Today's lesson in sunday school was about Balaam and the talking donkey. This is a fun story to me and many interesting questions come to my mind that I wish there was time to go into more detail in class. I was brave enough to make a comment in class, but it didn't come out right and I ended up sounding dumb. I was also afraid the man who corrects everyone would say his usual "well actually..." but he didn't.
My thoughts about this story... Balaam dissobeys and takes off with the princes to find a way to get his reward from Balak without cursing the Isrealites. The donkey he rode on sees the angel of God 3 times and tried to stop or go the other way and each time Balaam beat the donkey. The final time the only thing the poor donkey could do was lay down and in the middle of being beaten the Lord opened the donkey's mouth. Here are some interesting clues in what the donkey says. "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smittem me these three times? Balaams emediate response was not surprise at a talking donkey but... "because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee." Then the donkey said "Am I not thine donkey, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? in other words I've always been a good and obedient donkey to you. Why would Balaam say because thou hast mocked me to the donkey? How was the donkey mocking Balaam? and Balaam knew his donkey wouldn't dissobey unless there was a good reason. Why the extreme anger towards this poor donkey? I believe that Balaam knew full well that the lord was using the donkey to prevent him from being dissobiedent. The word that comes to my mind is defiance. Balaam wasn't angry at the donkey, but angry that the Lord was trying to keep him from his riches that he felt he deserved and took out his anger on the donkey. Then later after he tried to go around the Lords will again by counseling the Midianites to entice the Isrealites into sin, he was killed. The whole story is weird and interesting to me. Balaam doesn't sound like a very good person to me from the very begining, yet the Lord talks to Balaam and uses him to prophecy to Balak. Balaam was well known for his ability to bless, curse and prophecy. He almost sounds a little insane to me.
Then there's the donkey. Can all animals see angels? Do all animals really think this intellegently but are not able to communicate with us? It doesn't say the Lord put words into the donkey's mouth, it just says the Lord opened the donkey's mouth.
Anyway I tried to bring up the idea in Sunday school that Balaam knew what was going on with the donkey all along. The teacher was nice about it and asked why I would think that. But I couldn't explain well enough to make my point so I gave up. Oh well, at least I tried.
I wonder, too, about animals and their ability to think, and their inability to speak. While reading the book "The Undaunted," I cried near the end where the animals pulling the wagons were trying so hard and were dying. I thought surely those animals who helped people so unselfishly will have a special place in heaven.
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