God and Animals: Summer Bible Lessons for Children


can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth."

Part 3 (Optional)

Balaam Delivers Messages from God

Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Bakak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you." Then he went to a barren place. The Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering with the princes of Moab.

Then Balaam uttered his oracle: "Balak brought me from Aram, 'Come,' he said, 'Curse Jacob for me; come denounce Israel.' How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced? Let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like theirs!"

Balak persuaded Balaam to go to other places, saying, "Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there." But Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel. Before he left to return to his people, Balaam had received this prophecy for Balak: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Then Balaam returned home.

Questions for discussion

1. What should Balaam have done when his donkey left the road?

(Possible answer - instead of hitting the donkey, he could have asked, "What's the matter? Why have you left the road?" God had promised to guide him. He could have prayed for that guidance instead of acting in anger.)

2. Sometimes, do animals sense danger when humans don't?

(Yes. Do you know any stories to illustrate?)

3. What do you think the other travelers thought about any part of this story? Do you think the other travelers heard the donkey speak? Or the angel?

(No correct answer.)

4. What did Balaam do right?

(Balaam confesses his sin. And he was willing to tell the truth even though it would the king angry. Balaam wanted to please God)

5. Re-read Balaam's last prophecy. Who did it predict?

(Jesus)

Unscramble these Words

1. labama
2. blaka
3. gelan
4. abom
5. bumners

The copyright of the article God and Animals: Summer Bible Lessons for Children in Roman Catholics is owned by Kathryn Morse. Permission to republish God and Animals: Summer Bible Lessons for Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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