All too soon, another battle followed. Og, the king of Bashan, blocked our path. We repeated often the song of Miriam: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” We tried to remember the wonders of Yahweh performed in the past. Again, Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t be afraid.” However, how could we not be afraid? We never got used to the fighting.
Did That Donkey Talk?
We were excited to be finally in sight of the Jordan River. Approaching Moab, a remarkable event occurred. Balak, the king of Moab was afraid of us. Even with all the hardships and battles, the population of the Israelites had increased. Balak was well aware of the battles that the Israelites had successfully fought. He said, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”
“Balak, the king of Moab, is wise enough to not cause another battle, but did you hear the unbelievable action he is taking?” Hoglah asked.
“He has sent for Balaam, a seer from northern Mesopotamia. He practices divination and can call down curses and blessings,” Mahlah said.
“He does what?” Tirzah looked puzzled.
“Apparently this man practices Babylonian astrological arts. Such people can call upon evil spirits to cause either blessings or curses upon a whole country. Balak is willing to pay a lot of money for this pagan seer to practice his powers of evil upon us.” Mahlah had her ways of getting information.
“Can things get any stranger?” Milcah asked.
“Well, his idea seems to be better than fighting,” observed Noah.
We gathered firewood some distance from the camp when we heard a shout of outrage. “Stupid beast, what are you doing? Get back on the road.” A man was beating his donkey with a stick. It was a pathetic sight. We would have loved to rescue the animal, which, for a donkey, was unusually handsome. Light-colored animals, like this one, were reserved for high officials.
For the moment, we forgot our task and our eyes were diverted to the scene below. Peering through vines, we saw the man tug his donkey back to the path. He climbed astride again but did not progress very far. Between the stone walls bordering the fields, the path became very narrow.
“Donkey, you idiot ass!” the man yelled with pain when his foot was crushed against a wall. He pounded the poor animal again.
“Something supernatural is going on here. Donkeys just don’t act like that,” Milcah said. She knew animals. For the second time the man continued on his way. We followed behind, just out of sight. The path became so narrow that the donkey could barely squeeze through. Now suddenly, the animal’s legs just buckled under the rider. Senselessly, the rider kept up the beating.
“What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” we heard braying across the valley. The voice was not human, yet we could understand it.
“Who said that?” we asked, stopped in our tracks.
“It is the donkey,” said Milcah.
“Donkeys don’t talk,” said Noah. We all knew that of course.
“You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” The rider answered back.
“Not only did the donkey talk, he thinks the donkey can hear!” Mahlah exclaimed. But she had no explanation.
“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?” It was definitely the donkey talking.
“I am so glad that donkey is giving him a piece of her mind because he hit her,” Tirzah said in defense of the animal. Then she paused a moment, “Wait, that donkey just talked, but donkeys don’t talk. That donkey talks, hears, and understands! I would like that donkey.” Yahweh had once told Moses that the Israelites would see miracles never before seen among any other people. Our littlest sister has grown up with so many miracles in her short life, she thinks some events are normal that really are not.
“Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?” Yet another voice that sounded other-worldly, echoed from the sky. The drama was not over. “I have come here to oppose you, because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If the donkey had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now.”
“Whose voice was that?” we quietly exclaimed as the scene continued to unfold. Then we saw it. A fearsome angel was facing the donkey and rider, blocking the way.
“That man is Balaam the seer, the prophet that Balak sent for from the north!” Mahlah gasped while recovering from the shock.
The angel continued, “Go to Balak, but speak only what I tell you.” This was quite enough for one day; we have seen an angel and a talking donkey.
“Do you think we should run back to camp and tell someone that Balaam is coming? They will want to know that he won’t speak curses, but blessings on the Israelites,” Hoglah said while keeping her head about her.
“Do you think they will believe us?” Milcah added.
“If they don’t, they will have to endure the fear of curses until they hear blessings with their own ears,” Noah observed.
Upon arriving back at the camp, we joined the multitude of the Children of Israel at the base of Mount Peor. Balaam the seer seemed to observe the flight of birds that soared above him, but he apparently did not perceive any patterns from that usual source of divination. Then Balak arrived on the scene. He and Balaam appeared to exchange angry words. Seven altars were already built for the sacrifice of seven bulls and seven rams. This was the third time that Balak had tried to get Balaam to pronounce a curse upon Israel. This was the third mountain, and the third preparation of seven alters. The difference on this third occasion was that Balaam could see all the Children of Israel watching, and they could see him. Balak’s hope was that Balaam could see the multitude of Israelites spread out over the valley and finally understand the threat that Moab felt. Surely, Balaam would now curse the Israelites. Balak killed and offered a bull and a ram on each of the seven alters. The sisters knew that Yahweh never required seven sacrifices at once on seven altars.
The multitude held its breath with the expectation of hearing curses pronounced upon them. We already knew it was not to be as Balak had hoped. Balaam the seer could only let words of blessing come from his mouth. At the third trial, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle, “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces: with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dare to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
Balak clapped his hands together in anger that Israel received blessings instead of curses, but there was nothing he could do. Balaam returned to his land without pay. We continued to gaze at the smoke that drifted upward from the seven sacrifices and the smell of burnt meat, hair, and bones. We had not eaten meat for a long time, and we were hungry just thinking about such a feast. We understood how an enemy, wealthy enough to afford to sacrifice so many animals, could be attractive. Yet these seven sacrifices by Balak were in vain, made to a false god, Baal. The real God of Israel is our strength and protection.
After the event was over, we walked to our tent as the sky became dark. We discussed the blessing that came out of the mouth of Balaam. “A star will come