Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Numbers 22: 21-41
This passage is an interesting mix of bizarre and enthralling.
So Balaam gets up in the morning and heads out with the Moabite officials as God has told him to do just verses ago, however- this makes God angry. I'm not sure why. Balaam's donkey possessing some extra sensory perception is able to see an angel wielding a sword in the path and diverts into a field. Balaam isn't a fan of this route and struggles to get the donkey back on the road by beating him. The ASPCA is not happy.
So a little further down the road this happens again. Only this time, there was nowhere for the donkey to turn, so when he tried to turn he crushed Balaam's foot against a wall. So Balaam beats the donkey again.
The angel appears a third time down the road a piece, and having no place to turn, the donkey just drops to the ground. This gets Balaam a bit perturbed. So he takes out his staff and beats the donkey a third time.
But this time, God opens the donkey's mouth and allows him to have a conversation with him. Donkey (sounding nothing like Eddie Murphy) says, Why are you hitting me? I'm a pretty decent donkey and all- there's no need continue to pummel me.
Balaam, not apparently phased by his animal's verbosity replies You made a fool out of me. You're lucky I don't have my sword because if I did, I'd do more than beat you.
Which would have been a shame, because I'm thinking this donkey could make a bundle at carnivals and such. I wonder how good a singer he was.
The donkey makes a strong argument. On a roll and happy to not be Hee-Haw-ing he continues, "Dude, I've been your donkey for a while. Do I do this kind of thing ordinarily?"
Balaam pauses and says, "I don't suppose so."
At this point, God opens Balaam's eyes and he too sees the angel with his sword drawn and Balaam instantly loses all of his bravado.
The angel repeats the donkey's question- Why did you beat your donkey? He saved your life. I came to stop you from heading down this reckless path. If he hadn't turned away I would have killed you- but I would have spared the donkey.
Balaam is beyond repentant. I have sinned! I didn't know you were there! I'll go back if that's what you want.
But the angel says, "No, go with them, but speak only what I tell you" - which is what the plan was in the first place. There's no word here about Balak's official's reaction to all of this scene. Did Balaam just seem like an LSD addict? Did they hear the donkey speak too?
When they get there, Balak comes to meet them, apparently a little annoyed. Balaam, didn't I send an urgent message? What's the delay? Where have you been? You do want this reward, right?
I'm here now, Balaam replies, but I'm not able to speak my mind. Only what God tells me to say.
Balak makes some sacrifices and gives some of them to Balaam and the officials and then he takes him to where he can see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
One thing that makes this story weird is not just that there's a talking donkey, but that no one seems at all phased by it. An argument ensues between a donkey and a man. The donkey makes more sense and the man doesn't seem to find the exchange odd.
Second, God sends an angel to stop someone from doing what He tells him to do. And then tells him to do it after all. The most sense I can make of this is that perhaps some chronology is off in Moses' storytelling. Maybe Balaam leaves for the trip and this is the conversation alluded to verses earlier. However, even in that reading some of the details don't make a whole lot of sense.
I also think that this story is foreshadowing Christ. A wise creature in lowly form comes to stop wayward man from a path that leads to destruction. In the process he is beaten, but without his connection to God, man would be killed.
And while the intention may not be a lesson about kindness to animals, there is clearly subtext about being overconfident in your own wisdom. We can't make it alone.
Numbers 22: 21-41
This passage is an interesting mix of bizarre and enthralling.
So Balaam gets up in the morning and heads out with the Moabite officials as God has told him to do just verses ago, however- this makes God angry. I'm not sure why. Balaam's donkey possessing some extra sensory perception is able to see an angel wielding a sword in the path and diverts into a field. Balaam isn't a fan of this route and struggles to get the donkey back on the road by beating him. The ASPCA is not happy.
So a little further down the road this happens again. Only this time, there was nowhere for the donkey to turn, so when he tried to turn he crushed Balaam's foot against a wall. So Balaam beats the donkey again.
The angel appears a third time down the road a piece, and having no place to turn, the donkey just drops to the ground. This gets Balaam a bit perturbed. So he takes out his staff and beats the donkey a third time.
But this time, God opens the donkey's mouth and allows him to have a conversation with him. Donkey (sounding nothing like Eddie Murphy) says, Why are you hitting me? I'm a pretty decent donkey and all- there's no need continue to pummel me.
Balaam, not apparently phased by his animal's verbosity replies You made a fool out of me. You're lucky I don't have my sword because if I did, I'd do more than beat you.
Which would have been a shame, because I'm thinking this donkey could make a bundle at carnivals and such. I wonder how good a singer he was.
The donkey makes a strong argument. On a roll and happy to not be Hee-Haw-ing he continues, "Dude, I've been your donkey for a while. Do I do this kind of thing ordinarily?"
Balaam pauses and says, "I don't suppose so."
At this point, God opens Balaam's eyes and he too sees the angel with his sword drawn and Balaam instantly loses all of his bravado.
The angel repeats the donkey's question- Why did you beat your donkey? He saved your life. I came to stop you from heading down this reckless path. If he hadn't turned away I would have killed you- but I would have spared the donkey.
Balaam is beyond repentant. I have sinned! I didn't know you were there! I'll go back if that's what you want.
But the angel says, "No, go with them, but speak only what I tell you" - which is what the plan was in the first place. There's no word here about Balak's official's reaction to all of this scene. Did Balaam just seem like an LSD addict? Did they hear the donkey speak too?
When they get there, Balak comes to meet them, apparently a little annoyed. Balaam, didn't I send an urgent message? What's the delay? Where have you been? You do want this reward, right?
I'm here now, Balaam replies, but I'm not able to speak my mind. Only what God tells me to say.
Balak makes some sacrifices and gives some of them to Balaam and the officials and then he takes him to where he can see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
One thing that makes this story weird is not just that there's a talking donkey, but that no one seems at all phased by it. An argument ensues between a donkey and a man. The donkey makes more sense and the man doesn't seem to find the exchange odd.
Second, God sends an angel to stop someone from doing what He tells him to do. And then tells him to do it after all. The most sense I can make of this is that perhaps some chronology is off in Moses' storytelling. Maybe Balaam leaves for the trip and this is the conversation alluded to verses earlier. However, even in that reading some of the details don't make a whole lot of sense.
I also think that this story is foreshadowing Christ. A wise creature in lowly form comes to stop wayward man from a path that leads to destruction. In the process he is beaten, but without his connection to God, man would be killed.
And while the intention may not be a lesson about kindness to animals, there is clearly subtext about being overconfident in your own wisdom. We can't make it alone.
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