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That’ll Do Donkey!

When to Stop Being An Ass

There comes a time when you (and by ‘you’ I mean ‘me’) need to stop setting yourself up as the judge, jury and executioner of churches, pastors, flocks and heretics.  Even if you assigned yourself that job with a great deal of vigor.  Even if they have it coming.  Be like Balaam’s donkey rather than Shrek’s.  

If you’re a Shrek fan, you know Donkey and you know he can’t stop himself.  He means well but sometimes you just want to strangle him.

The donkey in the story of Balaam is also like me in that she’s an ass, but I prefer this analogy for reasons you’ll soon understand.  In the book of Numbers, chapter 22 you’ll find the story.

Balaam was known as someone who had the power to bless and curse.  The king sent messengers with a “diviner’s fee” for him to curse the Israelites, which of course, God was against.  After repeated attempts and increased bribes, Balaam agreed to go to see the king since the pot was so much richer.

So Balaam rose in the morning saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.  Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.  And he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.  Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.  So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.  And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

Then the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or the left.

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

The the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me.  I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden ever since I became yours, to this day?  Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.  And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times?  Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times.  If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

Numbers 22:21-33

 

The difference between Shrek’s donkey and Balaam’s is that one won’t stop and the other wouldn’t quit stopping.  To keep people safe, I must stop.

Balaam’s ass made the final move and simply laid down.  The good news is, the Angel with the sword was still on duty.  God will protect His church and doesn’t need help from me.

I have a friend. Surprised you, didn’t I?  Think of Queen Boudicea.  You mess with her or her kids and she’ll get you in the night, just for sport.  When she looked at me and simply said “You’ve now crossed the line into being contentious”, I had to listen.  Then I heard a message on the role of women in the church and though it’s an oft-repeated passage it impacted this time.

Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 1 Corinthians 14:34

Another passage I have a difficult time warming up to is:  Titus 2:3-5

the older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

And THERE it is!  I know I’m not gentle and meek, I am frequently irreverent, it’s one of my favorite pastimes.  And as I sit here composing, I’m sipping wine. To my credit, I’m a pretty good homemaker.

My self-assigned battle has been to contend for the faith, to promote sound doctrine by going to the word and spending my efforts to convince people gullible to false prophets that they should go biblical with no time to waste.  I wanted souls to be safe and I figured the only way was to make sure they understood who God is, what He requires and how to know you’re going to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” instead of “I never knew you.”  Not until recently did I comprehend that my behavior and a certain ‘combat readiness’ were accomplishing precisely what I was fighting against.

Now I’m having to face that women need to be silent and willing to learn.  The fact that a female ass was needed to step in and stop a man from self-destruction is not lost on me and has me inclined to view that as proof of my qualifications.  Still, I must reflect on the might of God, persistent Angels with swords and then just lay my ass down.