Yesterday, I shared a donkey documentary to lay a background for this expository...
A few years ago I mused this blessing: "May you have an angel above you and a burro beneath you" because...
I have noticed that there is a lot of reference to donkeys in the Bible, probably because they were the mode of transportation back "in the day". Recall that the mother of Jesus, Mary, rode a donkey into Bethlehem the night that Christ was born. The Holy family fled their native land into Egypt on a donkey. Jesus later rode a donkey colt into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Here is a prophecy regarding Jesus on the donkey:
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I felt the "burro" part of my blessing was Biblically documented. If you have a donkey beneath you, your path is in good hands. We will see how well this worked for another Bible character further on.
The first part of my blessing says, "May you have an angel above you". I am sure I do not need to defend this admonition, but will reference a few of the hundreds of passages about angels found in the Bible.
God sends an angel with the Israelites as they go into the promised land:
Exodus 23:20 "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared."
In Psalms 34:7 we read: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them."
and in the book of Acts, 8:26 "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."
Having an angel above you to direct your path is a good thing! They can nudge and direct you on the path the Lord has prepared. The combination of an angel above you and a burro beneath you is simply heaven sent. It means that you are taken care of on all fronts.
Let me give a brief recount of the story of Balaam found in the book of Numbers. The prophet has been summoned by the son of the Moabite king. The Lord God of Israel, does not approve of Balaam's corrupt behavior and is going to get his attention. An angel of the Lord is sent to interrupt the journey.
Here we have Balaam, burro bound, on the road to the Arnon border. What the donkey sees is the angel of the Lord standing before him with sword drawn. Being an intelligent animal, the donkey runs off of the road and into a field. Is her passenger appreciative? No, he does not even see the heavenly road block. Rather than be thankful, he beats the animal.
Next, the beast of burden encounters the angel of the Lord in a narrow place between two vineyards. Stone walls encamp the vineyard, so when the donkey tries to get away from the angel, guess whose foot gets crushed against the stone. You got it. And there is still no insight on the part of the human. The four legged gal gets beat for a second time!
Lastly, the angel stands on a narrow path where the donkey can turn neither left or right, nor can she turn around. Consequently, she just sits down. Once again, Balaam is quite peeved and, yes, he beats her.
I will allow the Bible to tell you the rest of the story...
Numbers 22:28-31 Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."
The donkey said to Balaam, "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?" "No," he said.
Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
Is this not a great story? The Lord opens the donkey's mouth and gave her speech! She says, do you not know that I have been your animal all these years and done you right? Would you not trust me now?
Here is a lesson, having a donkey beneath you and an angel above you watching out for you should make for a safe journey. What makes it all work; however, is having the Lord there to direct your actions. Just keep your eyes upon the Lord and do not be blinded by your own intentions and motivations. He will send his angels to guard you along the way. He will see to it that you reach your destination. He will keep your life in check. He will deliver you.
So may I offer you this blessing today:
"May you always have an angel above you and a burro beneath you." M
