BREAKING DOWN CLOSED DOORS (When we ignore God’s warnings)

NUMBERS 22:31-33: “Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. [32] The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil.  [33] The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.” CSB

OBSERVATION: Have you ever found yourself opposing God? You knew what the express will of God was for your life but you wanted something different. You prayed and asked for God’s guidance, but you ignored His answer and the closed doors that stood before you. Determined to do what you wanted to do, you persisted in trying to break through the door. Cloaking this entire process in prayer, you persisted until…

God allowed you to do what you wanted to do.

The story of Balaam is the story of breaking down closed doors. It is the story of one who feigned devotion to God but was captivated by the cares and riches of this world. At cursory reading from the text in Numbers, it may appear that God gave His permission to Balaam to pursue this path. Yet, as we read the various references in the Bible concerning Balaam, we realize that he was, in essence, resisting God, and God simply allowed him to pursue the path he desired.

2 Peter 2:15-16: “They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path  and have followed the path of Balaam,  the son of Bosor,  who loved the wages of wickedness  [16] but received a rebuke for his lawlessness: A speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” CSB

Here is a breakdown of Balaam’s interaction with God. Balak, King of Moab, tried to hire Balaam, who was known as a prophet of God, to curse the nation of Israel because he feared them. Balaam told the emissary who came to relay King Moab’s request that he would have to ask the Lord if he could come. They had offered great rewards to Balaam, and he wanted to come, but the Lord refused him from coming.

First closed door.

Then, Balak sent another emissary with greater promises to Balaam. Balaam said he would have to ask the Lord once again if he could come. Balaam was more interested in the rewards of unrighteousness than he was in the revealed will of God. God knew his heart. Balaam was desiring to break through the closed door, and God permitted him to pursue his heart. God will never force us to do His will. If we persist in disobeying, God will allow it.

Yet, God continues to try and keep Balaam from destruction. As Balaam rides his donkey, pursuing what he knew was against God’s will, the Angel of the Lord stood in his path to deter him. Balaam’s spiritual vision was blurred by his covetousness, but his donkey could see what was happening and veered off the path three times to keep Balaam from destruction. What was Balaam’s response? He beat his donkey with a rod.

God opened the mouth of the donkey, and he spoke to Balaam.

Numbers 22:28-30: “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? ”  [29] Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now! ” [30] But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before? ” “No,” he replied.” CSB

The donkey was the last closed door that Balaam broke down. God, in His mercy, was trying to keep Balaam from destruction. Yet, Balaam, determined in his heart and driven by covetousness, would not heed God’s warnings, and ultimately, God allowed Balaam to pursue his own will. God’s mercy and grace are never forced upon us. They are presented to us. They are offered freely, and we have the choice to embrace them or ignore them. If we choose to ignore them over and over again, God will allow us to follow our own desires.

Romans 1:28-32: “And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. [29] They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,  inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,  [31] senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. [32] Although they know God’s just sentence that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but even applaud  , others who practice them.” CSB

Balaam’s end was not good. He missed the grace of God. He is recorded in the annals of Scripture as one who was overcome with covetousness and led Balak to put a stumbling block in front of Israel that caused great destruction. After the encounter with the donkey and the Angel of the Lord – Balaam should have turned around and obeyed the will of God. Rather, he broke down the last door and walked freely to his own destruction.

I have broken down doors in my life. It has caused great heartache and pain when I have done so. When I ignore God’s will, when I ignore His warnings, when I am determined to pursue what I want and ignore the closed doors He places in my path to protect me, I walk into a time of suffering and disappointment. God’s closed doors are His best possible expression of His love and protection in my life. When I face these closed doors I need to stop and seek the Lord. I need to be honest with the motives of my heart and listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

I need to put down my battering ram and pick up my cross!

Lord, thank You for Your grace and protection in my life. Thank you that You are the one who opens doors that no man can shut and shuts doors that no man can open. Help me to respect these closed doors and not insist on my own will. Give me the grace to deny myself, pick up my cross, and walk in the pathway of your perfect will and plan for my life!

Philippians 3:13-14: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind  and reaching forward to what is ahead, [14] I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly  call in Christ Jesus.“ CSB

In Jesus’ Name!