"Greed: The Bottomless Pit"
Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
A prophet in denial argues with a talking donkey, showing just how far from God’s reality earthly greed can take a person.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
APPLICATION
As we continue to ponder this most curious of tales, consider:
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?
2. How does the donkey respond when it sees the angel blocking the path?
3. In response to this situation, Balaam:
4. Why do you think God chose to speak through a donkey instead of directly to Balaam?
5. In what ways do you think God has tried to speak to you or get your attention?
6. Balaam had to decide who he would obey and had conflicting pressures. What are some situations you face?
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
