SCRIPTURE PASSAGE:
OVERVIEW
A prophet in denial argues with a talking donkey, showing just how far from God’s reality earthly greed can take a person.
OPENING ACTIVITY: WHAT WOULD THIS SAY ABOUT YOU IF IT COULD TALK?
Items needed: Index cards, pen.
Write the following items down on one side of index cards. Depending on the number of students you anticipate in your class, you may wish to duplicate several of the categories (or add some ideas of your own) so that each student has several to answer.
- Your b ackpack.
- Your mobile phone.
- Your school desk.
- Your Bible.
- Your couch.
- Your television.
- Your pet.
- Your pillow.
- Your refrigerator.
Distribute the cards to your students. You may have them take time to write their answers to “What would this say about you if it could talk?” and then share them, or you can just have them share aloud more spontaneously. Take care with anyone you sense is hesitant to get “real” here, and move on as needed.
DISCUSSION
- How might different objects see different sides to you?
- Do any of these see the “true” you that you hide from others?
- What holds you back from being your authentic self?
- What sides of you do your parents or guardians see? Other relatives (like siblings)? Your friends?
- Which side of you do you feel like you’re showing God, and which side of you do you think God actually sees?
TRANSITION
After decades in the wilderness, the Israelites are finally on the verge of taking Canaan. When the king of Arad attacked them, even capturing some of them, God helped the Israelites defeat Arad and take their land (Numbers 21:1-3). When the Israelites asked Sihon, king of the Amorites, for permission to pass peacefully through their territory, the Amorites met them with an army instead, which the Israelites vanquished (Numbers 21:21-25). And when the mighty Og, king of Bashan, tried to attack Israel, the Israelites utterly defeated him (Numbers 21:31-35).
When Balak, king of Moab, saw the Israelites on the border of his land, he feared the Moabites would be next. The thing is, he shouldn’t have: The Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew, so, as with the Edomites, descendants of Esau, God told the Israelites to leave them alone and not to take their land (Deuteronomy 2:4-9). But all Balak knew was that the Israelites were on the move, and that he had little chance of defeating them militarily. If he was to save Moab, he decided, he’d have to call on a higher power.
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
- God had promised Abraham, “I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” ( Genesis 12:2-3 ). The story of Balaam reminds us of this incredible promise, in the most unlikely of ways.
Read with your students Numbers 22:1-12.
Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
DISCUSSION
- How did the Moabites view the Israelites?
- How would you react if you were a Moabite in this story?
- What might have been a better way for Balak to have responded to the Israelites?
- What does the promise God gave Abraham mean to us today?
- The so-called “prosperity gospel” promises that God will financially bless people who follow Him, appealing to people’s desire for wealth and material goods. What is the danger of such a claim?
More Than Meets the Eye
There’s a battle around us, for the soul of each one of us. The battle is both spiritual and physical, for the Bible tells us, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). If our eyes could be opened to the supernatural drama in our world, we’d be amazed by the forces at work. Yet, as this story shows us, even a prophet can be blind to this greater reality.
Read Numbers 22:18-38.
But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.” That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Balaam’s Donkey
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.
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.
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?”
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.”
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.
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.
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. 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.”
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.”
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.
When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
“Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”
DISCUSSION
- What blinded Balaam to his own foolish course of action?
- What do you think you’d see on an average day if your eyes were opened to the spiritual battles around you?
- What obstacles in your life have you later realized God may have allowed to happen to protect you from a bigger problem? Consider sharing such an experience you’ve had with your students.
- What do you think was Balaam’s state of mind that he was arguing with a donkey?
- How would you feel if you saw an angel of God standing before you? How did Balaam feel?
- Proverbs 12:10 says, “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” What responsibility do people have to take care of animals? What does it reveal about someone if they are carelessly cruel to a defenseless creature?
- What role reversal do you see between Balaam and his donkey? (Possible answers: Balaam, a prophet, was blind to the supernatural and acting stubborn. His donkey was in tune with the supernatural and speaking the words God gave her.)
Curses? Foiled Again
God loves to redeem the worst situations, turning curses into blessings.
Read Numbers 23:5-12.
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. 7 Then Balaam spoke his message:
“Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ 8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced? 9 From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
DISCUSSION
- Have you ever felt like God gave you words to say? If so, what happened?
- What are some ways that, like Balak, people try to manipulate God today?
- What parallels or contrasts might you see between the stories of Balaam and Jonah?
- What do you feel as you read Balaam’s prophetic words? How might the Israelites have felt when they first heard them quoted?
- How might the God who used Balaam be using unlikely people to testify of Him today?
APPLICATION
As we continue to ponder this most curious of tales, consider:
- Meditating on Romans 8:28 , “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ”
- Praying and looking for ways for God to use you to bless others.
- Performing a skit about Balaam and the donkey.
- Sketching an artwork based on the imagery in Balaam’s prophecy.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
Numbers 22:18-38 tells an exciting story about a man named Balaam and his talking donkey. The king of Moab wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites, but God had other plans. As Balaam set out on his journey, his donkey saw an angel blocking the path and tried to avoid it.
Balaam didn’t see the angel and got frustrated with his donkey. But then, something incredible happened—the donkey started talking! The donkey scolded Balaam for his actions, and suddenly, Balaam’s eyes were opened, and he saw the angel too. From that moment on, Balaam knew he had to obey God’s instructions and speak only what God told him.
This story and RBS remind us to pay attention to God’s messages, even if they come in unexpected ways, and to humbly submit to His guidance.
The Talking Donkey
If you could talk with any animal, which one would you choose and why?
Read Numbers 22:18-38.
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”
20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Balaam’s Donkey
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. 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.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”
1. When Balaam first sets out on his journey, what does God’s angel do?
- Blesses Balaam’s journey.
- Warns Balaam to turn back.
- Appears to Balaam and offers guidance.
- Tests Balaam’s faith.
- Ignores Balaam and continues on his way.
- Playfully challenges Balaam to a race.
- Waits to strike Balaam.
- The Bible doesn’t say.
- Other
2. How does the donkey respond when it sees the angel blocking the path?
- Kneels down before the angel.
- Speaks to Balaam.
- Runs away in fear.
- Becomes aggressive and tries to attack the angel.
- Ignores the angel and walks past.
- Starts singing a hymn.
- Makes loud grunting noises.
- Does nothing.
- Other
3. In response to this situation, Balaam:
- Is terrified and falls to the ground when the donkey speaks to him.
- Immediately recognizes it as a miracle and praises God.
- Scolds the donkey for talking.
- Dismisses the donkey’s words and continues on his way.
- Engages in a conversation with the donkey.
- Faints from shock.
- Laughs and thinks it’s a joke.
- Starts dancing with the donkey.
- Other
4. Why do you think God chose to speak through a donkey instead of directly to Balaam?
- Wanted to test Balaam’s faith and obedience.
- Wanted to demonstrate His power and ability to use any means to convey His message.
- Wanted to teach Balaam humility and remind him that even a donkey can be used by Him.
- Wanted to create a memorable and humorous situation.
- Was simply trying to confuse Balaam.
- Other
5. In what ways do you think God has tried to speak to you or get your attention?
- Through the Bible
- My family
- My friends
- My teachers
- Social media
- Church
- Other
6. Balaam had to decide who he would obey and had conflicting pressures. What are some situations you face?
- Choosing between studying for a test or going to a social event.
- Deciding whether to join a certain club or extracurricular activity.
- Balancing school commitments with personal hobbies/interests.
- Choosing what’s popular or standing up for what is right.
- Googling the answer while on remote learning versus being honest.
- Balancing what my family expects versus what I want.
- Other
7. Can you recall a time when you felt God warning or redirecting you, but you chose to ignore it? What were the consequences?
8. How can we hear God’s voice and follow His guidance in our everyday lives, even when we’re busy or distracted?
SUMMARY
The main takeaway from Numbers 22:18-38 is that we need to pay attention to how God is speaking to us and be open to His guidance, even when it comes in unexpected ways. In the story, Balaam ignored the warnings from his donkey at first, but when the donkey started talking, he realized that God was trying to get his attention. This teaches us that God can use any means to communicate with us, and it’s important for us to be aware and responsive to His messages.
APPLICATION
- THE TOKING DONKEY .
- Create a TikTok video recapturing the events in Numbers 22-24 , choosing a point of view (POV) to follow and meme.
- Feel free to express in any creative way, but some ideas that could get you going:
- photoset style to music,
- POV as storytime from Balak,
- a Get Ready With Me with a member of Balak’s court,
- POV from the donkey,
- POV from Balaam. Tag #youthsabbathschoolideas so we can stick your TikTok!
- PHOTOS OF THE UNEXPECTED.
- Take up a symbolic photography challenge, and use photography to capture symbolic representations of the key themes and lessons from Numbers 22:18-30 .
- Explore the concepts of obedience, humility, and recognizing God’s guidance in unexpected ways.
- Take pictures of everyday objects or scenes that convey these messages visually. For example, photograph a path with a hidden obstacle to represent the importance of recognizing and obeying God’s direction.
- Share these photos in class next week!
- FOR THE POETS .
- Write a reflective poem that explores the emotions, thoughts, and lessons learned from the story of Numbers 22 .
- Use descriptive language and imagery to capture the experience of Balaam, the donkey, and the angel.
- Focus on the themes of obedience, humility, and recognizing God’s guidance.
- Experiment with different poetic forms, such as free verse or rhyming couplets.
- Consider sharing your poem with your class next week
The Miracle
Created by NAD Youth and Young Adult Ministries
What if the Miracles of Jesus are more than meets the eye?
What if there is so much more to each story than we see?
What if each time Jesus did something supernatural, He was inviting us to look deeper?
Beyond the healing.
Beyond the deliverance.
Beyond the acts that defied the laws of nature.
What if Jesus were inviting us to see something bigger?
Something more amazing about the love of God.
Something mind-blowing.
What if the ultimate Miracle is that God can transform us?
The Miracle Series is an interactive study of 15 of Jesus’ awe-inspiring encounters while here on earth. These lessons, and messages are designed to connect with teens and youth and take them on a journey of discovery. Included in this kit is everything you need:
- Small group scripts
- PowerPoint presentations
- Promotional video and files
- Participant Study Guides
We invite you and your youth to not just study the Miracles of Jesus but to experience The Miracle.
