Reel vs Real, Part 1

*This is part 1 of a 4-part series comparing some of my favorite movies to actual events that are shared in the Bible.

SHREK

Back in 2001, I was working as an elementary teacher in a program in Atlanta, GA. One afternoon we decided to take our classes to see the new animated movie Shrek. Initially, I really wasn’t looking forward to this movie, but it instantly became a favorite of mine. The main reason was the character of Donkey. Voiced by Eddie Murphy, Donkey is the hilarious sidekick of the main character, Shrek. One of his most bittersweet traits is his talkative nature. For Shrek, it proved to be both comforting and annoying to have his traveling partner to be such a gabber. For us, it was an animated reenactment of one of the most peculiar Bible stories.

In Numbers 22:1-41, we find the story of Balaam. During the tail end of the wilderness experience of the Israelites, the king of Moab, Balak, became afraid as the Israelites approached. He sent messengers and offers of great gifts to Balaam, who was a man who knew God, to persuade him to curse the Israelites. Balaam consulted God and was initially told not to go curse the Israelites. Feeling the pressure from Balak and the lure of the gifts he offered, Balaam persisted and God eventually told him to go. Along the journey, the Angel of the Lord appeared 3 times to thwart the journey, but was at first only seen by the donkey on which Balaam rode. The donkey attempted to halt the journey every time, and every time Balaam beat her.

“Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?'” Numbers 22:28 NKJV

Not only did Balaam’s donkey speak, but, just like Shrek with Donkey, Balaam actually debated with his donkey over all that had happened!

There are many lessons to be learned here, most importantly to obey God and heed His warnings when you’re on the path to unrighteousness. Another lesson I see is that our God will go to great lengths to aid us in obeying Him, even making animals speak to us. As the Word says, He is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9b). Shrek may be a fictional story on a movie reel, but the lessons we learn from the Balaam story in the Bible are very real. Thank God for His Word.