SUCH is the name an artist has given to a painting of that much despised but faithful animal, the ass. Most of you have seen an ass, and I suppose that likewise you smiled and passed a joke at the queer-looking animal with its long ears and shaggy hair. Yet, do you know, my young friends, that this same odd animal has had a wonderful part in God’s inspired Word. It is mentioned in twenty books of the Bible and referred to over fifty times.
The ass is often said to be stubborn, but do you remember that in the story of Balaam’s ass (Numbers 22), it was the prophet who was stubborn, and not the ass? Balaam wanted to go his own way, even though God had said, “No.” When God saw that Balaam would not lien to Him, He used the poor abused animal by giving her a voice with which she spoke to the prophet. She begged him to tell her the reason why he had beaten her, and reminded him of her faithful service in the past. Then it was that the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw an angel standing in the way with a drawn sword. Thus convicted, Balaam cried to God to forgive him for his stubbornness of heart. So did God thus use even a poor ass to humble a proud prophet.
Furthermore you will perhaps remember the story of how the strong man Samson killed a thousand men, enemies of Israel, with no other weapon than the jawbone of an ass. (Judges 15:14-2014And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi. 18And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? 19But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. 20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. (Judges 15:14‑20).)
But to us the most interesting of all stories in which the ass is mentioned is that prophecy of Zechariah 9:99Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9), and its fulfillment in the life of the Lord Jesus. Five hundred years later the Lord came to this earth the prophet had told of how He would ride into Jerusalem upon an ass. Five centuries later He did just what the prophet said He would do. He rode into that great city of Jerusalem, sitting upon the back of one of these humble but faithful creatures, while the crowd that thronged the way cried, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12; Matt. 20; Mark 11; Luke 19.)
We are told that the wild ass of the East is very wild and seldom tamed. Thus it is used in Scripture as a symbol of man’s nature by birth. In Job 11-12 Zophar says, “For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt”
In the law the Lord told His people Israel: “every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck,” Ex. 13:1313And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. (Exodus 13:13). A little lamb must die in order that the little donkey might live.
From these and other scriptures we learn that in God’s sight every child of fallen Adam is born with a wild and stubborn nature—he does not want to submit to the claims of his Creator. He must be redeemed “with a lamb” or he must perish in his sins. The Lord Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away sin, and all who put their trust in Him are counted in His sight as redeemed— “not with silver and gold,” as Peter tells us, “but with the precious blood of Christ.” 1 Pet. 1:1818Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1 Peter 1:18).
Now we would like to ask you, dear young reader, have you been redeemed yet?
The next time you see a donkey, think of these stories in God’s wonderful Book. Even from him we may learn these lessons—we must be redeemed, and then may we be humble and faithful servants in whatever place God may want to use us, “GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD, BUT GIVETH GRACE UNTO THE HUMBLE.” Jas. 4:66But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6).
ML-05/01/1960