Richard Wurbrand

 

"The LORD opened the mouth of the ass." (Numbers 22:28)

 

Believe the Bible. Some of its stories can be accepted by our reason only with difficulty, but there is no alternative. If we don't accept the difficult parts of the Bible, the only choice that remains is to accept the absurd.

 

Atheists scorn: the Bible says that an ass could speak. But the Bible does not say this. Rather, it states, "The LORD opened the mouth of the ass." Where there is an almighty God, He can cause an ass to speak at any time.

 

Set aside belief in God for a moment. What remains? Unbelief says man evolved from the ape. This means that at a certain moment an animal, the ape, started to speak without the aid of a higher, more intelligent being than himself. No child learns to speak without being taught by an adult. How did the ape achieve what a child cannot?

 

You have to accept the fact that an animal spoke, either an animal unaided by anyone, as Darwinism teaches, or an animal whose mouth a wise and almighty God opened. It obviously is easier for reason to accept the latter alternative.

 

Think also about the inner truth of the first words an animal ever spoke: "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me?" One day all those whom we have wronged will put this question to us. What will we answer? Even if those we have smitten were guilty, was it absolutely necessary to smite them three times as the false prophet Balaam smote the ass? Would less than that not have been sufficient? Don't listen to those who cavil about the Bible, but rather ponder its words carefully.