[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Saturday, March 15, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and good day once again to most of you.  Here in the Americas it's already afternoon, whereas for you in Europe or in the UK it's evening.  For you in Australia and New Zealand it's already Sunday morning.  Whatever time of day it is or day of the week, I hope that you are doing well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.

Carole Christman Koch, a writer from Pennsylvania, wrote an article several years ago entitled "Upon My Back."  I only wished that she had supported some of the things she wrote about with Scripture, but what she did give us was very interesting.  Her contribution is rendered as follows:

There is only one animal that can claim the honor of having carried the Messianic King upon its back--the lowly donkey.  Somehow, it seems appropriate that the humblest of God's creatures is present in the Nativity scene of Jesus' birth and that this same animal carried Him before His death.

The donkey has been one of the most useful animals since domestication started, soon after farming began.  It is mentioned over 100 times in the Scriptures.  The lists of animals brought back to Jerusalem by the exiled Jews demonstrated the usefulness of the donkey.  The donkeys (6720) outnumbered the horses (736) or the mules (245).  They were indeed regarded as a measure of wealth.

In Scripture, the donkey has been referred to as a riding and pack animal.  It was the only riding animal used in biblical times.  It was also ridden by distinguished persons or people of high rank.  For example, in 2 Samuel, David's servant met him with a couple of saddled donkeys "for the king's household to ride on." In Judges, the 30 sons of the chief man of Israel rode ass colts, and Abdon's 40 sons and 30 grandsons all rode on donkeys.  Again in Judges, white donkeys were bred for the officers of judges:  "Speak, ye that ride on white asses, yet that sit in judgment..."

Consequently, like other distinguished persons of rank who were involved in peaceful journeys, Jesus rode upon a donkey.  In Zechariah 9:9, the prophet divined:  "Lo, your King comes to you; triumphant and victorious is He, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass," which Jesus fulfilled on His ride into Jerusalem.

Prior to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the disciples acknowledged Jesus as Prince by preparing to saddle the donkey and colt for Jesus.  In those days, a proper saddle was not used for riding a donkey; the saddle was merely a covering of thick cloth, sometimes with carpeting and straw beneath.  Because of the special occasion, the disciples used their own garments as a saddle.

Women also used the donkey for riding.  Achsah, daughter of Caleb (Josh 15), Abigail, wife of wealthy Nabal (1 sam. 25), and the Shunamite woman (2 Kings 4) all rode donkeys.  Exodus 4 reveals that when nomadic camels moved, the donkey carried women sitting sideways and children in open sacks on the side of the donkey.  Other donkeys carried the household goods and food.  Moses himself walked alongside of the donkey while his wife and sons rode on the donkey.

The donkey was also of considerable value as a beast of burden.  Donkeys were often used to pull plows, to turn the stone of the large millstones, and to do other tasks involved with agriculture.  Heavy farm work was done by heifers, bullocks and oxen, as Mosaic law forbade the harnessing of an ox and an ass together.  Another Mosaic law pertaining to the donkey was that it was an unclean animal because the donkey does not divide the hoof or chew the cud and so was forbidden as food.

Job described wild donkeys as making their homes in desert salt plains, scorning the tumult of the city.  No one could tame the animals and make them work; they fed on mountain pasture, searching for anything green to eat.  To some, donkeys might seem obstinate and stupid, but in reality, donkeys are simply creatures of habit:  once they get used to doing something they refuse to change their minds.  While the donkey is slow, its plodding pace makes it sure-footed on difficult pathways.  And the donkey's indiscriminate palate is an asset, too:  the donkey can live on very poor food, such as grass, hay, and even thistles.

Another feature of the donkey is the dark stripe running down its back, crossed by another at the shoulders.  According to tradition, this black cross was given to the donkey when Christ the King rode upon its back.  What a fitting reward for the donkey, to always bear the cross of our Lord!

And there you have it for today.  For those of you who are more astute Bible students than the undersigned, could you please look up the Biblical references not directly named, such as the number of mules, horses and donkeys? I'm sure we would all like to know.  Thanks in advance.

Don't forget tomorrow we will have our weekly Bible game, so get your thinking caps ready.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow the weekly Bible game will be presented.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul