In the old Testament Almighty God Himself permitted animal sacrifice why now does God change his mind and stops the sacrifice???
It would seem from the beginning our invisible God, in order to make himself know to his children of faith, he used the temporal created things of this world so that we could understand him and walk by faith (the unseen eternal).
Living things that had the breath of life. Fowl of the air, fish of the sea or beast of the field.. again to teach us how to mix faith (Hebrew 4:2) using the different formulas as tools for rightly dividing.
2 Corinthians 4:18 comes to mind as one. In doing so hiding the spiritual understanding from those who do not mix faith in what they hear.(Hebrew 4:2) Metaphors in ceremonies were used to preach the suffering of Christ beforehand and the glory that did follow up until the time of the first century reformation. (the end of the use of those metaphors ) New ones for the restored government.
This included all the beast of the field to include mankind as part of that preaching the gospel in respect to the same suffering of Christ beforehand. Jewish flesh was set aside to represent both belief as clean or redeemed (faith) and unbelief, unclean (no faith) of mankind. This is not in respect to their literal flesh and blood but a metaphor used throughout the bible. Animals like a Ass classified as unclean. The uncleanness had to with representing those not redeemed like natural man in need a savior typified as a Lamb. The same with the Ass it must be redeemed or the neck would be broken to symbolize no mercy.
Balaam's Ass like the flesh of a outward unredeemed Jew show us God is not served by the flesh of his creation (human hands) in any way shape or form .
The gospel below.
Exodus 13:12-14 King James Version (KJV)That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord's. And every firstling of an
ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt
not redeem it, then thou shalt
break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among
thy children shalt thou redeem. And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
According to Job23 He who is of one mind and always does whatsoever his soul pleases in that way. He performs the things appointed to us as a imputed righteousness ( Philippians 2:12-13) he makes our new heart soft.
But he is in one mind, and who
can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For
he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:Job 23:13-16
Picture of Christ coming on the last day a Ass into the heavenly Jerusalem (Zion) prepared as his chaste virgin bride the church, as a sign he is not served by the human hands of un-belief, the unclean.
We will all receive our new incorruptible (the clean) . In the twinkling of the eye on that last day
Zechariah 9:8-10 King James Version (KJV)And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. Rejoice greatly,
O daughter of Zion; shout, O
daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and
riding upon an ass, and upon "a colt"
the foal of an ass. ( First born) And I will cut off the chariot from
Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.