God the Drama King

March 10, 2009

Today's Reading: Numbers 21-22 and Acts 22

In Numbers 21, we learn that if you disobey the Lord by complaining, God will send snakes to kill you. In Numbers 22, we learn that if you obey the Lord by going where he wants you to go, God will send an Angel of Death to kill you.

Don’t believe me? Read Numbers 22:20. God specifically told Balaam to go with the Princes of Moab, and when he actually does it, guess what, God sends an Angel to block his path.

Now, why would God send an angel to kill Balaam when he was, in fact, following His will? There was that clause that said “but do only what I tell you”. So far as I know, Balaam wasn’t pulling a Jonah here. He was going the right direction as far as I can tell.

I’m also thinking that Balaam’s donkey was the one from Shrek, because it spoke. It may not have been as gregarious as Eddie Murphy, but spoke nonetheless. I love how it takes the second line from this jackass to get this other jackass to realize what is up.

So why did God use this animal and an angel. To get this man, Balaam’s attention, presumably. After all, if you read what Balaam was doing, he was apparently blessing certain sides, and cursing them as well.

How was he doing this? Balaam didn’t serve the Hebrew God. He may not have even heard of the Hebrew God until the princes of Moab came a-visitin’.

I guess God had to tell Balaam what is up, in a majorly dramatic way. Thank God he got his attention.

Perhaps we live with a God who values drama. Look at Paul in today’s reading of Acts. He is on trial, about to be thrown in the barracks (a non-fancy word for “prison”). He then decides to use the time to share his testimony, which succeeds at getting a crowd that is already mad at him even madder.

I suppose Paul could have just said: “hey, I’m a Roman citizen, y’all”, but he waits to play that Roman Citizen card until just the last minute. Classic! Does he know how to be the actor, or what?

Yeah, God loves using a little drama to tell us where we are at. And if he wants to make it so we are in a situation where we disobey and we die or obey and we die, that is his business as the chief playwright. However, God isn’t the creepy playwright who secretly wishes a painful death for all his main characters. No, he is divining an ending that is works for everybody, but it might involve some points of high drama. Consider it suspense.