Bible Question: "Do you think God has a sense of humor?"

Bible Answer: In a word, yes. I often say God has to have a sense of humor because He made so many funny-looking people. I am reminded of that truth every time I look into a mirror.

But for Bible evidence of God's sense of humor, I think the Old Testament account of the prophet Balaam is the best indication.

The account is in Numbers 22, where God allowed Balaam's donkey to speak to him some words of wisdom that this supposedly wise man should have known himself.

To use what is supposed to be one of the most contrary of animals to deliver a message to a supposedly wise man is certainly a humorous act.

One interesting note about this story, Balaam is most definitely a man of God, a prophet, but he is not a Jew. At this time, when the events of Numbers 22 occur, the descendants of Jacob's 12 sons, the 12 tribes of Israel, have just come out of the wilderness after 40 years following their exodus from Egypt.

And Balaam is one of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, who hears about the coming of the Israelites and their victories so far over the inhabitants of the land who had opposed them.

Balak, the king of Moab, was in the path of the Israelites as they came into Canaan, and he tried to hire Balaam to curse the Jews, offering him great riches if he would put a curse on them.

And though God specifically told Balaam not to go to Balak with the messengers sent to get him, the prophet kept asking until God finally relented and allowed him to go with them.

This is an excellent example of the difference between the express will and the permissive will of God. It was not God's express will for Balaam to go to meet with Balak, but He allowed him to go after repeated requests, which is His permissive will.

But Balaam found out on the way God was angry with him. "So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab," Numbers 22:21 says.

"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," Numbers 22:22-23 says.

This happened twice more, and each time Balaam tried to pass the Angel, which he couldnŐt see, the donkey tried to turn away, and was struck by Balaam until she finally just lay down.

"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?'" Numbers 22:28 says.

After a conversational exchange with the donkey, the Lord finally opened Balaam's eyes so he could see the Angel with the drawn sword standing in the way, and he was frightened.

To finish the story, the Angel allowed Balaam to go to Balak, but instead of cursing the Jews, he blessed them three times.

Now, who was the stubborn donkey in this event, the man or the beast? To use a donkey to speak to a man supposed to be wise about the things of God certainly shows a sense of humor.

Submit Bible questions by email to writeme@johnwmyers.com

(John Myers has been a Christian lay speaker, Sunday School adult teacher and newspaper Bible study columnist for more than 20 years.)