Greetings, brother Bruce! As a biologist I always read this passage not imagining the dunkey talking with Balaam, but as if the angel was in invisible form and making fun of Balaam as if the donkey was talking.
This is a great exposition. Very interesting. It's reasonably heretical for a staunch calvinist, however. I mean, mercy, spare us from the staunch calvinists, but even so, if the lord choose Balaam's donkey because it was the donkey that was there, at the time, which seems to me the only reasonable view of the thing, then that undermines a deterministic view of theology. It suggests that god can act on impulse, and even perhaps change his mind. A calvinist might be cast out of grace, for example. A banker might not be secure in his glorious tenure. A high priest might be found wanting. Anything is possible, once the lord has agency beyond the calvinist's keen interpretation.
Theres a parallel in there too. Balam ,like his donkey, was going where he ought not. For the third time as well . Having just realized he pronounced judgment on himself. He probably bowed very quickly. Just a thought.
This is interesting. But in Number 25 it were Midianites who enticed Israëlites to sin and not Moabites and Balaam was fount by the Israëlites in the camp of Midianites in their retaliation expedition in Numbers 31.
sorry, but I have to say this. You hated to go to sunday school but once there, you liked being taught. BUT then you give emphasis that parents need to teach their children. You also stated you had wonderful christian parents. You just gave contradictory statement. If your parents were so wonderful WHY DIDN'T THEY TEACH YOU THEMSELVES! you are so caught up with worldly concept that others teach your children and not use homeschooling. just a guess. you are perpetuating this worldly standard. it hurts to hear this from a pastor reverend person and is sad.
Yeah, having grown up in the 50s, no one had heard of home schooling, so my folks did the only thing they knew how to do...take me to church. They''ve been with the Lord now for 20 years. I won't hold their failings against them.
