Who Says Animals Are Dumb?

“And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass (donkey), and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”  Numbers 22:28

Probably there are many folks who avoid reading the Old Testament Book of Numbers and maybe the entire Old Testament, but there are many fascinating accounts and interesting characters in the Old Testament.  Besides, the Old Testament shows us the need for the New Testament, thus they go together like bread and butter, with the bread being the base and the butter adding the sweetness of God’s redemptive plan for His creation.  The Book of Numbers begins with God commanding Moses to count all the males, twenty years old and upward, who were fit to be soldiers in Israel’s army, but once one gets past the first four chapters, there are further accounts of Israel’s journey to the promised land.  One of these accounts is a fascinating telling of a man named Balaam who was not a true prophet of God, but rather a diviner, one who dabbled in the occult to foretell the future.  He claimed that this ability came from God.

Another man in the account is Balak, the king of the Moabites, who were the descendants of Lot, nephew of Abraham, through Lot’s son, Moab.  The Moabites were enemies of Israel, but not as hostile as those like the Philistines or the Babylonians.  Balak had heard about how Israel defeated the Amorites, descendants of Canaan, son of Ham, Noah’s son, and he became very distressed.  He sent messengers to Balaam to request that he come to Moab and curse Israel in the hopes that Moab would not be defeated by them.  God came to Balaam and instructed him not to go with the messengers and not to curse Israel because they were His people and were blessed by Him.  Balaam obeyed and sent the messengers from Moab on their way the next morning.

Balak was not going to give up.  He sent more messengers to Balaam who told them that he would give them an answer the next morning.  God again came to Balaam saying that he could go with the men, but he could only prophesy what God told him to say.  Since God can read the heart of anyone and understand the true motive behind what a person does, He knew that Balaam appeared very eager to go, but for the wrong reason: he had been promised a position of honor by Balak who had also told him that he would do for Balaam whatever he desired.  That is a pretty good incentive for one who is not a true man of God to do something, but not necessarily the will of God.  God was angry with Balaam.  It should create fear in the heart of anyone if they understand that God knows his or her every thought and every motive.

Balaam loaded his donkey and began the journey to visit Balak.  As he made his way along the path to meet Balak, up ahead was a narrow passageway between two walls.  At the end of the passageway stood an angel of the LORD blocking the way.  The angel was brandishing a sword, and the donkey saw the angel, but Balaam did not.  The donkey wasn’t dumb as she saw the sword likely gleaming in the sunlight, understood the dangerous situation that she and her rider were in, and refused to move ahead.  Balaam became angry because she wouldn’t move and struck her with likely a whip.  Apparently, all he could think about was that promised “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”.   The donkey then thrust herself against one of the walls which crushed Balaam’s foot, and he hit her again.  She fell down, and Balaam hit her once more.

I can see in my mind’s eye the donkey on the ground, turning her head up and back toward Balaam as the LORD opened her mouth, and she said, “What have I done to you that you have hit me these three times?”  I don’t know about you, but if an animal began to speak to me, I would be flabbergasted.  However, Balaam’s anger was so great against her that the fact that she was speaking to him went right over his head as he answered her, “Because you have mocked me.  If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you”.  The donkey replied, “Am I not your donkey which you have ridden ever since you have owned me?  Did I ever do anything to you like this before?”  Balaam answered, “No”.  At that moment, the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel with the sword standing before them.  He bowed his head and dropped to the ground falling flat on his face.

The angel then spoke to Balaam asking him why he had struck his donkey three times, and that his appearance before them was as a warning to Balaam because what he was about to do was not acceptable to God.  The angel continued by informing Balaam that the donkey had seen the angel and tried to stop Balaam three times, and if she had not stopped him, the angel likely would have killed Balaam and saved the donkey.  Balaam had a real change of heart, admitting that he had sinned and would return home.  However, the angel told him to proceed to meet with Balak, but he was only to prophesy what the angel told him to say.  Balaam continued on his journey with the messengers who, I assume, were oblivious to what had just happened to Balaam.  God can open the eyes of people to see what He wants them to see, and He can close the eyes of those whom He chooses to keep in the dark.

Next time:  Balaam Meets Balak