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Passover connection between donkeys and Messiah
In this study
Yeshua’s triumphant entry (Matthew 21)Balaam shouldn’t have had to hear it from his donkey (Numbers 22:21–33)Meanings of four offerings in the TorahIs the problem that your ‘donkey’ is unbridled? (James 1:13–27)
“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.” Exodus 13:13 NASB
When God inflicted the final plague on the Egyptians in killing their firstborn, this event persuaded the pharaoh to drive the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in the early morning hours of the 15th of Nisan (first month of biblical Israel’s calendar). The next day, on the 16th of Nisan, God told the Israelites that they will set aside the firstborn that He has now purchased them as His own. God now owns the firstborn.
The firstborn who are covered here are the firstborn sons, not firstborn daughters. The redemption of the first born of male livestock and male humans make sense. The first born male of livestock must be offered to God and the firstborn of humans must be redeemed, but the outlier is the redemption of the first born of the donkey, or any similar animal, such as horses.
For a donkey, you can either redeem it with a lamb or goat, or you have to kill it by breaking its neck. It can’t be offered as a sacrifice on God’s altar. You also can’t redeem it with money like you do for a first born son. The donkey must be redeemed with either a lamb or a goat.
It does seem odd that the donkey is the only unclean animal that must be redeemed or be killed. What did the donkey ever do to anybody? Why kill it?
The donkey is a symbol of us. Just as the lamb or goat stands in place of the donkey, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), the Lamb of God, takes our place. If the donkey is not redeemed, it is killed. If we are not redeemed, we will die.
Why does God use the donkey in this symbolism. Why is the donkey the only unclean animal that has to be redeemed, and not dogs or cats? There’s a reason why God chose the donkey for this symbolism.
There are several important stories in the Bible in which a donkey plays a pivotal role. The first one is recorded in Genesis 22, where we read about the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. In this text, and a few others, we will learn what the bible teaches regarding the donkey’s tasks. Hint: Its physical and spiritual duties are similar.
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:1–3 NASB)
In this story, we see that the donkey’s role is as a beast of burden. It’s job is to carry stuff too heavy for humans to carry. Abraham’s donkey was carrying the sacrificial implements needed to offer up Isaac. The donkey’s job was to carry the offering to the ...
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By Hallel FellowshipIn this study
Yeshua’s triumphant entry (Matthew 21)Balaam shouldn’t have had to hear it from his donkey (Numbers 22:21–33)Meanings of four offerings in the TorahIs the problem that your ‘donkey’ is unbridled? (James 1:13–27)
“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.” Exodus 13:13 NASB
When God inflicted the final plague on the Egyptians in killing their firstborn, this event persuaded the pharaoh to drive the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in the early morning hours of the 15th of Nisan (first month of biblical Israel’s calendar). The next day, on the 16th of Nisan, God told the Israelites that they will set aside the firstborn that He has now purchased them as His own. God now owns the firstborn.
The firstborn who are covered here are the firstborn sons, not firstborn daughters. The redemption of the first born of male livestock and male humans make sense. The first born male of livestock must be offered to God and the firstborn of humans must be redeemed, but the outlier is the redemption of the first born of the donkey, or any similar animal, such as horses.
For a donkey, you can either redeem it with a lamb or goat, or you have to kill it by breaking its neck. It can’t be offered as a sacrifice on God’s altar. You also can’t redeem it with money like you do for a first born son. The donkey must be redeemed with either a lamb or a goat.
It does seem odd that the donkey is the only unclean animal that must be redeemed or be killed. What did the donkey ever do to anybody? Why kill it?
The donkey is a symbol of us. Just as the lamb or goat stands in place of the donkey, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), the Lamb of God, takes our place. If the donkey is not redeemed, it is killed. If we are not redeemed, we will die.
Why does God use the donkey in this symbolism. Why is the donkey the only unclean animal that has to be redeemed, and not dogs or cats? There’s a reason why God chose the donkey for this symbolism.
There are several important stories in the Bible in which a donkey plays a pivotal role. The first one is recorded in Genesis 22, where we read about the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. In this text, and a few others, we will learn what the bible teaches regarding the donkey’s tasks. Hint: Its physical and spiritual duties are similar.
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:1–3 NASB)
In this story, we see that the donkey’s role is as a beast of burden. It’s job is to carry stuff too heavy for humans to carry. Abraham’s donkey was carrying the sacrificial implements needed to offer up Isaac. The donkey’s job was to carry the offering to the ...