Dream Shadow

Chapter 2

They were riding on a narrow road with ploughed fields on both sides of them. It had been raining and the fields were muddy.

As Balaam, astride his donkey and deep in thought, reached this point, an angel brandishing a flaming sword appeared ahead of them. The donkey, seeing this threatening apparition, brayed loudly and took off with great speed across the field. The frightened animal came to an abrupt halt. Not because it wanted to stop, but because it couldn't go any further....it was stuck fast in the mud. It continued to bray, louder and louder. The sensation of not being able to move it's legs adding to it's fear. When Balaam recovered from his initial shock, and not realising the donkey couldn't move, he started beating the animal and pulling it's head around in an endeavour to turn the donkey. Balaam, not having seen the angel, could not understand why the animal had veered off the road.

Not having any luck in his attempts to move the animal, he slid off the back of the donkey intending to pull it along. Balaam landed, with a squelching sound, up to his ankles in the mud. For the first time he realised that the donkey couldn't move. Out of pure frustration he beat the donkey even more, knowing it wouldn't make any difference.

When he exhausted himself, in exasperation, he called to his servants for help. After a long time, trying many different methods, they eventually managed to free the poor, stuck, dumb animal.

His anger still burning inside, Balaam continued on his journey. They were passing through a portion of the countryside filled with vineyards. The owner of the vineyard on either side of the road had constructed a wall of sharp rocks, to deter travellers from slipping into the vineyard and helping themselves to the grapes.

It was at this section of the road that the angel of the Lord, sword in hand, chose to manifest himself. As before, Balaam saw nothing. The donkey however, eyes fixed on the sword, brayed loudly and dashed to the side hoping to avoid contact with this highway slayer. The donkey crashed into the stone wall on the side of the road, crushing Balaam's foot. Balaam's cry of pain drowned out the donkeys hee-hawing. Grabbing his staff he beat the animal, but the pain in his leg overwhelmed him and he fell off the donkey. Relieved of it's load the donkey turned and bolted down the road, the manservant's son in hot pursuit.

Balaam lay where he fell, moaning and groaning. His leg from the knee down bleeding and his ankle bone crushed and broken. This injury would cause the non-jewish prophet to have a permanent limp for the rest of his life.
His manservant didn't know what to do, besides giving Balaam some water.

Just then a horse came galloping up. One of Balak's officials from the group who had left earlier, dismounted. "Whatever happened here?" He inquired. "Stupid donkey crushed my foot against the wall." Balaam said between moans. "Oh, is that all." The official said. Balaam, head shot up. "Is my discomfort mere pettiness to you?" He scowled.
"No, no, not at all! It's just that when we couldn't see you, we thought that you had changed your mind and run away, but I am glad to see you are still following us." The official clarified. Then taking a small bag from his saddlebag, he passed it to the servant. "Here! Take this. It contains herbs that can be used for pain and for swelling. We always carry medicinal herbs with us when we travel. Looking at your luck, or should I say lack of it, I suggest you do the same in future."
With that, the official swung into his saddle. "Let me hasten to my fellow colleagues and inform them that the esteemed prophet is still hobbling behind us." This he said in a mocking tone and a smile on his face.

When the pain relieving brew, made from the herbs he was given, took effect, Balaam resumed his journey. He kept thinking why his trusted, normally docile donkey kept reacting in such a strange way.

Their journey took them via a mountain pass. A high wall of rock on the one side and a sheer drop on the other. They had carefully traversed
about halfway when the angel suddenly appeared before them again. The donkey, seeing the angel with sword drawn and nowhere to go or even turn, just lay down. Balaam was now beside himself. This was too much. He was late, injured and his clothing caked with mud. Grabbing his staff, he began to beat his donkey.

The donkey turned his head, looking at Balaam with mournful eyes, he said, "Why do you beat me? Three times today you have laid your staff across my back. Have I not been faithful to you in the past that you treat me so."
Balaam did not even realise that a dumb animal was talking to him. He was so used to hearing the donkey talking to him in his dreams that it never even registered that he wasn't dreaming.
"You made me look stupid. People think I can't control my pack animal." Balaam answered.

Just then, the Lord allowed Balaam to see the angel standing in the road, holding his sword. Balaam fell to his knees. The angel continued.
"You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab. If your donkey had not seen me and stopped these three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live."
Balaam replied,"I was wrong, I'll return at once."
The Lord's angel answered. "You may go, but say only what I tell you.

So Balaam continued on with Balak's officials. Balak heard that Balaam was coming so he met him on Moab's border at the town of Ir on the Arnon river. They went together to Kiriath Huzoth. The next morning they went up to Bamoth Vaal, from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.