It's foreign to us.
There's always something.
Coworkers talking. Children playing. Traffic noise. Computer noise. The TV. Radio. Dishwasher.
With all this noise to distract us, it's a wonder we ever expect to hear God's voice at all.
In the Bible, we hear of a man named Baalam who failed to hear God's voice and was enlightened by a very unique experience. "Who dat!?" you ask. Well, here's the story...
(summarized from Numbers 22) Baalam was a prophet recruited by a gang of Moabites to put a curse on God's people. The recruitment process was initiated by the king of Moab, King Balak, in response to the Israelites setting up camp in the plains of Moab. The king felt threatened by their presence, as the land of Moab was not rightfully his to begin with. His army was also not any match for the Israelite army. And, to top it all off, the Israelites had God on their side. Maybe cursing them would give Balak the edge he needed to defeat the Israelites and drive them out of the land.
You would think that responding to a request to hex the people of God because they settled in a land that belonged to them in the first place would be simple.
Nope. Not a chance. No can do.
Not so easy for Baalam. Baalam, you must understand, was highly motivated by fame and fortune. And that is exactly what the King used to lure him in. Like a dog who knows he shouldn't, but jumps up on the counter for that steak hot off the grill, Baalam joined the motley crew.
To give him a bit of credit, he did pray to the Lord before embarking on the journey. The Lord just happened to give him a big "Do not pass go" on the topic of cursing his people, and Baalam sets out, intent on cursing the people anyway.
Thankfully, our God doesn't give up so easy. As they set out on the road to the plains of Moab, the Lord sent not one, not two, but three angels to stop Baalam from doing something he would most certainly regret. Baalam, however, distracted by the task at hand, did not see the angels.
His trusty steed did, though! (Alright, "steed" may be a bit of a noble name for a donkey, but listen to what this one did!). For each time the donkey saw an angel, he stopped, dropped, or rolled in obedience to the angel's instructions to abandon the effort.
And each time, deaf and blind to the presence of the Lord, Baalam beat the donkey and attempted to be on his way.
At this point, I envision the Lord rubbing His temples, wondering why Baalam has to be so stubborn (As an aside, aren't donkeys supposed to be the stubborn ones...?). He's at His wits end (obviously only in a matter of speaking, because God's wisdom is infinite and has no end). How will he ever get this hard-headed man's attention.
"What have I done to you that you have you beaten me these three times?" asks the donkey.
Did that donkey just speak?
The shock factor of the scene opens Baalam's eyes to the angel of the Lord, who reveals the evil of his actions.
I wish we could say this is the last we hear of Baalam and his ignorance, but that is just not the case. Another story for another day.
But there are a few important lessons to be learned from the story of Baalam. As we taught them to the kids this week, they go like this:
- God's people are special to Him. Don't mess with them. (Which we earlier learned that we are a part of. Yes! God has out backs!)
- We must stop and listen for God's voice.
- Sometimes listening to God means giving up things we really want. (In Baalam's case, and many of ours too, this meant the possibility of fame and fortune.)
Our activities this week didn't warrant the kind of quiet attitude needed for listening to God's voice; however, they sure were fun. Take a look!
Thanks for reading! Check back in a few days for this week's lesson update! Until then...
Kenbe fo. Keep strong.
C.
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