The Donkey Who Talked

“Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?’” — Numbers 22:28

As the Israelites came near the land of Moab, the king of Moab, Balak, was terrified. “This great crowd will eat up everything around us,” he said, “like an ox eats up the grass in a field.”

Balak had an idea. There was a man called Balaam who was famous for blessing and cursing people. People said that whoever Balaam blessed was blessed, and whoever he cursed was cursed. So Balak sent messengers with money to Balaam. “Come and put a curse on these people for me,” he said.

That night God came to Balaam. “Do not go with them,” God said. “You must not curse these people, because they are blessed.”

So Balaam sent the messengers home. But King Balak sent more important messengers, with promises of even more money. This time God said Balaam could go with them, but he must only say what God told him to say.

So in the morning Balaam saddled his donkey and set off. But God was angry, because He knew what was in Balaam’s heart. So the angel of the Lord stood in the road to block his way, with a sword in his hand.

Balaam couldn’t see the angel. But his donkey could! So the donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get her back on the road.

Then the road went between two vineyards, with a wall on each side. The angel stood there in the narrow path. The donkey saw him and squeezed against the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot. So Balaam hit her again.

Then the angel stood in a place so narrow that there was no room to turn either way. When the donkey saw him, she just lay down under Balaam. Balaam was furious, and he beat her with his stick.

Then God opened the donkey’s mouth, and she spoke! “What have I done to you, that you have beaten me these three times?”

And Balaam was so angry he answered her! “You have made a fool of me!” he said. “If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you!”

“Am I not your own donkey,” she said, “that you have ridden all your life? Have I ever done this to you before?”

“No,” said Balaam.

Then God opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel standing in the road with his sword. Balaam bowed down with his face to the ground.

“Why have you beaten your donkey three times?” said the angel. “I came to stop you, because your path is wrong. If the donkey hadn’t turned away from me, I would have killed you by now, and let her live.”

Balaam went on to King Balak. Three times Balak took him up on a hill to look down at the Israelites and curse them. And three times Balaam opened his mouth, and blessings came out instead! “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?” said Balaam.

King Balak was so cross! But nobody can curse people whom God has blessed.

Read it in your Bible: Numbers 22–24

Dear God, thank you that your blessing is stronger than anyone’s curse. Please open my eyes to see what you are doing, and help me to listen to you. Amen.