Two Voices

When I was a would be Michael Jordan on the basketball court of Wheeler County High School, our coach constantly told us we should only be listening to his voice during the game.  As far as he was concerned we could ignore the encouraging voice of our parents in the stands.  We could ignore those chants of the cheerleaders telling those of us on the court we could do anything.  As far as the coach was concerned we should be listening for his voice and no other voice.   

It is too bad someone did not give Abram such advice.  In the 15th chapter of Genesis we hear the voice of God telling a complaining Abram, "I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."  (Genesis 15:1)  The Lord God then took him outside, pointed toward the stars, and said to this man who was worried about not having a son born to him, "...count the stars, if you are able to count them...so shall your descendants be."  (Genesis 15:5)  And finally the Lord opened a vision to Abram that enabled him to see a vast land which would belong to his descendants. With all of this in his ears and in his eyes, he goes into his tent where a nagging wife tells him to take her slave girl and have a child by her so that she and Abram will be childless no more.  

So, here is this man who has been overwhelmed with the voice of the Lord suddenly hearing the differing voice of his wife.  What does he do?  The Word says, "And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai."  (Genesis 16:2)  In the Garden Adam made the mistake of listening to the voice of a woman instead of the voice of the Lord and Abram now is ready to rush into the same sin.  But, let us not be too quick to judge.  We, too, have heard the compromising voices of expediency, personal desires, and getting even instead of the voice of the Lord and like, Abram, we heard those voices and forgot about the voice of the Lord.