GOD USES DONKEYS!

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

www.godsbreathpublications.com

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Donkeys are about as earthly a creature as exists on the planet. They are not especially beautiful. They are often very stubborn. The noise that emanates from their mouth is very annoying and so loud it can be heard for almost 2 miles away. Their redeeming qualities are they are great beasts of burden, fairly intelligent and they often bond with their owners. God used these lowly creatures in some rather significant ways in historical events recorded in scripture. I want to share some of these incidents and then relate them to a spiritual truth.

 

A Talking Donkey

 

In Numbers 22 we witness a most extraordinary thing take place, a donkey talks. We see in this passage that the Israelites have moved along the Jordan to make their camp. Balak, king of Moab, sees their numbers and fears an attack so he calls for Balaam, a magician and soothsayer. His plan is to have Balaam use his abilities to curse the Israelites so they will no longer be a threat to Balak’s kingdom. Balak sends an envoy to ask Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam consults the Lord and God tells him not to do such a thing because the Israelites are blessed. Balak persists in his request offering even more riches. Finally God instructs Balaam to go to Balak but; to say and do only what God tells him. So Balaam sets out on his donkey but something is afoot. God becomes angry with Balaam, possibly because He knows that Balaam is not going to listen to what the Lord said to him. So God sends an armed angel to stop Balaam. When the angel blocks Balaam’s path, Balaam is clueless to the angel’s presence but the donkey tries to avoid the angel by walking off into a field. Balaam beats the poor donkey back onto the path. A second time the angel, sword in hand, blocks Balaam’s path. The donkey in its attempt to avoid the angel crushes Balaam’s foot against a wall. Again Balaam beats the poor donkey. Finally we see a most amazing thing take place in verses 26-31. Here is the passage;

 

“Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’ Balaam answered the donkey, ‘You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.’ The donkey said to Balaam, ‘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?’ ‘No,’ he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.”

 

Here we see God used a lowly donkey in a miraculous way to convict a man of what God wanted him to do. Only God knows why He chose such a manner to minister. But is an example of God using something common and lowly to accomplish a holy divine task.

 

A Dead Donkey Helps Kill a Thousand Men

 

In Judges we see Samson seeking revenge for the killing of his wife. After burning the fields, orchards and vineyards of the Philistines he turns himself in to protect the tribe of Judah. But Philistines attack him and believe it or not a donkey helps Samson defend himself. Here in verses 14-15 we see what happens:

   

Judges 15:14-16

‘As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, “With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.”

 

Here we see that a simple jawbone of a donkey became a powerful weapon in the hand of a man of God. This is another example that God can use something simple and common, like the bone of a dead donkey, to defeat a thousand healthy armed men.    

 

A Donkey Helps Serve a Need

 

We all know the story of the good Samaritan. A poor man is beaten and robbed on a road and left for dead. A priest, a very religious holy man, comes by but ignores the suffering man. A Levite, a man who served the priest in the holy temple, also passes by but also ignores the man in pain. Finally a Samaritan, a man whose lineage is despised by the Hebrew religious leaders, comes by and out of compassion helps the beaten and bloody victim. In Luke 10:33-35 we see how a donkey plays a key role in this ministry to someone in need.

 

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.”

 

It is very likely the Samaritan would have been limited in his ability to help the man if it were not for the donkey. The donkey provided a way that the man could be transported to an inn to recuperate further. Here again, God used a common donkey to not only help fulfill a need of ministry, but also to illustrate a spiritual precept, that anyone is our neighbor and we are to reach out and minister whenever possible to those in need.

 

A Donkey Carries a King

 

One of the most important events in all of history involved the use of a donkey. In Zechariah 9:9 we read of a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. It was predicted here hundreds of years before it took place that God would use a common beast of burden, a donkey, to transport the King of kings into Jerusalem. We read: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

 

In Matthew 21:1-9 we see the fulfillment of this prophesy. This passage describes what happens.

 

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted…”

 

So once again we see God using a common donkey to accomplish a holy task. Why did God do this? A donkey is a lowly beast of burden and has no prestige in the least. But God wishes to demonstrate many times through the use of common earthly means that He has a divine and heavenly plan. He wants full credit and recognition for what comes to pass. This is the honor and glory that He is due.

 

We see numerous examples in the New Testament where God communicates this same idea, of using the common, foolish, earthly, weak things of this world to accomplish powerful, divine, holy and meaningful tasks.

 

Foolish Things Shame the Wise

 

Weak Things Shame the Strong

 

Lowly, Despised Things Nullify Things That Are

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

 

God wants to make sure that the strength that defeats earthly powers, the intelligence that outwits crafty enemies and the strategy that frustrates the plans of evil opponents is based on nothing but Himself. That’s why God uses donkeys and us as well.

  

Neil Anderson, author of the best selling “Bondage Breaker,” teamed up with Robert Saucy to present an extraordinary book on how Christ transforms the life of a believer. It is called “The Common Made Holy.” In this book they discuss how our common earthly lives are transformed into holy lives as we commit ourselves to serving our Savior Jesus Christ. We are common weak earthly creatures as human beings. We are frail in our abilities and we will one day die. But God through Jesus Christ transforms us into holy priests, a chosen people, ransomed souls that have a divine purpose to serve Him and bring Him glory. We are used to build His Kingdom on earth, to share the gospel, preach and teach His Holy Word, minister to those in need and accomplish all the divine plans God has for this earth. How amazing it is that God uses such common instruments to accomplish such holy divine tasks. God uses donkeys and He uses us as well. May we consider it a privilege to serve our Lord and King as He uses our weaknesses and frailty to bring Him GLORY!

 

1 Corinthians 1:25

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.