The inspiration to write The Value of Animals came to me as I was reading the story of Balaam and his donkey (Num 22). Balaam was a diviner, a senseless peddler of God's commandments, whom the king of Moab solicited to curse the then-advancing Israelites, because he and his people feared them. The king sent some messengers to Balaam, and for the diviner's fee they paid, Balaam asked God whether he should grant the king's request. God told Balaam to refuse, as the Israelites were His chosen people. The messengers delivered that message to the king, whereupon he sent a more distinguished delegation to Balaam, to make the same request but with a richer offer on their lips. Foolishly, Balaam sought God 's guidance again, as if He somehow might be swayed by the better pay. To dupe Balaam into having his foolishness revealed to him, God told him to go with the men, to their king, but to follow His commands along the way.
On the road to Moab, an angel appeared three times before Balaam and the donkey he was riding, to make them turn back. Each time, the donkey saw the angel but Balaam could not, making it impossible for him to know God's will. Each time, out of fear of the angel, the donkey became uncooperative, and each time, Balaam struck the donkey for its apparent misbehavior. After the third incident, God enabled the donkey to speak. The donkey pointed out to Balaam that he had been riding it all his life and that it was not in the habit of disobeying him. To conclude the episode, God revealed His angel to Balaam, who told Balaam that he would have killed him if his donkey had not avoided him. In this way, God made Balaam seem less perceptive than a donkey.
As I reflected on Balaam's story, its main point, that God is steadfast in His commitments, was not lost on me; but I took note of another aspect of the story as well: the story presupposes that we have a sense that it is immoral to strike an animal for no good reason. God expects us to understand the indignation the donkey expresses when it begins to speak; He expects the story to make sense to us as it is written, without a direct statement that Balaam had sinned.
As a result, I felt called to study God's will as it relates to our treatment of animals. Like many people, I had read and heard certain, isolated biblical verses about our relationship with animals, but, on this occasion, I began to question whether those verses represented the sum total of God's guidance. The story of Balaam and his donkey suggests that one of our spiritual responsibilities is to treat animals kindly. I set out on a quest to confirm this suggestion, and it led me deep into the Bible and to many of its wonders and mysteries. God incorporates animals into countless verses of the Bible, and the high profile He has given them assures that they contribute much to His teachings.
I pray that The Value of Animals will benefit people and animals alike, a prayer that, the Bible teaches, harmonizes with God's plan for us. I feel blessed to have been chosen to undertake this project. It has given me a greater appreciation for the fathomless depth of God's Word. The Bible's store of wisdom is boundless, and writing The Value of Animals has strengthened my belief in its power. I pray that reading The Value of Animals will enrich your faith journey, as writing it has mine.
I have written the book with an eye toward making it accessible both to Christians and to non-Christians. In this way, I hope to have produced a work that will bear as much fruit as possible. I pray that the book will prompt those of you who aren't Christians to take a first or a fresh look at the Christian faith. In his parable of the lost sheep, Jesus relates that your repentance would spark an especially joyous celebration in heaven (Lk 15:7). If my book were to play a part in that, then my efforts will have been worthwhile.