Lessons from a Pet

I am my master's pet, bought at a price to keep him company and to serve him and his family.

My master is a prophet, appointed by God to bless, but sometimes he sways from his calling, and chooses riches over the rest.

The LORD has opened my eyes to see my master's folly, but my master in his foolishness refuses to see. If only I can talk, I'll do something to make him see, but who am I for my master to listen to me?

One day, as my master rides on me along a narrow path of vineyards, I saw an angel with a sword drawn in his hand standing in our way, so I turned aside to save my master from the slay, but my master strikes at me with his stick and forces me back the same way.

So without a choice, I trot the narrow path, pressing myself to a wall with my master's leg pressed against the wall, but my master, unable to see the angel, became angry and strikes at me again and again, and in my pain, the LORD opened my mouth and granted me speech.

"Master, what have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?" said I.

"Because you have made a mockery of me!" my master spoke angrily. "If there has been a sword in my hand, I will have killed you!"

"But master, am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to go against you?"

"No," my master said.

Then the LORD opened my master's eyes, and he was able to see the angel standing in the way with his sword drawn and ready to strike, so in fear my master bowed all the way to the ground, and earnestly beseeched the angel.

"I have sinned," my master said, "for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will now turn away."

So, Balaam, my master, “who loved the wages of unrighteousness ... received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet” (2 Peter 2:15-16 NAS).