donkey

Have you ever wondered why donkeys are so distinguished in the Bible? Think about it, Abraham loaded the wood on a donkey when he and Isaac went to sacrifice. Jacob's sons, when they heard that there was grain in Egypt, loaded their donkeys and went to Egypt. Balaam was riding a donkey when the angel appeared. Who was it that saw the angel? The Donkey!!! When Samson was taking one of his many times of revenge on the Philistines, he used the jawbone of a donkey. When we first read about Saul, he was sent on a mission to find...donkeys. In Nehemiah 2:12, he rode on a beast. I would say that there is a good chance that the beast is a donkey. In the New Testament, the Good Samaritan rode a donkey. Also, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey.

In the ESV Bible, the word donkey is used 86 times. A donkey was redeemable under the law by breaking a lamb’s neck. There is a verse that refers to having the patience of a donkey. Our musical was called “Donkey Tales”. It was said then that a donkey is stronger than a horse and eats less than a cow. I just thought it was rather interesting how often the animal used in the Bible is the donkey. Perhaps, it is too show that we are redeemable and can be used in different ways but must be a hard worker just as the donkey was/did.