Here is a favorite youth Sunday school lesson about Balaam, one of the special people in the Bible. Use this lesson to teach your 6-8 year olds to listen carefully to the lessons that God wants to share with them.
Bible Story:
Tell the story of Balaam in a language that this age can understand. Be sure that it is a simplified version. There are several picture versions in children’s Bibles that are appropriate or you may what to use a paraphrased version such as this:
Balaam was a man who didn’t always listen to God. Sometimes he put his trust in things that did not make God happy. When God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were near the land that he lived on, other people wanted Balaam to scare them off. Balaam had a donkey. When he was riding the donkey to go scare off the Israelites, the angel of the Lord stopped the donkey in the road. Balaam got mad at the donkey for stopping. The same thing happened two other times. Balaam was really mad. The donkey knew God wanted him to stop, but Balaam wouldn’t listen. Guess what happened? The angel opened the donkey’s mouth to talk to Balaam and ask why he was so mean and mad! Then God let Balaam see the angel. Balaam said that he was sorry and asked for God’s forgiveness. God said He forgives, but only say things that are good and nice. God wanted Balaam to love him and all of God’s people.
Discussion:
Why did Balaam ignore God, but listen to the donkey? How does God speak to us?
Activity:
Sometimes God speaks to you in a still small voice, through other Christians, through the Bible, or through prayer. Have students stand in a single file line. Whisper into the first students ear “God says speak only what I tell you” have that student whisper what they heard to the next student and so on. Ask the last student to share aloud the message they received. Compare to the actual phrase whispered and discuss how sometimes we have a hard time listening to God. Repeat with other verses from the story if time allows. (Numbers 22: 21-38)
Activity:
Make a Venn-diagram (two circles that overlap slightly to allow for a common shared area) and compare how God talked to Balaam, and how he talks to us.
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