Animals in the Bible

This article talks about:

• Learning from Animals
• Symbolism in Scripture
• God’s Care for Animals

-By Joseph Shulam-

The Bible starts with the story of Genesis—the creation of the world as we know it now. The sun, moon and stars were created on the fourth Day. On the fifth day, God created living creatures; first the creatures of the water and then the birds of the air. On the sixth day, God created the land animals, and only after the creation of the animal kingdom, God created Adam and Eve. The order of creation is of great importance, not only for the religious people of the world, but also if we examine and analyze Darwin’s theory, we see that the order that Darwin envisioned for the development of life on Earth fits the Genesis account, and the humans are the crown of God’s creation—the last and the highest. 

The animal kingdom exists all over the Earth—in the seas and oceans are thousands of species of great variety from microscopic to even giant animals—and all were created before Adam and Eve. The Rabbinical interpretation is that all of nature including the animals were created for man to enjoy and use but also to learn from the animals some very important lessons. One of the most famous is the injunction of the book of Proverbs:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:6-9 NKJV)

And, “The ants are a nation (people) not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer.”
(Proverbs 30:25 NKJV)

Often times, the last thing that religious circles think about is learning from the Animal Kingdom. However, the biblical narratives from Genesis to Revelation reveal the wisdom and importance of learning from the Animal Kingdom. First, it is surprising the amount of animal stories in the Bible, and second of how much attention the Holy Spirit has given to animals and what an important role they play in the life of our biblical heroes.

Before I address my favorite biblical animal, I would like to just give a general picture of the broad variety of animals that the Biblical narrative mentions. I personally was surprised to see the list of animals that are mentioned in the Bible. 

God, the Father and Creator of all of nature, created animals, plants, even viruses, and plagues. We are intelligent creatures with powers that as far as we know the animals don’t possess, like imagination, and the creative power to invent things and create things that are new and outside of the six days of creation of Genesis. But we often ignore what the animal world can teach us.

One of the most amazing things that we don’t really think about is the role and purpose and use of the Animal Kingdom in the Biblical narratives. In order to understand a little more about our relationship as humans with the animals, I would like to point out the great similarities between us, the human race, and the animal Kingdom, especially the mammals.
First let me list the mammals that are mentioned in the Bible and their special features and similarities to us!

• Addax – (a light-colored, antelope native to the Saharan Desert), Deuteronomy 14:5
• Antelope – Deuteronomy 14:5, Isaiah 51:20
• Ape – 1 Kings 10:22
• Bear – 1 Samuel 17:34-37, 2 Kings 2:24, Isaiah 11:7, Daniel 7:5, Revelation 13:2
• Behemoth – (Some say that Behemoth is the Hippopotamus). Some scholars think it could be a possible reference to a dinosaur), Job 40:15
• Camel – Genesis 24:10, Leviticus 11:4, Isaiah 30:6, and Matthew 3:4, 19:24, and 23:24.
• Cow – Isaiah 11:7, Daniel 4:25, Luke 14:5
• Deer – Deuteronomy 12:15, 14:5
• Dog – Judges 7:5, 1 Kings 21:23-24, Ecclesiastes 9:4, Matthew 15:26-27, Luke 16:21, Revelation 22:15
• Donkey – Numbers 22:21-41, Isaiah 1:3 and 30:6, John 12:14
• Fox – Judges 15:4, Nehemiah 4:3, Matthew 8:20, Luke 13:32
• Gazelle – Deuteronomy 12:15 and 14:5
• Goat – 1 Samuel 17:34, Genesis 15:9 and 37:31, Daniel 8:5, Leviticus 16:7, Matthew 25:33
• Hare – Leviticus 11:6
• Horse – 1 Kings 4:26, 2 Kings 2:11, Revelation 6:2-8 and 19:14
• Hyrax – a gopher-like animal known as a rock badger found prolifically in the Ein Gedi park), Leviticus 11:5
• Hyena – Isaiah 34:14
• Lamb – Genesis 4:2, 1 Samuel 17:34
• Leopard – Isaiah 11:6, Jeremiah 13:23, Daniel 7:6, Revelation 13:2
• Lion – Judges 14:8, 1 Kings 13:24, Isaiah 30:6 and 65:25, Daniel 6:7, Ezekiel 1:10, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 4:7 and 13:2
• Mountain Sheep – Deuteronomy 14:5
• Mule – 2 Samuel 18:9, 1 Kings 1:38
• Ox – 1 Samuel 11:7, 2 Samuel 6:6, 1 Kings 19:20-21, Job 40:15, Isaiah 1:3, Ezekiel 1:10
• Pig – Leviticus 11:7, Deuteronomy 14:8, Proverbs 11:22, Isaiah 65:4 and 66:3, Matthew 7:6 and 8:31, 2 Peter 2:22
• Ram – Genesis 15:9, Exodus 25:5.
• Rat – Leviticus 11:29, 1 Kings 17:4
• Rodent – Isaiah 2:20
• Roe Deer – Deuteronomy 14:5
• Sheep – Exodus 12:5, 1 Samuel 17:34, Matthew 25:33, Luke 15:4, John 10:7
• Wild Goat – Deuteronomy 14:5
• Wild Ox – Numbers 23:22
• Wolf – Isaiah 11:6, Matthew 7:15

This is not a full list of all the mammals, but it is close to a full list of the mammals that are mentioned in the Bible. 

Every artist leaves his fingerprints on his art. If I see any picture of Vincent Van Gogh, I can immediately identify it as a Van Gogh. Pablo Picasso’s style is immediately recognizable. When I look at the animal kingdom especially, I see the fingerprints of the Creator in the basic design of all the mammals. The mammals have two eyes, two ears, a nose in the middle of their face, and one mouth. All the mammals have two front legs (hands) and two hind legs. All of them procreate between male and female animals of their species. Another special feature of the mammals is that they can make sounds from their mouth. The sounds that the mammals make is very likely in order to communicate. 

The birds of feathers have an honorable mention in the Word of God. The list of birds mentioned in the Bible is just as long or even longer than that of the mammals. All the birds, like all the mammals, have some common characteristics. They have wings and beaks, and their feet have similarities. The same designer that designed the sparrow and hummingbird, also designed the Bald Eagle and pelicans. The flying insects like flies and mosquitoes are also designed by the same designer, and they all have some of the same features.

Here is a list of the birds and flying bugs, and crawling lizards and fish that are mentioned in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation:

• Buzzard – Isaiah 34:15
• Chameleon (a type of lizard with the ability to change color rapidly) – Leviticus 11:30
• Cobra – Isaiah 11:8
• Cormorant (a large black water bird) – Leviticus 11:17
• Crane (a type of bird) – Isaiah 38:14
• Cricket – Leviticus 11:22
• Dove – Genesis 8:8, 2 Kings 6:25, Matthew 3:16 and 10:16, John 2:16.
• Dragon (a monstrous land or sea creature.) – Isaiah 30:7
• Eagle – Exodus 19:4, Isaiah 40:31, Ezekiel 1:10, Daniel 7:4, Revelation 4:7 and 12:14
• Eagle Owl – Leviticus 11:16
• Egyptian Vulture – Leviticus 11:18
• Falcon – Leviticus 11:14
• Fish – Exodus 7:18, Jonah 1:17, Matthew 14:17 and 17:27, Luke 24:42, John 21:9
• Flea – 1 Samuel 24:14 and 26:20
• Fly – Ecclesiastes 10:1
• Frog – Exodus 8:2, Revelation 16:13
• Gecko – Leviticus 11:30
• Gnat – Exodus 8:16, Matthew 23:24
• Grasshopper – Leviticus 11:22
• Great Fish (whale) – Jonah 1:17
• Great Owl – Leviticus 11:17
• Hawk – Leviticus 11:16, Job 39:26
• Heron – Leviticus 11:19
• Hoopoe (an unclean bird of unknown origin) – Leviticus 11:19
• Kite (a bird of prey) – Leviticus 11:14
• Leech – Proverbs 30:15
• Leviathan – (could be an earthly creature like a crocodile, a mythical sea monster of ancient literature, or a reference to dinosaurs), Isaiah 27:1, Psalms 74:14, Job 41:1
• Lizard (common sand lizard) – Leviticus 11:30
• Locust – Exodus 10:4, Leviticus 11:22, Joel 1:4, Matthew 3:4, Revelation 9:3
• Maggot – Isaiah 14:11, Mark 9:48, Job 7:5, 17:14, and 21:26
• Mole Rat – Leviticus 11:29
• Monitor Lizard – Leviticus 11:30
• Moth – Matthew 6:19, Isaiah 50:9 and 51:8
• Mourning Dove – Isaiah 38:14
• Owl (tawny, little, short-eared, great-horned, desert) – Leviticus 11:17, Isaiah 34:15, Psalms 102:6
• Partridge – 1 Samuel 26:20
• Peacock – 1 Kings 10:22
• Pigeon – Genesis 15:9, Luke 2:24
• Quail – Exodus 16:13, Numbers 11:31
• Raven – Genesis 8:7, Leviticus
• Rooster – Matthew 26:34
• Scorpion – 1 Kings 12:11 and 12:14, Luke 10:19, Revelation 9:3, 9:5, and 9:10.
• Seagull – Leviticus 11:16
• Serpent – Genesis 3:1, Revelation 12:9
• Short-eared Owl – Leviticus 11:16
• Snail – Psalms 58:8
• Snake – Exodus 4:3, Numbers 21:9, Proverbs 23:32, Isaiah 11:8, 30:6, and 59:5
• Sparrow – Matthew 10:31
• Spider – Isaiah 59:5
• Stork – Leviticus 11:19
• Swallow – Isaiah 38:14
• Turtledove – Genesis 15:9, Luke 2:24
• Viper (a poisonous snake, adder) – Isaiah 30:6, Proverbs 23:32
• Vulture (griffon, carrion, bearded, and black) – Leviticus 11:13

One of the interesting facts that needs to be noticed is that long before the Torah was given to Moses and the people who came out of Egypt, the Lord and Noah already had knowledge that there are animals that are good for human food consumption, and other animals that are not clean and for food. It is also interesting that God told Noah to take seven pairs of each of the clean animals permissible for eating but only two pairs from the animals that are not clean for human consumption. 

“And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.” (Genesis 6:19-20 NKJV)

It is clear that already before Noah’s flood, both Noah and God knew which animals were clean and profitable for human consumption, and which were not to be eaten.

“You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 7:2-3 NKJV)

According to the Law of Moses, there were both clean and unclean animals in the Bible. Only clean animals could be eaten as food (Leviticus 20:25-26). Certain animals were to be dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 13:1-2) and used in Israel's sacrificial system (Leviticus 1:1-2; 27:9-13).

The first century Jew, Philo of Alexandria, was the ambassador of Egypt to Rome. He wrote about the difference between the unclean animals which are not fit for human consumption and those animals that are clean (Kosher or Hallal). He reasoned that “clean animals” are clean simply because the clean animals don’t eat the meat of other dead animals. The Kosher (clean) animals are, generally speaking, vegetarian and not violent in their nature. According to Philo of Alexandria the kind of food that you eat influences your morals and your character. If you eat violent animals, your character will be more violent. 

It is interesting that in the Bible, animals are spoken of both literally (as in the creation account and the story of Noah's ark) and also symbolically as in the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Every tribe of Israel had a precious stone to represent it, and some were also represented by symbols, some of which were animals that reflected the tribal character, as in the case of the tribe of Judah. Here is a list of the tribes of Israel that have an animal which represents them (from Genesis 49:9ff):

• Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?
• Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens.
• Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward.
• Naphtali is a deer let loose; he uses beautiful words.
• Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” 

Now, I would like to share with you about my favorite animal in the Bible. You might be surprised that my favorite animal in the Bible is the donkey, called the Jack-Ass in the old south of the United States of America. 

You could very well ask, Joseph why did you choose such a humble animal as your favorite? The answer to this question is a bit complicated. 

Although the donkey is not the first beast of burden to be domesticated, yet our Biblical heroes are mentioned in the Bible as riding on donkeys (not horses). Here is an interesting list that could inspire you just as it has inspired me for many years. Donkeys are the animals that were used the most by our forefathers in the Bible. They were the most useful animals for Priests, leaders, and kings of Israel.

Here is a list of some of the special events in which donkeys were used in the Bible.

1. Gen. 22:5, And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
2. Gen. 24:35, The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
3. Gen. 30:43, Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
4. Gen. 32:5, Jacob said to his brother Esau when they met upon his return with his family from Laban’s home in Aram. “I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”
5. Gen. 42:26-27, So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.
6. Gen. 43:18, Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.” (See also Genesis 43: 18, 24, and Genesis 44:13, 45:23, 47:17.)
7. Ex. 4:20, Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
8. Ex. 13:13, But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. [This text is particularly interesting to me because it sets the donkey in a special place in God’s list of animals. The first born of the donkeys that died in the 10th plague in Egypt was to be redeemed with a lamb. Just like the first-born males of Israel that have to be redeemed by the Levites. It sets the donkey in a special place.]
9. Ex. 23:4-5, If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it. [This is another one of these texts that elevates the humble donkey into a special place in God’s economy. You have an obligation to help and deliver even the donkey of your enemy who hates you if that donkey is lying under its burden. You have no right to ignore the donkey of your enemy if you can help it be relieved from his heavy burden. This for me is a fantastic divine and extremely important rule given by God’s Holy Spirit for us to learn from, even in today’s dealings with the property and animal husbandry of our enemies. Much to learn from this text.]
10. Ex. 23:12, “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.”
11. Deut. 5:14, “but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.” [This is another of the very special rules and divine injunctions that the Word of God gives us: the Sabbath Day, the day of rest for you, for your servants and even for your beasts of burden including your ox and your donkey.]
12. Deut. 5:21, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” [This is from the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy chapter 5, together with a neighbor’s wife, house, land, and servants, you ought not covet your neighbor’s ox or his donkey. Note that horses and camels are not explicitly mentioned.]
13. Deut. 22:3-4, “You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost, and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.”
14. Judg. 15:15-16, He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!” [I especially like this story and this text. The reason is simple: even a dead donkey and only his jawbone is useful and can serve as a weapon in this story. This was a very special donkey’s jawbone in the hands of a very special man, Samson.]
15. 1Sam. 25:18, 20, 23, 42, Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 20, So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. 23 Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground... 42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. [This whole story again is so burdened with donkeys who play a side role in this story, but who also show how important these beasts of burden are which are often not given a rightful place in our understanding of the Bible and the importance of this humble animal that is so useful in the ancient Middle East to our forefathers and to our biblical culture.
16. 2 Sam. 16:1-3, When David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.” [This story again demonstrates the place of the donkey in the biblical economy even in the service of Kings.]
17. 1 Kings 13:23-24, So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. [This is a special and very unique story. A prophet from Judea is sent to Israel with specific instructions that he didn’t keep because he trusted a false prophet who deceived him. The prophet was deceived but his donkey was saved, and the lion that killed the deceived prophet didn’t damage or harm the prophet’s donkey. This is just another very interesting and important story that demonstrates the power of God to control and honor both the lion and the donkey even more than to honor the prophet who didn’t obey the rules that God gave him.]
18. Isa. 1:3, “The ox knows its owner, And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” [This is the text because of which every nativity scene has an ox and a donkey. It is a kind of anti-Jewish statement in the Christian nativity tradition.]
19. Zech. 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” [This is messianic prophecy that is accepted by both the orthodox Jewish tradition of the Messianic advent into Jerusalem, and by Christian tradition to be a fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy.]

There is one more very special donkey that must be mentioned in this article! It is from Numbers 22.

So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”
So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely, I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. (Numbers 22:21-36 NKJV)

The story of this donkey, Balaam’s donkey, is one of the most fascinating stories about animals in the Bible. What do we have in this story? We have the King of Moab, Balak, who is afraid of the hordes of Israelites coming out of the desert and crossing the land of Moab. He is afraid of them for three reasons: 1) They are a very large number of peoples. I say peoples and not people because with the Israelites coming out of Egypt, there were several other tribes and nations that joined them in this exodus by seeing what they did and copying. They saw the Israelites slaughter a lamb and put its blood on their door posts and lintels; these tribes did the same. They saw the Israelites packing their belongings; they did the same. They saw the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry land; they walked right in with the Israelites. They stood under Mount Sinai with the Israelites and heard the Voice of the Almighty One speak from the top of the Mountain through the clouds. 2) These hordes of Israelites and the other tribes have a reputation that they have defeated their enemies, the Amalekites, and the King of Arad, and have spread fear to the whole region. 3) Balak was afraid that this great number and powerful nation could take his land or at least devour the crops and dry their wells of water because of their great multitude. So, Balak the King of Moab resorts to magic and witchcraft. He invited Balaam, the pagan prophet from Mesopotamia, to come and curse the Israelites with superstitious forces of paganism. So, Balak invites the number one prophet who had a great reputation: Balaam. Balak offers Balaam great riches and rewards for cursing Israel, believing that Balaam’s powers can stop the Israelites. The first words of Balaam when he sees the encampment of the Israelites are: “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!” (Numbers 24:5 NKJV) The interesting thing is that in every synagogue around the whole world, including ours in Jerusalem, the opening of the service on every Sabbath and Holiday is with the words of this arch-nemesis Balaam. Every synagogue for many centuries starts its service with these words: “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!”

However, the most interesting thing about this story of Balaam is his donkey. The great international prophet Balaam shows some interesting characteristics. He states that he will not do or say what he doesn’t hear from the Lord or receive permission to do. However, the great prophet didn’t see or hear the angel of the Lord appear along the way, yet his donkey did see the angel of the Lord and hear him talk. The donkey was more of a prophet and more open-eyed than his master Balaam was. Balaam got angry at the donkey and raised his cane and hit the donkey and threatened to even kill the donkey. Only after the donkey spoke to Balaam and Balaam saw the angel did he understand what was happening with his donkey, and that the donkey was actually trying to save him. 

The moral of this story is that the animal, the donkey, was more open and more sensitive and more aware of the angel of the Lord than the prophet with the international reputation was. 

We are all normally not thinking of how important the animal kingdom is in God’s economy, and we normally don’t think that God really cares about the animals, or even uses the animals, but at every step and in every move, God cares and uses the trees and the rocks and the animals. And sometimes, on some rare occasions when He uses us human beings in His service, we can outdo the humility and hard work of the donkey!

We must remember that the donkey also eats, and needs rest, and sleeps at night; donkeys also like to play and enjoy fresh vegetables. Generally speaking, donkeys are faithful to their masters and work hard. Donkeys, like humans, have feelings and emotions, and they like to have a family and make children that will be just like themselves: just plain donkeys. 

 Ecclesiastes 3:19
“For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies, so dies the other, and both have the same life breath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing.” 

You would think that this is a pessimistic statement that Solomon gave us in the book of Ecclesiastes! I bring it here to say that since we and the beasts have the same fate, there are many things that we can learn from the animal kingdom, but above all, I want to learn from the donkey! Work hard, serve your MASTER, stay humble and enjoy your family, and be faithful and grateful to your master!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joseph Shulam was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 24, 1946, to a Sephardic Jewish family. In 1948, his family immigrated to Israel just before the establishment of the state. While in high school, he was introduced to the New Testament and immediately identified with the person of Yeshua. In 1981, Joseph and the small fellowship that was started in his house established one of the first official non-profit organizations of Jewish Disciples of Yeshua in Israel – Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry. Joseph has lectured extensively and has assisted in encouraging disciples around the world. He and his wife, Marcia, have two children and two grandchildren.