Talking Donkey

[FaithT]

I apologize if I posted about this before, I’m not sure if I just posted about it on Catholic Answers or on here, too.
Ok, about the talking donkey in Numbers. What does the LCMS teach about that? My pastor says it’s true and was a supernatural (or maybe miraculous) event.
The ND church I tried out is having a series called Stranger Than Fiction where they’re going to talk about some of the stranger stories in the Bible, including this one. I’ve been watching them online since both churches are still closed at this time. I’m looking forward to hearing what the Pastor says about it.
I’m having problems with this story. Anyone care to help?

 

[jollybear]

I apologize if I posted about this before, I’m not sure if I just posted about it on Catholic Answers or on here, too.
Ok, about the talking donkey in Numbers. What does the LCMS teach about that? My pastor says it’s true and was a supernatural (or maybe miraculous) event.
I’m having problems with this story. Anyone?

I think the donkey spoke telepathically.

 

[Llleopard]

I think the donkey spoke telepathically.

Why? Nothing in the story suggests it spoke telepathically, and the root word simply means 'to speak' and is used all through the old testament for people and God

 

[FaithT]

Why? Nothing in the story suggests it spoke telepathically, and the root word simply means 'to speak' and is used all through the old testament for people and God

How could a donkey speak when they don’t have the human organs necessary to do so?

 

[Darkhorse]

How could a donkey speak when they don’t have the human organs necessary to do so?

Some species of birds speak quite well. It seems almost trivial for God to enable a donkey to speak.

Of course, neither birds nor donkeys have an understanding of human language, but God would have no problem bridging that gap. After all, the donkey saw the angel in the path, and Balaam didn't.
Balaam was being supernaturally prevented from seeing the angel (Numbers 22).

 

[jollybear]

Why? Nothing in the story suggests it spoke telepathically, and the root word simply means 'to speak' and is used all through the old testament for people and God

Well it may not have been telepathic. I only think it was due to some near death experiences I've read where people's pets spoke to them telepathically.

 

[FaithT]

Why? Nothing in the story suggests it spoke telepathically, and the root word simply means 'to speak' and is used all through the old testament for people and God

Do you think the donkey literally spoke?

 

[FaithT]

Some species of birds speak quite well. It seems almost trivial for God to enable a donkey to speak.

Of course, neither birds nor donkeys have an understanding of human language, but God would have no problem bridging that gap. After all, the donkey saw the angel in the path, and Balaam didn't.
Balaam was being supernaturally prevented from seeing the angel (Numbers 22).

But birds do talk, donkeys don’t.

 

[Darkhorse]

But birds do talk, donkeys don’t.

Of course not. Donkeys (and most other animals) don't have the complex nerve connections from their brains to their tongues and lips that we do. Birds don't have lips, but their tongues are obviously capable of detailed and subtle movements.

But certainly, God, Who made all creatures, could have instantaneously fashioned those nerve connections in this particular donkey, along with the ability to understand and speak a human language, for the purpose of shocking Balaam back into God's will. I fully expect that the donkey quickly lost her ability to speak, once Balaam "saw the light" and saw the angel who stood ready to kill him. It's really not much more miraculous to make the donkey speak than to just make the donkey live, and move, and reproduce. Both are works of God, and far beyond any human ability, even now.

 

[ViaCrucis]

How could a donkey speak when they don’t have the human organs necessary to do so?

Well, they couldn't. Which makes the incident all the more remarkable.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Lost4words]

Donkeys can talk. I seen one in Shrek talking!

 

[FaithT]

Donkeys can talk. I seen one in Shrek talking!

Do you believe the donkey in Numbers really had a conversation?

 

[jacks]

What's even stranger is the guy he is talking to (Balaam) doesn't think anything of it. Like he talked with his donkey all the time.

 

[FaithT]

What's even stranger is the guy he is talking to (Balaam) doesn't think anything of it. Like he talked with his donkey all the time.

Yeah. Stranger Than Fiction.

 

[FaithT]

What's even stranger is the

Well, they couldn't. Which makes the incident all the more remarkable.

-CryptoLutheran

But how can it be a true story?

 

[ViaCrucis]

But how can it be a true story?

Personally I don't take all the biblical stories literally, but I see no reason to think that this story isn't literally true.

It can be a literally true story because God, by His absolute authority and power, made the impossible possible. I mean, how did it physically happen? Did the donkey temporarily posses the right anatomy to produce human speech? I don't know. But I think that's okay.

If we believe that bread and wine can be flesh and blood, that Christ stopped being dead, etc I don't think it's much reason to bat an eye at God making a donkey speak, or causing a bush to burn without being consumed, or stopping fire from burning the companions of Daniel.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[FaithT]

Personally I don't take all the biblical stories literally, but I see no reason to think that this story isn't literally true.

It can be a literally true story because God, by His absolute authority and power, made the impossible possible. I mean, how did it physically happen? Did the donkey temporarily posses the right anatomy to produce human speech? I don't know. But I think that's okay.

If we believe that bread and wine can be flesh and blood, that Christ stopped being dead, etc I don't think it's much reason to bat an eye at God making a donkey speak, or causing a bush to burn without being consumed, or stopping fire from burning the companions of Daniel.

-CryptoLutheran

Which stories do you not take literally?
Are you LCMS?

 

[Lost4words]

God is the Creator. He created us. If He wanted a donkey to utter some words then so be it. But, we have to also remember that the Bible is a complex book with lots of deep meanings and teachings.

Plus, we look at it through our 'modern' eyes. With our 'modern' approach to words etc.

Sometimes in life, not everything is black and white

 

[Llleopard]

But how can it be a true story?

Because if you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, how can it not be?

 

[FaithT]

Because if you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, how can it not be?

It’s really hard to believe there was a talking donkey. Could it be a story? Not everything in the Bible is literal.