’s be more specific. As you read this piece, many Christians are living in fornication, homosexuality, adulterous unions, or other sexual deviancy, though they know God’s Word about these things. Or, they’re living for worldly ambition, greed, or pride, though they know worldliness is idolatry and makes us God’s enemies (Jas. 4:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). Or, they’re Jonahs, running from God’s call to ministry, missions, or other service. Or, they’re refusing to forgive, show mercy, or walk in God’s love toward critics and enemies God has sovereignly placed in their lives.
Or, they’re persisting in other forms of disobedience or half-obedience to God’s Word, guidance, or call. Like Balaam, they’ve sought “more” - excuses, encouragements, or justifications for their disobedience - from anyone who would tell them what they wanted to hear, any source that would agree they were in the right path. Preachers, prophets, self-help books, talk shows, fortune tellers, Internet influencers, family, friends - all these have seemed to confirm that all is well and God loves them just as they are. But their consciences still burn with guilt! They can’t forget God’s original Word about their sin. Then why don’t they repent?
As with Balaam, they’ve been deluded. They think God’s permission is God’s approval, that, because God hasn’t forcibly stopped them, they don’t need to stop. Besides, they’ve become used to this Balaam way of life and have grown warm and comfortable there - while God has been graciously but not happily forbearing, five, ten, even twenty years! Oh, yes, occasionally when near a “vineyard” (committed church or Christian), some simple-minded, Bible-believing “donkey” will bray at them, telling them they’re disobeying God. But they just smite them with their rod of reproach, and go on in presumptuous pride - all the while wounding the Angel by whose grievous wounds they have been saved.
In conclusion, yes, there is a permissive will of God. Yes, you can step out into it, if you want to badly enough. But, yes, there is also an end to it. And it is not something you want to experience. Just ask Samson. Or Solomon. Or Ananias and Sapphira.
So, don’t fool around with sharp knives, don’t play with fire, don’t walk on high ledges, and don’t flirt with the permissive will of God. You don’t want to meet the Angel of the Lord in judgment mode. Even a donkey knows that.
Learning from a donkey,
