A Blind Prophet and a Dumb Ass

In the story of Balaam’s ass (Numbers 22) the Lord opened the mouth of the ass (donkey) and she spoke. The prophet Balaam was in the process of disobeying God while riding his donkey where the Lord had told him not to go. The Lord sent an angel to stop Balaam. Three times the ass saw the angel blocking the way with sword in hand. Each time the donkey turned away, thus saving her master. Balaam, not seeing the angel, became more and more frustrated by the donkey and beat it more severely each time it turned. Finally the angel blocked them in a pass and the donkey simple fell down under Balaam. The Lord then opened her mouth and she said “What have I done to thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?” As the story unfolds, the angel tells Balaam that had the donkey not turned these tree times, he would surely have killed him and let the donkey live. The donkey saved her masters life and was ignorantly beaten by him for it. Was she a stupid animal without reason? Was she simply stubborn? No; as soon as she is able to speak, she is reasonable, humble and sincere with perfect memory of the events that had just taken place as well as a perfect recollection of the entire time she had been with the Prophet. Balaam tells her that he is so mad at her that he would kill her if he had a sword. Her response is both tender and terrible to consider. She says that she is his donkey and he has ridden her every day form the first day they met to the present. She then asks: have I ever let you down (or maybe, have I ever wanted to kill you). How man times has man laid the whip to an animal without consideration. How many animals are tortured and slaughtered daily without consideration? The fact that they are dumb (unable to speak) does not mean they are stupid. In fact it was a speaking serpent that out-reasoned the first humans. If the animal itself had no intellectual ability or moral culpability, why are there no dragons or other legged serpents. The Lord opened the Donkeys mouth so it could speak but she (the donkey) already saw the angel Balaam could not. He did not need to open her eyes. Balaam, on the other hand, was blind to the angel until God opened his eyes. Which is a greater proof of intelligence; a dumb ass that can see angels or a blind prophet that can speak? I wonder what our animals would say of us and what spiritual truths they keep silent.