Talking Animals

Talking Animals

Q: What animal spoke to its master?

• a. a donkey
• b. a parrot
• c. a snake

If you’re familiar with the Shrek movies, you know about Shrek’s friend, Donkey. In the first Shrek, a loyal, though annoying, friend, Donkey, accompanies Shrek on his mission to free Fiona. Donkey is a fictional talking donkey, but in the Bible, God used a talking donkey to get Balaam’s attention.

King Balak of Moab was afraid the Israelites were going to defeat his country. He sent for Balaam, a greedy sorcerer, and asked him to curse the Israelites. Balaam knew who God was, but he wasn’t a follower of God. He loved his money too much (see 2 Peter 2:15-16).

Balaam got on his donkey and set out, but the donkey saw an angel of the Lord in the road holding a sword. The donkey went off the path, and Balaam beat the animal.

Balaam and the donkey set out again, but the angel blocked the path again. This time when the donkey went off the road, it crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall. Balaam struck the donkey again.

The third time, the angel blocked the path completely, so the donkey laid down. Balaam beat it again. But this time God let the donkey speak to Balaam: “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?”

Instead of being shocked at his talking animal, Balaam answered it and said the donkey had made him look foolish. God let Balaam see the angel then and said the donkey had saved his life. God told Balaam he could continue, but he could only speak the words God let him speak. Instead of cursing the Israelites, Balaam blessed them. This didn’t make King Balak happy at all.

For You

Sometimes people have their own ideas about how God should work. But in this case, God chose to use a talking donkey and an unbelieving sorcerer. God’s work will get accomplished. It’s not our job to worry about how that will happen, but to be careful to do the part he asks us to do.

Answer: a

Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.   Numbers 22:28

(The Whole Story: Numbers 22–24)