A mule is an offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Tomorrow night I will be teaching the children the Bible story of Balaam and his talking donkey. Balaam was obedient to God to speak only the words God put in his mouth to speak, but Balaam's heart was evil. Balaam looked and sounded good. He bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before the angel of the Lord and confessed his sin. He blessed Israel not once, but four times, even though he was bribed by King Balak to curse them. However, in Revelations we discover Balaam returned later to King Balak to tell him of a way he could get the Israelites to curse themselves instead. Balaam told King Balak to tempt the Israelites to have sexual relations with Moabite women and to to eat food offered up to idols. As a result of Balaam's evil plan, 24,000 Israelites died of a plague sent by God as punishment when they sinned.
"But I have a few complaints against you.
You tolerate some among you
whose teaching is like that of Balaam,
who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.
He taught them to sin
by eating food offered to idols
and by committing sexual sin.
Revelations 2:14 (NLT)
Balaam is an example for us to beware people who bow before the Lord, confess their sins in public, and speak His Word, but behind the scenes do evil and plot to hurt God's people.
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