When you picture a donkey, what is the first word that comes to mind? Ok, you probably shouldn’t say that word out loud, but I’m guessing it wasn’t the word “smart.” I can think of a lot of animals that I would consider smarter than a donkey. When I see bees spreading pollen or hear about a dog that saved someone’s life, it reminds me of how smart some animals are. However, when I think about donkeys, “smart” isn’t the first word that comes to mind!
There’s a story in Numbers 22 about a man named Balaam and his donkey. The story begins one morning as Balaam and his donkey set out for Moab. However, God did not want him to go on this journey, so He sent an angel to stand in the middle of the road. Balaam could not see the angel, but his donkey could! The Bible says the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a sword drawn. The donkey (which the Bible says was female – could it be this is why it was so smart?) turned off the road into a field. Balaam was mad at his transportation for going off the path and he beat the donkey.
As they continued to travel they ended up in a path between two vineyards with walls on both sides. Again the angel of the Lord stood in their way and this time the donkey saw the angel and pressed against a wall, crushing Balaam’s foot. Balaam beat her again.
Amidst the strange happenings of the day, Balaam continued on his journey and the angel again tried to block his path. When the donkey saw the angel for the third time, she laid down underneath Balaam. She may have been thinking, “Enough is enough! Maybe there’s a reason this angel keeps blocking our path!” Balaam again got mad and beat her.
To make a strange day even more absurd, the donkey spoke to Balaam and asked, “What have I done to make you beat me three times?”
Even stranger yet, Balaam answered her, like it’s an every-day occurrence to talk to your donkey! “You have made a fool out of me! If I had a sword, I’d kill you right now!” he answered.
“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?” (it’s hard to even type this because, really, donkeys don’t talk!) asked the donkey.
“No,” replied Balaam.
Then Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the angel of the Lord. The puzzling events of the day must have fit together as he realized that God was using his donkey to halt his journey.
Balaam wasn’t supposed to go on the journey, but he did so against God’s will. Then when God used his donkey to try and stop him, he beat his donkey because he “felt like a fool.” Balaam’s pride took over and how he looked was more important to him than what God was trying to tell him. He was willing to kill his method of transportation to save face.
Is that how we react when someone hurts us or offends us? I see it in my kids when someone says something that hurts them. They feel bad or foolish, so they lash out with words or actions that are worse than what was done to them. It’s such a pride thing!
I know I’ve said things to others out of anger or hurt feelings and I’ve regretted it later. If someone makes me feel foolish, my natural reaction is to want them to feel foolish, too. It’s not right. I should just turn away and I shouldn’t lash out. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. However, I don’t want God to have to follow me around and use taking animals to get me to see the light in this area. I want to learn how to deal correctly with situations when I’m wronged!
It’s ok to acknowledge that someone has hurt us or wronged us, but it’s not ok to get back at them. We may need to talk to that person and let them know what they said was hurtful, but it should always be done in a loving manner. When we’re in the midst of the situation, it’s better to hold our tongue than to say something we regret later. If only Balaam would’ve taken the hint and turned around, he would have skipped the whole part about feeling foolish and he would have have spared his donkey a lot of pain!
Prayer: Lord, people are going to say or do things that hurt me – it’s a fact of life. When they do, please help me keep my pride in check. Guide my reaction so that I do not respond out of anger or frustration. Help me to stand up for myself in a Godly way and to show grace and love to others … even those who say hurtful things.
Scripture: Numbers 22
I like the Donkey's answer!
ReplyDelete