True History - Veritas Card #27 - Balaam and His Donkey

Balaam and His Donkey - Numbers 22-24

   Can donkeys talk? What happens when animals see an angel? How do people react when they see an angel?
   Around 1406 B.C., there was a group of people called the 'Moabites'. They were descended from a man named 'Lot', who was Abraham's nephew. This group of people was living in the area of Canaan, and were terrified of the Israelites. The Israelites were now a very large group of people, and the Moabites had seen how the Lord was working among them, and they were afraid of them. What they tried to do, was to hire a man named Balaam, who was a prophet (one who speaks for God), to speak against Israel. Balaam was wicked. He used his office of being a prophet to make money with. The Moabites hired him to curse Israel.
   So Balaam tried to curse Israel, but as he did, God's anger burned against him. So God sent an angel to go in front of Balaam, into his path. Balaam did not see the angel, but his donkey was able to see him. The donkey wanted to avoid the angel, who was standing in the path, and the donkey went off the side of the path. The angel stood in the path now and was going to strike down Balaam. The donkey was able to see the angel and just sat down. Balaam became very angry and beat on the donkey. Then an amazing thing happened. The donkey spoke to Balaam. God allowed Balaam's eyes to be open and then he saw the angel. God had told Balaam to go with the Moabites and He would tell Balaam what he was to say to them.
    God had truly used this evil intent to bring good upon Israel. The Moabites hired Balaam to pronounce a curse upon Israel, but instead Balaam pronounced a blessing upon them. What an amazing thing God had done. Balaam tried to curse the Israelites three times, but instead, he blessed them three times. Because God is all knowing, He knew what the Moabites were planning against Israel. But He had a plan and used Balaam to bless His people instead of cursing them. The God who was sovereign back then, is still sovereign today. He will always rule and will never be defeated.