the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Ass
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types
or Genesis 49:14 (a) Here we have a type of the consecrated believer who is willing to be a burden bearer for GOD and for man. He bears the burdens of GOD's people, and carries them to GOD. He bears the burden of GOD's message, and carries it to the people. He realizes that a path of rest and peace is good for GOD's. people, and he wants to share in the work of making it possible.
This may also be a type of the Lord JESUS Himself. Certainly He is our burden bearer; he bears the burden of our relationship to GOD, and also our relationship to other people. He too sees that rest is good, and calls on us to cast every burden upon Him, so that we may be free ourselves to carry the burdens of others. Certainly this is a wonderful picture of the ministry of CHRIST JESUS, our Lord. (See Matthew 11:28).
Exodus 13:13 (c) The ass in this passage is typical of the sinner who must be redeemed by the death of the Lamb of GOD, or else be himself lost under the judgment of GOD.
Job 11:12 (a) The ass represents the unsaved parent who gives birth to on unsaved child (the colt). The thought of being "wild" is that the natural man wants no restraint nor does he want to be hindered in his movements. We see this plainly in the little child who wants to do as he pleases on his earliest days. It is carried out through life unless the restraining power of GOD is brought to bear upon him.
Isaiah 1:3 (b) This ass is a type of the unsaved person and of any who are not interested in GOD but only want His blessings and His gifts. The ox in the passage is a type of the believer who loves the Lord and cares more for the giver than for the gift.
Zechariah 9:9 (c) This ass, as the one in John 12:14, represents the believer, who being set free from his old bondage carries the Lord JESUS about wherever he goes so that others may see and know Him.
(taken from "Number in Scripture")
"The 'ass' is the only animal that man is compared to: see Job 11:12, "For vain man would be wise, though man be born a wild ass's colt."
In Exodus 13:13, the first-born of man is classed with the firstling of an ass. Both must be redeemed with a lamb. This is repeated in Exodus 34:20. Nothing less than a sacrificial redemptive act could bring such a being to GOD.
There are28 (4 x7) asses separately spoken of, and with these may be compared the28 (4 x7) 'times' connected with 'vain man' in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
1. Balaam's ass ( Numbers 22:21), "a time to speak."
2. Achsah's ass ( Joshua 15:18), "a time to get," when she lighted off her ass to make her request and get what she asked.
3. Samson's ( Judges 15:15), "a time to war."
4. The Levite's ( Judges 19:28), "a time to be silent," when "none answered," and he sent his desperate, silent message throughout Israel.
5. Abigail's ( 1 Samuel 25:20), "a time of peace," when she met David and made peace for Nahal.
6. Her second ass ( 1 Samuel 25:42), "a time to love," when she went to meet David and became his wife.
7. Ahithophel's ( 2 Samuel 17:23), "a time to die," when he saddled his ass and went and hanged himself.
8. The "old prophet's" ass ( 1 Kings 13:23-24), "a time to kill," when he found "the man of God" killed by the lion.
9. The "man of God's" ass ( 1 Kings 13:29), "a time to mourn," when the old prophet laid him thereon "to mourn and to bury him."
10. The Shunamite's ass ( 2 Kings 4:24-37), "a time to heal," when she rode to Elisha, who restored her son.
11. Mephibosheth's ( 2 Samuel 19:26), "a time to embrace," when he would go and salute David.
12. Shimei's ( 1 Kings 2:40-46), "a time to die."
13. Jesse's ( 1 Samuel 16:20), "a time to live" (21).
14. Moses' ( Exodus 4:20-26), "a time to kill," when he incurred the judgment of Genesis 17:14, and fulfilled the truth.
15. Abraham's ( Genesis 22:3), "a time to get and a time to lose," when GOD demanded back the son He had given.
16. The Saviour's ass ( Matthew 21:5, Matthew 21:9), "a time to laugh," when the daughter of Jerusalem rejoiced.
17. The young, its foal ( Matthew 21:5).
18-28. The asses of Jacob's sons ( Genesis 44:13), filling up the other "times."
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Watson, Walter. Entry for 'Ass'. Wilson's Dictoinary of Bible Types. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/wdt/a/ass.html. 1957.
