Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced Psalm 105:5

I have coached a number of different sports and teams throughout the last few years. Starting back in college, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity here at Mile High Academy. My coaching style has grown, and I’ve gotten much better. One thing that I think differentiates me from many coaches is my willingness to be, well, for lack of a better word, odd. Let me explain: I enjoy coaching, I enjoy playing sports, and I am not afraid to express that. To many of the athletes I have coached, they have seen some of my motivational tactics as quite odd, and I admit that’s probably a fair assessment. I am sure some of what I have said and done in practices or games has been talked about outside of those instances. I am not embarrassed by the way I act. In fact, I’ve learned to embrace it and to use it. It can create quite the stir and garner good interest from others. I have found that the relationships that I have built while coaching have extended to others in the school and community because, quite simply, people talk. Have you ever experienced hearing a story secondhand and being so intrigued that you wanted to know more? I believe that telling the stories of what happened around us is built into who we are. This week we are exploring an oddity in the Bible that draws us in to see what God has planned. Aren’t you curious?

What’s the oddest thing that happened in the Bible? I don’t mean, like, most amazing or wild, but truly head-scratchingly odd. For me, it’s Balaam and the talking donkey. Just pause for a second and think about what all happened in that story. Balaam isn’t a particularly good person; he is a prophet not of Israel, and he is being asked to curse Israel. None of that is odd. What is odd is that Balaam seems to know God. In Numbers 22, Balaam is asked to curse Israel by the local kings, and his response is, “Wait here and I will see what the Lord tells me.” Isn’t that kinda strange? A non-Israelite talking to God and expecting to hear back from God.

That’s not the only odd thing. Balaam listens to God! The story continues on, and God tells Balaam not to curse the Israelites, but he tells the kings he cannot do it. Naturally, the kings who hired Balaam to curse the Israelites are not very happy about this. So they request for him to curse them again, but Balaam can’t do it. Eventually, they want to take him to a certain spot to overlook all the camps. Up to this point, things are pretty odd, aren’t they? A non-Israelite has a conversation with God about the Israelite people and is listening and doing what God wants. But it doesn’t stop there.

The next day, Balaam is on his way to the kings and is really considering cursing the Israelites. While on the way, he is riding his donkey. Suddenly, the donkey stops. Balaam doesn’t like this, so he starts to urge it forward, but the donkey won’t listen. He starts to beat the donkey. Balaam doesn’t see what the donkey sees. The Bible tells us that Balaam’s donkey saw an angel with his sword drawn, ready to cut them down. Pause. The donkey saw, but Balaam didn’t? Kind of odd, right?

Okay, unpause. Balaam’s donkey isn’t listening, and Balaam starts to beat it, and the Bible tells us that the Lord “opened the donkey’s mouth.” What???? I didn’t know that was an option, and I can’t imagine how Balaam was feeling. In their conversation, Balaam is told about the Angel, and God opens his eyes to the Angel. Balaam is convicted of his wrongdoing and goes to meet the kings but will only say what God wants him to say.

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17

That’s pretty odd, but what I think is the most odd part of the story isn’t the donkey; it’s what comes next. In Numbers 24, Balaam proclaims 7 prophecies. Throughout the prophecies, we find imagery connected to Jesus, the most prominent being the “star that will come out of Judah,” verse 17.

Come and hear, all you who fear God: let me tell you what he has done for me. Psalms 66:16

This story can be confusing and odd to many people. It can be comical and entertaining. It certainly makes for a good story; however, in it all, there is deep meaning. Balaam was not a very good person; he was flawed, and God had to intervene in his life. But through him, we get a clearer picture of the plan God had for His people. This week, the challenge for the “I Wonder Challenge” is simple.

I wonder, what has God done that I should tell others about?

The reason we explored oddities is because sometimes it can feel a little odd to tell of a great thing that happened that we can’t explain. There should be no fear in the oddities; in fact, we can embrace them. If Balaam’s story was never told, we would have missed out on a really important part of Scripture, and the star that led the wise men to Jesus might have been something different altogether. I encourage you to tell the seemingly odd yet amazingly wonderful stories of what God has done and is doing today.