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Patriarchs and Prophets
and fell to the earth under its rider. Balaam’s rage was unbounded, and
with his staff he smote the animal more cruelly than before. God now
opened its mouth, and by “the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice,”
he “forbade the madness of the prophet.”
2 Peter 2:16
. “What have I
done unto thee,” it said, “that thou hast smitten me these three times?”
Furious at being thus hindered in his journey, Balaam answered
the beast as he would have addressed an intelligent being—“Because
thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for
now would I kill thee.” Here was a professed magician, on his way
to pronounce a curse upon a whole people with the intent to paralyze
their strength, while he had not power even to slay the animal upon
which he rode!
The eyes of Balaam were now opened, and he beheld the angel
of God standing with drawn sword ready to slay him. In terror “he
bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.” The angel said to him,
“Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I
went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
and the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she
had turned from me surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her
alive.”
Balaam owed the preservation of his life to the poor animal that he
had treated so cruelly. The man who claimed to be a prophet of the
Lord, who declared that his eyes were open, and he saw the “vision of
the Almighty,” was so blinded by covetousness and ambition that he
could not discern the angel of God visible to his beast. “The god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.”
2 Corinthians
4:4
. How many are thus blinded! They rush on in forbidden paths,
transgressing the divine law, and cannot discern that God and His
angels are against them. Like Balaam they are angry at those who
would prevent their ruin.
Balaam had given evidence of the spirit that controlled him, by
his treatment of his beast. “A righteous man regardeth the life of his
beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
Proverbs 12:10
.
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Few realize as they should the sinfulness of abusing animals or leaving
them to suffer from neglect. He who created man made the lower
animals also, and “His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Psalm
145:9
. The animals were created to serve man, but he has no right to
cause them pain by harsh treatment or cruel exaction.