Balaam

Balaam was a prophet about the time

That Moses was coming through.

And every now and then God would speak to him

And tell him what to say and do.

He had a reputation in all those parts

For being on the line to power.

And when Moab's king heard Moses was coming,

He called him in his needy hour.

If you do, I believe I could beat'um in a fight."

But when Balaam asked the Lord,

The Lord said, "Balaam don't you go.

Israel's blessed by me;

Don't you go mess up my show."

But Balaam's head was turned by the money he could earn;

So he saddled up his donkey anyway.

Balaam and his servants hurried off

For the king of Moab's castle,

They hadn't gone very far down the road

When the whole trip became a hassle

Because that donkey ran off across a field;

Then she nearly broke Balaam's ankle,

But when she lay right down and wouldn't get up,

Balaam got really rankled.

But that donkey just refused to move again.

It was the thing that happened next though

That made Balaam's knees get weak.

That donkey still would not get up, but she began to speak.

She said, "Balaam, you're to blame;

The way you beat me is a shame

'Cause all I've done is try to save your life."

Then the angel of the Lord appeared

With a flaming sword in his hand.

Balaam fell down on his face,

A very frightened man.

The angel said, "Balaam, you'd be dead

If you donkey hadn't detected

That I was waiting there to part your hair

When you and my sword connected."

Balaam then repented for his sin,

And he promised not to act like that again.

Well, I hope he learned his lesson

About God's reward for greed,

But, you know, it's that talking donkey

That's really strange indeed.

That donkey's just a donkey, but she still the thing God used,

And that's the point I want you all to see.

The Lord's the one who makes the choice

Of the instrument he's using.

We don't know the reason

And the plans behind his choosing.

So when the Lord starts using you,

Don't pay it any mind;

He could have used the dog next door

If he'd been so inclined.