(READ: Num. 22; DEUT. 22:1010Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. (Deuteronomy 22:10); JUD. 19; 2 CHR. 18:15; PRO. 26:33A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. (Proverbs 26:3); ZEC. 9: 9; Job 11:1212For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. (Job 11:12); MAT. 6:25 TO END; Luk. 8:26-3626And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. (Luke 8:26‑36).)
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THE ASS mentioned in the Bible is a very much finer animal than the ass we know in this country. It is treated more as we treat the horse; it is looked upon as the friend of man, some asses being particularly prized and very valuable. It was largely employed as a beast of burden, in the same way as the camel, and also represented the wealth of the owner. Camels and asses are frequently mentioned together, and the number of asses a man had also showed how wealthy he was.
There were several different sorts of asses, but all of them were not useful, for we frequently read of the wild ass, which was very difficult to catch, as it is wilder than most wild animals, and also exceedingly hard to tame. For this reason it is spoken of as a picture of man's natural birth (Job 11:1212For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. (Job 11:12)), and even as the wild ass is of no use to man, so the man or child who does not know what new birth is cannot be acceptable to God. The Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus, who was a very good man, that he must be born again if he wanted to enter into the kingdom of God, that is, he must have a new nature. So, if the ass is to be useful to man he must be tame, the wildness must disappear, and he must become subject to his master. A very beautiful illustration of the way in which the man who is wild by nature can, under the influence of the Lord Jesus, become just the opposite is to be found in the verses I asked you to read in the Gospel of Luke. Here we see a man who was so fierce and wild that every one was afraid of him, and who could not even be bound with chains; so savage and strong was he that the strongest chains were not powerful enough to curb him, and he was a terror to the whole of the neighborhood. But what wonders are wrought by a few words from the Son of God! The wild man is sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind, and he wants to stay with the One who has done so much for him, and to try and be of some service to Him.
I wonder how many of my young readers are wild and thoughtless, going their own way, and not troubling whether they are pleasing to the Lord or not. Are they like those wild asses, careering about the desert, doing no good to any one, and as likely as not to fall a prey to the lion or some other cruel beast?
I would rather turn to the other side of the picture and see what the tame and useful ass can teach us, and to make it easy to remember I will divide the lessons as follows: (1)The ass's bridle.
The voice of the ass.
The reward of the ass.
A great privilege.
The unequal yoke.
(1)the Ass's Bridle
Among the many wise sayings of the great king Solomon we read, A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back." How very necessary it is that we should have correction and punishment, but remember all the time that it is true that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (that is, "punishes").
It is even as our parents punish us because they love us, and because they want us to realize how serious it is to do wrong, so also we need the correction that God gives us, and if we are foolish now, one day we shall be able to look back and say how glad we are that the rod of correction has been felt by us.
But in the bridle I think we have quite another thought, and that is the thought of direction or guidance. What would happen to the ass that had been tamed if it had no bridle? It would not know which way to turn or where to go. So it is with us, if we are left to ourselves, without direction, we shall soon go wrong; we too must be guided. The ship that has no rudder is in a very bad way, and in similar sad plight is the christian boy or girl who does not know where to find guidance. The Psalmist says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path”; assuredly he knew where to get his direction, and the same is true to-day, three thousand years later; we can get our guidance from the word of God, from the Bible. With what joy the Apostle Paul said to the youthful Timothy,"From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." If we read our Bibles we shall learn what God would have us to do, we shall know His mind, and then instead of needing the rod for the fool's back, it will be true of us as of Timothy, that we have true wisdom. Let me ask you then to read your Bible carefully and prayerfully day by day, and not to let anything stop you from doing so.
Before going for a summer holiday perhaps your father buys a guide-book to the place at which you are going to stay, and perhaps studies it before you go away. On your holiday when you are all out walking there is some doubt as to which is the right way to go. Your father takes the guide out of his pocket and soon says, "This is our way!" and you go on boldly relying on what the guide-book says. So the Christian has a true guide which can never fail to lead him in the way everlasting.
(2)the Voice of the Ass Would You Not Like to Hear an Ass Talk? "What a Very Strange Question," You Will Surely Say; You Have Heard an Ass Bray Very Likely, but None of Us Has Ever Heard Words Similar to Those We Use Coming From the Mouth of the Ass. yet on One Occasion an Ass Saved a Man From Certain Death by Using Language That Her Rider Could Understand. King Balak Tried to Persuade the Prophet Balaam to Curse the Children of Israel, God's Chosen People, but God Forbade Him to Go to Balak. the King Thereupon Offered Him Great Wealth, and in the End He Saddled His Ass and Set Out to Do so. an Angel With a Drawn Sword Stood in the Way, Whom the Ass Saw, Though the Man Did Not, so That When the Ass Would Go No Further, Balaam Was Very Wroth and Struck Her Three Times. in the End the Lord Gave the Ass a Human Voice, so That She Could Reprove Her Master, Who Then Saw the Angel Who Would Have Slain Him, and Was Sorry for His Sin, and Instead of Cursing the People He Blessed Them. an Animal Was Thus Used As God's Messenger, and We Must Learn That God Can Use Whom He Will, From Which Young People Can Take Comfort, As They May Be and Often Have Been Used to Help Others When Obedient to God's Voice. Think of the Boy Samuel Who Said, "Speak, for Thy Servant Heareth," and He Became One of the Greatest of God's Prophets, and Was Used to Convey His Message to the Aged Priest.
(3)the Reward of the Ass the Ass That Is Kept for Service Has Not to Fend for Itself As Does the Wild One, nor Is It Liable to Be Pounced on by Some Fierce Beast. If It Helps Man, Man Cares for It, and in the Words of Scripture, "There Is Both Straw and Provender for Our Asses," That Is, There Is a Comfortable Bed of Straw for the Tired Creature to Rest on at Night, and Plenty of Good Food-for That Is the Meaning of "Provender." a Good Master Who Has Been Out for a Ride on His Animal Makes Sure That His Steed Is Well Looked After Before He Himself Will Sit Down to a Meal.
If we are thoughtful for the dumb beasts that work for us, how sure we can be that our heavenly Father will care for us, His children, and if we seek to be in His service we shall not be without a reward. The One who said, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these," went on to state that God would give us food and clothing and all that we need. "Take no thought for the morrow," He says, meaning that we should not be over anxious, for we should rest assured that God cares for His children.
I remember hearing of a christian lady who was so reduced in circumstances that she had not even a meal to put on the table for her children when they returned hungry from school. She remembered the passage you have read in Matthew, and kneeling down asked her heavenly Father for His help. As the family sat round the table, a knock was heard at the door, proving to be a present from some unknown friend, which gave them all they needed. Surely we can trust Him in all things!
(4)a Great Privilege a Bully Is Always Disliked. Those of You Who Have Read "Tom Brown's School Days" Will Remember How the Bully Flash-Man, the Enemy of All Who Were Weaker Than Himself, Was Hated and Feared. but How Good It Is to Meet Those Who Are Ready to Support the Weak. Our Friend the Ass Had This Privilege, Though He Did Not Know It—As Often We Ourselves, Who Ought to Know Better, Fail to Realize Our Privileges—for on One Occasion It Is Recorded, When Those Who Had Been Taken Captive Were Released, That All the Feeble of Them Were Carried Upon Asses to Their Brethren in Jericho. What a Delight It Was to Those Poor Captives to Be Home Again! They Could Not Have Stood a Journey on the Camel With Its Rapid Stride, and Rolling Gait, but the More Steady Ass Could Bear the Feeble Ones on Its Back. When You Are Tempted to Brush Aside One Who Cannot Fight for His Rights, Think of the Asses Carrying Home Those That Were Feeble!
But if this was a privilege, there was another ass which had a far greater one, for it was upon an ass that the Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Think of it, more than five hundred years before it happened, the prophet Zechariah had foretold this event, and the words are so beautiful that I must quote them: "Rejoice 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 in the twelfth chapter of John's gospel we read how absolutely this came to pass.
Supposing in the reign of King Henry V., about the time of the Battle of Agincourt was fought, some one had said that in 1918 Allenby would defeat the Turk, and march into Jerusalem, how amazed we should have been when it came true! We do not think enough about the wonders of all the prophecies that have been fulfilled.
It is natural to think of our Lord as being just, He could not be unjust, but let us also think of Him as bringing salvation and ask ourselves whether He has brought salvation to our hearts. Then just think of the lowliness of that perfect One who could say, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart," and try to be more like Him, although it is not easy or natural to us.
(5)the Unequal Yoke Our Last Thought Is a Very Serious One, and Is Indeed Different From Taking the Yoke of Our Blessed Lord and Master. "Thou Shalt Not Plow With an Ox and an Ass Together" Is One of the Commandments in Deuteronomy, and If You Have a Reference Bible, You Will Notice You Are Referred to 2 Cor. 6:1414Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14), Which Reads, "Be Ye Not Unequally Yoked Together With Unbelievers." This Is Our Lesson. Different Sorts of Animals Were Not to Be Yoked Together for Service in the Fields, and so We Have to Be Very Careful About Our Companions. It Has Often Been Said That "a Man Is Known by His Friends," and This Is Just As True of Boys and Girls. If Christian Boys Have for Their Friends Those That Do Not Love the Lord Jesus, They Will Be Led Into All Manner of Temptation, They Will Do Things for Which They Will Be Sorry, and They May Be Led Astray and Come to Grief in the End. Lot Chose His Friends in the Doomed City of Sodom, and Only Just Escaped the Most Terrible Judgment. Peter, Who Associated With Those Who Did Not Own His Lord, Actually Denied Him, and We Cannot Be Too Careful in Choosing Our Friends. Sad Indeed Are the Histories of Many Who Have Made Bad Friends, but I Will Not Distress You With Them, but Rather Say That There Are Many Who Are Ready to Own How Thankful They Are for True Christian Friends. but Above All Remember That "There Is a Friend That Sticketh Closer Than a Brother": I Think You Know Who He Is.
"One there is above all others-
O how He loves!
His is love beyond a brother's-
O how He loves!
Earthly friends may fail or leave us,
One day soothe, the next day grieve us,
But this Friend will ne'er deceive us-
O how He loves!”