There are many bizarre stories in the Bible that, to the modern mind, stretches credulity. The thing to remember is that many of these accounts were written down many centuries after the fact. Before that time they were handed down via oral tradition from one generation to the next. I am not casting doubt on the inspired Word of God, but even inspiration needed to be conducted and communicated through imperfect human beings. The stories may have been embellished over time but retain a germ of truth important to know today.
The Book of Numbers, chapter 22:
When the children of Israel left Egypt they were to enter the promised land, but they rebelled against Moses out of fear and were doomed to wander the desert for forty years. During that time they grew to a vast host. Once the unfaithful generation had all passed away, Moses once more led them to take possession of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At that time the land was divided into several small kingdoms.
Balak, the king of Moab, observed the approaching army of Israelites and became very afraid. He sent messengers to Balaam to "...Come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me... For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed." You see, this Balaam was some kind of diviner, but the Lord had other plans for him. As he rode his donkey towards Moab they came to a narrow place in the road surrounded by walls on both sides. The donkey stopped and laid down which made Balaam extremely angry. He beat the beast with his staff to get him up and going again. The Lord opened the donkey's mouth and it said, "Why do you beat me? Have I ever done this to you before?" Balaam could not see what his donkey could: The angel of the Lord with drawn sword blocking the road. The Lord opened Balaam's eyes and it was then he learned that his donkey had surely saved his life.
Balaam arrived in Moab, but to the disappointment of king Balak, he could only pronounce blessings on Israel: "How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?"
Second Book of Kings, chapter 2.
Elijah was probably the greatest of all prophets in Israel. His most notable act is recorded in 1 Kings chapter 18 where he revealed the Lord to be the true God, not Baal. He is also credited for founding the 'School of Prophets'.
Toward the end of his career he made one last pilgrimage throughout the land and at each place he told his disciple Elisha to remain behind. Elisha knew what was about to happen and said, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." After crossing the river Jordan, a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire appeared. Elijah was swept up by a whirlwind and carried away, thus becoming only the second person to ascend alive to the heavenly realms.
There is a long-running program on the History Channel called 'Ancient Aliens'. These UFO proponents give as an alternative explanation that Elijah was whisked away not by a chariot of fire but an alien spacecraft. Everyone is free to choose what to believe. I have made mine.
Second Book of Kings, chapter 4.
Elisha succeeded Elijah as prophet of the Most High. He traveled throughout the northern kingdom of Israel. He was called a wonder worker but would be the first to say it was not he who performed the wonders.
One of the cities he visited was Shunem located in the eastern Jezreel valley. A woman lived there who showed some kindness and one day Elisha asked what he could do in return for her hospitality. She could not say, but Elisha's servant later told him that the woman was childless and her husband was old. He called her and said, "About this time next year you will hold a son in your arms." And indeed it came to pass to the joy of his mother.
All was well as the child grew until the day he came to his father complaining of a headache. He was taken to his mother who did all she could for the boy. When he breathed his last she laid him on a bed and left the house in a hurry. Her urgency was to find Elisha and bring him back. This action may seem odd given that she believed the child was dead, but what if the boy wasn't really dead? Strange as it may seem this mistaken conclusion occurs, although rarely, even today.
Elisha returned with the Shunammite woman, went into the room where the boy was lying, closed the door and prayed. "Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands." Twice he performed this procedure when suddenly, "The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes."
Second Book of Kings, chapter 6.
The northern kingdom of Israel was embroiled in frequent warfare with their neighbor Aram-Damascus (modern-day Syria). Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram-Damascus, twice set an ambush for Joram, the king of Israel, but Elisha sent word of it to Joram. This infuriated Ben-Hadad and he demanded to know who the traitor was. One of his officers said, "None of us, my lord the king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." So Ben-Hadad decided to capture this Elisha. Upon learning the prophet was in the city of Dothan, Ben-Hadad sent a mighty force there.
Early the next morning, Elisha's servant arose to find the city surrounded. This alarmed him greatly, but Elisha said to him, "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Open his eyes, Lord, Elisha prayed. The young man's eyes were opened and he saw "The hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." When the enemy force tried to enter the city to arrest Elisha, they were suddenly stricken with blindness. In this condition Elisha was able to trick them. They followed him the short distance to Samaria, the royal city of Israel, whereupon their sight was restored.
Now you might think Elisha misled them to do them harm, as did the king of Israel. Not so. In fact he instructed the king to, "Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master." An act of generosity, don't you think?
Book of Daniel, chapter 14.
This story is only found in Catholic versions of the Old Testament. My grandfather related this story to me many years ago, so his German Bible must have included it.
The Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and each evening they set forth quite a large banquet of food for it. Sure enough, when morning came the food had all been eaten, or so it seemed. Every day Cyrus, the king of Persia, went to worship it. Daniel, the Hebrew exile, was a good friend to Cyrus who asked him one day why he did not worship Bel? Daniel answered, "Because I do not revere man-made idols, but the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh." This angered the king. "Do you not think that Bel is a living God? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?" To which Daniel answered, "Do not be deceived, O king; for this is but clay inside and brass outside, and it never ate or drank anything." Daniel 14:5-7 RSVCE
That evening the banquet was once more set out for Bel. After the priests departed, Daniel had his servants scatter ashes on the floor of the temple in the presence of the king. The door to the temple was then closed and sealed. They found the door still sealed the next morning. Upon opening the door the king, seeing all the food and drink had been consumed, began lauding the greatness of Bel. That is until Daniel pointed out to him the footprints of men, women, and children in the ashes on the floor. Further investigation revealed a hidden entrance into the temple.
