The Bible contains some events that some people find hard to believe.  Let’s consider four of these.

1.  The Serpent (Genesis 3)“Now the serpent… he said to the woman” (Genesis 3:1).  How could a serpent talk?

We should understand that the tempter is actually the devil (cf. Revelation 12:9; 20:2; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 14).  He appeared to Eve in the form of a serpent.  He can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).  God has, at times, granted him certain power over nature (e.g. Job 1:6-19; 2:6-8).

Why would Eve speak with a serpent?  This may be due to her being in a trusting, naive state at this point.  We do not know how long Adam and Eve had been in the garden at this point. 

The curse of the serpent going on its belly and eating dust is a picture of humiliation or defeat (cf. Genesis 3:14; Psalm 72:8-9; Isaiah 49:23; 65:25; Micah 7:16-17). The serpent on its belly is a symbol of Satan’s humiliation.

There is an important lesson we should not miss.  We should reject temptation no matter who presents it, and no matter what form it comes to us. 

2.  The Donkey (Numbers 22)    “Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam…” (Numbers 22:28).  How could a donkey speak?                          

The answer is plainly stated.  The LORD caused this to happen.  The real issue is: Do we have faith in God and in his power?

Why would Balaam speak with a donkey?  Anger is likely the answer.  Devin W. Dean comments, “Consider what anger had done to Balaam; When God grants the donkey the ability to speak, Balaam just goes right into the conversation.  Anger has blinded him even to the miracle being performed in front of his eyes” (Editor Stan Crowley, Studies in Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Eighteenth Annual Schertz Lectures, p. 243).

There are a few important lessons we should not miss.  (1) God should be feared.  The donkey seems to fear the Angel of the LORD more than Balaam fears the LORD.  (2) One should be careful when he is angry.  Anger seems to have temporarily blinded Balaam to reality.  (3) One should not rashly or quickly turn against a servant with a history of loyal service.  Balaam was ready to kill his donkey even though the donkey had been a loyal servant in the past (Numbers 22:23-30).  Moreover, the donkey saved Balaam’s life on this occasion (Numbers 22:31-33).  (4) One should be willing to listen to reason and receive truth, no matter who speaks it.  One writer states it this way: “However God speaks to you listen up… Do you find it hard to believe that your wife’s counsel could be the voice of God?  However God speaks to you, listen up!  Do you get tired of the preacher telling you to open up your hand to the poor and give liberally?  However God speaks to you, listen up!” (Calvin Miller, Preaching: The Art of Narrative Exposition, p. 109).  “Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). 

3.  The Ravens (1 Kings 17).

“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook” (1 Kings 17:6).  How could ravens feed Elijah?

The answer is plainly stated.  The LORD commanded them to do this (1 Kings 17:1-5).  The Bible indicates that God can control animals (e.g. Genesis 2:19; 6:20; 7:8-9; 1 Kings 17:1-6; Daniel 6:22; Jonah 1:17; 2:10). [However, did you know that there have been many reports of crows and ravens bringing gifts to people who feed or show kindness to them? They are very smart.]

There is another interpretation which has been suggested.  Some believe that this does not refer to birds but to people, the inhabitance of Oreb (raven) or Orbo (e.g. Pulpit Commentaries, Clark Commentary, studylight.org).  I am not convinced that there is an adequate reason to draw this conclusion.

Here are a few possible lessons.  (1) Some blessings are conditional.  Elijah had to be in the place God specified to receive the food from the ravens (1 Kings 17:1-6).  (2) God may use the unclean to accomplish good.  The raven was an unclean animal (Leviticus 11:13-15).  (3) It is possible to bring clean food to another and still be unclean oneself.  Charles Spurgeon said, “But see too how possible it is for us to carry bread and meat to God’s servants, and do some good things for his church, and be ravens still!” (enduringword.com). 

4.  The Sea Creature (Jonah 1-2). 

“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights… so the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (Jonah 1:17; 2:10).  There are certain commonly asked questions about this.

What was this, a fish or a whale?  It is called a fish (Jonah 1:17; 2:1; 2:10; Matthew 12:40 NKJV).  Some have rendered it as a whale (e.g. Matthew 12:40 KJV).  The Hebrew word is dahg.  Apologetics Press says this in their Defending the Faith Study Bible, “we conclude… that the word used in the book of Jonah… refers indiscriminately to any type of fish… However, a point of clarification need to be sounded even here.  According to the present zoological nomenclature, a ‘whale’ is not a ‘fish’ – it is classified as a mammal.  Hebrew linguistic experts note no such distinction in the terms used in the Old Testament.  The ordinary term for ‘fish’ (dahg) would not necessarily exclude the whale in its application.  God was under no obligation to classify animals thousands of years ago according to our modern classification scheme” (p. 1653).  The Greek word is ketos.  Apologetics Press says this, “The Septuagint translators (Greek translation of the Old Testament – B.H.) used the same term in their rendering or Jonah 1:17… Arndt Gingrich offers only one definition of ketos – ‘sea monster’… Thayer lists three terms “sea monster, whale, huge fish,’ with the reference to ‘whale’ being merely one possibility” (p. 1636).  We cannot narrow this down anymore.

Could this really happen?  Notice that it says that God “prepared” this great fish to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17). [God prepared four things in this book for Jonah (1) great fish (1:17); (2) plant (4:6); (3) worm (4:7); (4) east wind (4:8)].  Wayne Jackson comments, “Commentators have assembled a number of cases in which huge sharks or whales have swallowed creatures larger than a man (Robinson 1957, 78-79), but such examples actually are irrelevant, for the text states that the Lord ‘prepared’ (appointed) this creature for a specific purpose” (Wayne Jackson, The Prophets, p. 417).

Could one really survive three days and three nights in the belly of the fish?  If one does not deny the power of God, then it is certainly possible. If one denies God such power, then the message of the Bible falls apart (e.g. creation, inspiration, prophecy, virgin birth, resurrection.).  However, some think that it is possible that Jonah died.  He said, “out of the belly of Sheol I cried” (Jonah 2:1) and “You have brought up my life from the pit” (Jonah 2:6).  Is this literal language or figurative language? 

Here are a couple of lessons.  (1) It is far better to listen to God than to go against him.  (2) Jonah coming forth after three days and three nights are a type of Jesus being resurrected after three days and three nights (Matthew 12:39-40).  Do you believe in the power of God?