is related to the fact that from that time onward everything that moves is now available for human food in addition to vegetation (9:3). This does not imply that before the Flood humanity was vegetarian, for the distinction in God's instruction before the Flood concerning the preservation of species itself delineates at that time between 'clean' (edible) and 'unclean' (not for food) in Genesis 7:2-3.

This different original human-animal relationship is reflected in various factors associated with the first temptation of humanity and the consequences of their fall.

the very beginning of human history, the walking serpent, who could speak to Eve without surprising her, was for this reason a useful conduit for Satan to communicate, as well as for the animal's natural subtleness to sow doubt in the woman's mind.

The original character of this human relationship to animals is presented in the Genesis One summary as based on God's original mandate to humanity –

'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'."

this background then human responsibility in this relationship comes to the fore in Noah's responsibility to bring together to his Ark a representative collection of all species to repopulate a post-Flood earth.

"And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him [Noah]."

is no indication that there was any direct influence or intervention from God to bring animals, birds, and crawling things into the Ark which Noah had built in his obedience. Rather, the text itself tells us that Noah was the responsible party to see that they all entered into his Ark. It is only after this Flood then that the human-animal relationship changes, and this is itself by divine action!

In other words, the animals in the Ark came at the call of Noah.

is against this background then that we should understand later Bible teaching concerning –

Balaam's ass, the angel of the Lord was not practicing ventriloquism. It is the donkey accurately communicating directly with the disobedient prophet. Balaam, in shock, responds with anger, in a conversation that did not rely on the donkey's mouth for accurately pronouncing words in Balaam's dialect, until the angel of God opens Balaam's eyes as he had opened the communication channel that has been so long closed.

personal behaviour demonstrates to us the conduct of humanity restored. He had always walked into Jerusalem, but this time in fulfilling the sign of the messiah-king coming to Israel, as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9, He calls for a donkey.

But why an unbroken foal of a donkey – ἐφ᾿ ὃν οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἀνθρώπων ἐκάθισε, 'on which no one has ever yet sat'?

Because, all which is lost through human disobedience is restored in Jesus Christ – as and when the Spirit of the Lord Himself considers good, right and wise.

have foolishly tried to find the meaning of the special unbroken/un-ridden status of this foal in temple-ritual concerning used-animals being not fit for sacrifice, but a donkey was itself a ritually unclean animal in any case, and this idea misses totally the point which the bigger picture of Holy Scripture gives us.

For our sake, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated in Himself the obedience of a humanity-without-guilt, bearing God's representative-authority within a fallen environment, which included His own human body; fallen from the original state of freedom into the natural bondage of corruption in which we all presently share.

fallen condition of our environment, which includes the animals as much as our own bodies, is well expressed in Paul's statement –

Until Christ returns, every healing, every raising of the dead, is an exception to this present fallen norm.

Likewise also, Balaam's unexpected experience of communication with his faithful donkey, and Christ's direction of the unbroken colt of a donkey as He rode it through a crowded and noisy street into Jerusalem, were exceptions to this present norm.

it must also be remembered that, as exceptions, these were signs of God's authority inherent in His original intention for us, which has not changed. So today – there is no limit today to the nature of the revelation of God through us within His creation as He chooses.

Yet, some have foolishly taught that, even though Jesus said –

– that Christ was the 'limit', and so the word 'greater' simply means by multiplication through many believers as opposed to the single person of Jesus. This is patently not true!

the Christ walked on water; but Philip the deacon was physically transported by the Spirit to Azotus.

rebuked a fig tree and it died; but Peter the apostle rebuked Ananias and later Saphira and they died.

is no limit!

Yes, these are exceptions, but with meaning. They are signs of the authority of God according to the nature of God – through the image-of-God restored in our human relationship to this world, as we were originally designed to rule in His name/character.

this reason these incidents are recorded for us in Acts, the first history of the Christian Church, as an example to us of a faith-obedience, that does not seek sensation, nor draw back from the impossible – in the name of Jesus Christ in Whom all who believe are already seated in heavenly places as regards their status before God, Who is over all.

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