"Delivered!"

 "Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away." (John 19:16 KJV)

  "This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other. [Young Woman] 'Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine. How fragrant your cologne; your name is like its spreading fragrance. No wonder all the young women love you! Take me with you; come, let's run! The king has brought me into his bedroom.' [Young Women of Jerusalem] 'How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine.' [Young Woman] 'How right they are to adore you.'" (Song of Songs 1:1-4 NLT)

 If you did not get it, the point was not that Balaam's donkey spoke, but that Balaam didn't really pay any attention to the fact that it spoke, but just answered the donkey, as if he was speaking to another person. He was so out of sorts, being filled with rage, he just wanted to beat the donkey; he couldn't care less if it was somehow able to talk! 

 About this title: "Delivered!" It was not about Jesus being delivered, because He was led away; it was Pilate that had been delivered! Whatever they might think, Jesus was determined to go; more than that, He was looking forward to getting this over with; besides, the time of the Passover was at hand, it needed to be now! 

 Pilate, on the other hand, had finally given in! Matthew Henry puts it in a better perspective, showing how Pilate was yielded to be a man of character, and then turned against his own conscience, yielding to the Jews. Even though he washed his hands over the matter, he could not wash his heart! 

 And then we have those Jews! They, whether they realized it or not, had also been delivered! For without even realizing it, they were handed the honor of leading Jesus to His executioners, making the blood being placed of their hands, which they had previously stayed away from! 

 Much like Balaam, their rage had caused them to disregard the obvious, instead, they were just focused on one thing, and one thing only: Crucifying Jesus! As Matthew Henry puts it: "How he endeavored to transfer the guilt upon the Jews. He delivered him not to his own officers (as usual), but to the prosecutors, the chief priests and elders; so excusing the wrong to his own conscience with this, that it was but a permissive condemnation, and that he did not put Christ to death, but only connived at those that did it."   

 This too was fulfillment of what was written! God makes everything fall into its perfect place! I was fixated on a song that I heard a little of yesterday, "If it's not good, then He's not done!" God makes it all work towards the good, ALWAYS! Believe in Him...

""Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts. "When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violate the covenant. For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars - the forces of heaven - which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses. The witnesses must through the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you."" (Deuteronomy 17:1-7 NLT)