When Men Beat Their Donkey by Apostle Johnson Suleman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Scripture — Numbers 22

In Numbers 22:26-33, God's angel blocked the way yet again — a very narrow passage, no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper and beat the donkey with a stick.

Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: what have I ever done to you that you have beaten me three times?

Balaam said: because you have been playing games with me — if I had a sword, I would have killed you by now.

The donkey said: am I not your trustworthy donkey on whom you have ridden for years? Right up to now, have I ever done anything like this before? He said: no.

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn. He bowed down his head and fell flat on his face.

The Donkey Is a Burden-Bearer

A donkey is a burden-bearer. Every minister of God is called to bear burdens. When you understand the mystery of burden, ministry becomes easy.

But nothing breaks a man's heart like being beaten by those he is sent to carry. The donkey that carried Balaam for years — this was just the first time the donkey would react for its own good — and it ended up being beaten.

There are so many hearts under the sound of this voice — the bruise, the pain, the hurt, the disappointment — hearts still bleeding by reason of painful experiences from those they were sent to carry.

Pain as Preparation

Many ministers are asking God for greatness but complaining about the pathway greatness is taking them through.

You have a choice to see pain as punishment. But you have a better choice — to see pain as preparation. It is wisdom to see pain in process and yet accept the process while bearing the pain.

Every forging is always in the furnace. There is no forging outside the furnace.

Anytime you go through a storm, you are using that storm to build a life that no storm can shake. You are taking the materials from each challenge to build a formidable life.

When the Donkey Speaks Back

When a donkey begins to reply you, the first instinct is to respond — to talk back. But the Bible says in 2 Peter 2:16: the madness of the prophet. A donkey that carried you for years. A man that mentored you for years. A man that led you for years. And the moment the donkey replies, a man loses his mind responding to a donkey.

Heaven considers that as madness.

There are people fighting others who cannot mention one specific thing those people did wrong. They talk. They talk. But they cannot place their hands on one concrete charge. The donkey is crying because she carried the wrong individual. Balaam was an obstinate man whose heart was set on what he wanted to do. There are people whose hearts are set on what they want — and you carry such people.

Balaam and Jesus Both Rode Donkeys

It was not only Balaam that sat on a donkey. Jesus sat on a donkey. And the Bible says they dropped their garments on the ground, and the donkey walked on those garments carrying Jesus.

It was not Jesus that stepped on the garments — it was the donkey that stepped on the garments. The donkey received the honor.

Oh God, I am a donkey. May I not carry Balaam. May I carry Jesus. May I not carry those that will fight me. Oh God, I am a donkey — may I carry Jesus, not Balaam.

Moses Came to That Point — Speak to the Rock

Moses brought them manna. They saw dimensions of God. Just for the absence of water, they insulted. And Moses stooped low and came to their level — he said: what is wrong with you stiff-necked people? I've been here with you too long.

God said to Moses: speak to the rock. Numbers 20.

When you get to that point, when you are pushed to a corner — speak to the Rock. When you don't know where to turn, when all those you supported have turned their backs — speak to the Rock. There is a Rock that is higher than I.

Betrayal — What It Actually Is

Betrayal is only what someone close to you can do to you. Betrayal is not done by an enemy — it is done by a friend.

There are people — consider a man who beat his son for having the heart to want to ride a horse until its legs break — and the horse has not even been bought yet. That is a seed of wickedness growing. There are people whose very intentions carry destruction, even as they sit on the backs of those who carry them.

Accountability and the Wrong Inner Circle

David sent people to go and get Bathsheba — someone's wife. They knew his intention and carried themselves and went there.

When you surround yourself with people who cannot tell you the truth — when people around you always tell you what you want to hear — Proverbs 29:12 says: if a ruler hearkens to lies, his servants are wicked.

If no one tells you that you are wrong, you are lost. When people can still tell you that you are wrong, it means they see you as accountable. When no one can correct you, it is not a sign you are a genius — it means you are beyond repair.

May every minister under this word carry the right rider. May you carry Jesus. May what is on your back give you honor. May the garments men lay down be garments you walk on in Jesus' name.