Numbers 22-24, 31; Jude 1:11; 2 Peter 2:15. www.gotquestions.org; and The New Bible Commentary, edited by G.J. In the New Testament (Mark 11:1-11) it is told that as Jesus approached the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples to a nearby village to fetch him a donkey. Balaam sent the king's messengers away. Certainly his donkey will be miraculous." He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. After the third time, Jehovah made the donkey speak. The lowly creature believes he can do nothing noble, but that’s before he meets the Master... Then Jesus said to the donkey, And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field”, “Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road”, “the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. Thanks for stopping by! An angel of the Lord appeared to the donkey on his way, 3 times. Tagged as: Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/balaam-and-the-donkey-bible-story-700077. A Christian Study. { 8 comments… read them below or add one }. "The Biblical Tale of Balaam and the Donkey." The Biblical Tale of Balaam and the Donkey. The Torah records how, after being thoroughly humiliated by his talking donkey, Balaam, the non-Jewish sorcerer and prophet commissioned by Balak King of Moab to curse the Jews, found himself incapable of cursing them. "The Biblical Tale of Balaam and the Donkey." And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff”, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field” (Num 22:22b-23a) but Balaam didn’t give up that easily though so “Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road” (Num 22:23b). Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. The farmer mistook his silence as a sign he had given up. Origins: The mule is mentioned in mankind’s earliest records. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. Numbers 31:16 reveals that Balaam enticed the Israelites to turn from God and worship idols. A Christian Study. And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. Instead of being dead, the donkey was very much alive. Next post: What Is A Prayer Of Supplication? LOL. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. So he sends for a smart man named Baʹlaam to come to curse the Israelites. Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/balaam-and-the-donkey-bible-story-700077. Habakkuk wrote about the coming judgment of the Chaldeans that “The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it” (Hab 2:11). With every pile of dirt he was getting closer and closer to the surface. Let us show our kindness in the time of their needs like Donkey. Is Covid-19 or the Coronavirus Mentioned in the Bible? Read the Bible Story: Read Numbers 22:21-41 to the children. The sons of Jacob traveled to Egypt with donkeys to purchase grain during a great famine ( Genesis 42:26 ). https://www.learnreligions.com/balaam-and-the-donkey-bible-story-700077 (accessed January 26, 2021). Baʹlak, the king of Moʹab, is afraid of the Israelites. Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No”, “the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants werewith him. As Balaam was riding on his donkey on the way to do the work, God himself showed up in angelic form as the Angel of the Lord. The "oracles" of Balaam in Numbers correspond to the blessings God promised to Abraham: Israel will be as numerous as the dust of the earth; the Lord is with Israel; Israel will inherit the promised land; Israel will crush Moab, and from the Jews will come a Messiah. So he struck her again”, “the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. The story of Balaam stars a donkey who understood what Balaam failed to understand, and saw what Balaam failed to see. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back” (Num 22:35) but “the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak” (Num 22:35). The Donkey's Story (The Animals of the Bible Series) As King David prepared to die, he ordered that his son Solomon should mount the king’s own mule — the offspring of a horse and donkey — and be taken to be anointed as king of Israel (1 Kgs 1:32-34). Don't forget to ask questions related to the story, for example, “What did the king want Balaam to do?” Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back”, “the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak”. So he struck her again” (Num 22:24-25). That clearly means that the Old and the New Testament are God’s inspired words and is God speaking to us but sometimes, as we will read, God can speak through other means too as even Jesus said to those who were angered by the praise heaped upon Him “if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). and if you remember my lesson uh some months ago was on Palm Sunday and it was about Jesus Christ riding on a donkey. (2020, August 27). The farmer couldn’t believe his eyes. Bestselling author Anthony DeStefano begins his creative telling of the beloved Bible story of Christ’s triumphant entry by introducing the young donkey who has yet to realize his important mission. Balaam’s Donkey Talks, and Balaam Sees and Angel. Balaam’s story is found in the Old Testament, but Peter and Jude mention him by name in the New Testament. Balaam acknowledged that “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. They put Balaam to death by the sword. So he hit her once again. Check out some more Bible stories here: Best Bible Stories. Carson, and R.T. France. What Is A Prayer Of Supplication? I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you”, “the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Notice it says "gentle and riding on a donkey". Zavada, Jack. What a strange occurrence here. His books are include: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children,“ “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?,“ "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.". Absolutely Love your kangaroo/donkey picture!!! These include the story of Balaam and his donkey and the donkey that Jesus rode on during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The farmer had underestimated the donkey. Tools So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. If the donkey had just stood there and done nothing, he would have surely died. Later, the Jews warred against Midian, killing their five kings. All Rights Reserved. Balaam’s donkey provides a symbol of just how far God will go to ensure that his will to done. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Advertise, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles”, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. Is the Increase in Violence a Sign of the End Times? Donkeys are always a beast of burden in the Bible. Motyer, D.A. Today let’s focus on a Bible miracle from the book of Numbers; Balaam’s Donkey Speaks (Numbers 22:20-35) God’s People (the Israelites) were camping in the plains of Moab. After a couple of minutes, all the neighbors were shocked as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and jumped off! Balaam stupidly whacked his riding donkey because she wouldn't go straight ahead. In the night God came to Balaam, telling him not to curse the Israelites. Today God still speaks to us but not through donkeys or through stones nor through walls but in His written Word the Bible. The angel threatened Balaam because Balaam was obeying God in his actions, but in his heart, he was rebelling, thinking only of the bribe. “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine, Copyright © 2010-2021 Telling Ministries LLC. And he bowed down and fell on his face. So at the request of King Balak Balaam went but this didn’t please God at all and in fact angered Him (Num 22:22a) and as he went “the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Balaam’s Donkey. MORAL OF THE STORY: DON’T GIVE UP EASILY. Tell the children, Three times the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and all three times Balaam beat the donkey. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures”, “if these were silent, the very stones would cry out”, “The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it”, “that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed”, “You shall not go with them. May I say, the way you tell the story was great. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. The Bible has an account of a talking donkey. First the donkey went off the road into a field. HCSB, ISV, NASB, NET, AM, LEB, WEB When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. I love conceptual art and i see a prophetic meaning behind it! When King Balak, the king of the Moabites, wanted to destroy Israel, he called upon Balaam to call down a curse upon them but every time he tried to call down a curse on Israel (Num 22:6), he ended up blessing them (Num 23:11). 1 The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho.. 2 When the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, heard what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and how many Israelites there were, 3 he and all his people became terrified. Bible Mastery give them basic Bible skills. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. During story, draw attention to the key concepts for this lesson. Let's talk about one of the most interesting stories in the Bible, when a donkey talked to the prophet Balaam. Are my thoughts consistent with my actions? The donkey, however, saved Balaam’s life knowing that a warrior angel stood ahead ready to kill Balaam. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed”, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.”, “the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. You may also like to read, The Miller, His Son, And The Donkey. Gain a Christian Perspective on the Passover Feast, Abigail and David - Abigail Was King David's Wisest Wife, Abraham and Isaac - The Ultimate Test of Faith, Scripture Readings for Ash Wednesday Through the First Week of Lent, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. God speaks to us today and we don’t even see Him, however we have His Word being spoken to us through the pages of the Bible. New American Standard Bible When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. The angel scolded Balaam and ordered him to go to Balak but to speak only what God told him. The Israelites are almost ready to go into the land of Caʹnaan. Numbers 22:23 describes what happened next: “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.