My name is Don Key! I am a member of the Equine family. I have been around for thousands of years and have been chosen by The Lord to be one of the first animals to ever speak in human language. Well, that is after the snake spoke in the garden, not that it was a gift from The Lord to it but it was to me. Today I am speaking to tell you about an important occasion I was chosen to take part of. The triumphal entry of the Lord into Jerusalem!
Before I start, I’ve got to tell you some facts about donkeys. Did you know that when God chose the Israelites as the people who would show the world about Him, He chose the donkey for their transportation and to help with their work loads? Well, it is all over the stories in the Scriptures. Did you know also that He forbid them to collect horses for themselves? See Deuteronomy 17:16. Horses were faster and used mostly for war. God wanted his people to depend on Him for their battles.
Isn’t it interesting how confusing things get when God’s commandments are not followed and we don’t take time to understand our purpose? The donkey was also used to carry the leaders and kings of the people and suddenly, the people chose to ignore God’s commandments and got horses for themselves. Some people even worshipped them. We, the donkeys took a lower status, which has been falling ever since.
We have retained our character which is of being hard workers, peaceful and loyal to our masters. My mother used to tell me a story that was found in the book of Numbers 22:26-30 about one of our ancestors who God chose and allowed him to speak to a prophet named Balaam after he had seen an angel of the Lord and his master didn’t.
At the time the Lord Jesus came to this Earth, we were used for transportation and only to carry women, children, the old and weak and the sick. We were meant for much more but I was beginning to think that this was all we were good for. I was young and had never been trained or ridden by anyone. Carrying The King of Kings was not something I though I was in line for.
One day, we were at our master’s land. Our Village was near Bethpage and Bethany. My mother was with me. (Matt 21:7) Two men who we had never seen came and untied us. Our master came out and questioned them. They responded by saying: “Our Lord has need of it” Our master just let them take us without any other explanation. Somehow, I was happy to go! I had a feeling something great was going to happen.
On the way there, the men were marveling as to how “The Lord had instructed them to go to the village and how He had known exactly were we were located and the events that were going to take place as they did. They were also pleased to have done as He had commanded them.
It did not take long for us to reach our destination. When we got there, there was a large gathering of people. It was a happy place! It was as we had emerged into a different world for there were shoutings and excitement! I should have been fearful but I wasn’t. My mom just followed as if she knew what was going on. It was as if the supernatural had taken over the natural.
There was a man there who irradiated purity and light! they called Him The Lord, The King. The people they called disciples, put their coats on me and then they placed The Lord on my back. I Knew Him! He knew me! I don’t know how to explain it except that a different force had taken over but I wasn’t afraid or uncomfortable of having Him ride on my back.
As we walked, people were throwing their coats on the ground and they were also cutting palm branches and shouting Hosana! John 12:9-19 The excitement of the people had taken over me as well! I immediately knew my purpose and how I was to use my skill and offer it to the giver of it! As soon as we were approaching near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully!
They were shouting and praising God for all the miracles they said they had seen the Lord perform. They were saying: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD” “Peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest!
This was Him, whose birth my uncle had witnessed! He was there at the stable and heard what the angels had proclaimed on that blessed night and it was almost the same! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Some of the people they called the pharisees, did not join in the excitement but were upset at the shouting and asked the Lord to stop the disciples. The Lord responded “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
This was Creation accepting its King! it was the fulfillment of prophecy where the old prophet said on Zechariah 9:9 ”
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Sadly, The Lord knew that most of Jerusalem, did not accept Him but rather reject Him. They were rejecting His gift of freedom. He wept and I could feel his sadness! He said: “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you and surround you and hem you in on every side.”
He continued saying: “They will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize “The time of your visitation”
How sad The Lord was! I wanted for Him to make them believe but He wouldn’t. I understood it is a free gift but also a free choice. He so loved us that came into this world to rescue us but would never force people to accept Him. I believe that two things were happening on that day. There was a fulfillment of a Spiritual prophecy and one to be fulfilled fully in the time to come.
I also believe that the people were hoping for a King, who would get them out of their struggles at this time and therefore, in their minds they were claiming victory. They were claiming a physical victory but this was a Spiritual one. The palm tree leaves were the common way to proclaim such. the palm trees were used as carvings in the temple of God and have always been seen as a symbol of fulfillment, triumph and blessing.
When God gave Israel the Law, and when He gave them the times they were to observe, He gave them instructions on how to celebrate The feast of the Lord. Leviticus 23:40 says: Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.
This day was a spiritual conquering day in the lives of those involved including me. The real day is found in revelation 7:9 which says: After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands.
Being the Peaceful creature that I am, The Lord chose me for a sign of a peaceful entry into His Kingdom for such is the character I was created for. This is for a time of peaceful calling to those who hear His voice and are willing to come to Him. On the last day, I am not the one to carry Him but it will be the horse, created for speed, created for war.
Revelation 19:11-16 says: 1 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
You see my friends, I, the lowly seen donkey, was chosen by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for His purposes. No one is less than or more than. We are all created equally to do good works, to fulfill His promises. For He says in Matthew 24:35 that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but His words shall never pass away.
Dining with the Master: Jesus. Milagro Gessler's blog and Miracle quest. 