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MOHC Blog

A daily dose of encouragement from David and Marilynn Chadwick. 

Writer's pictureDavid and Marilynn Chadwick

by David Chadwick


Balaam’s donkey is today’s hidden hero. Yes, my hero today is an animal. This may make you laugh at first to think of a donkey as a hero, but you’ll see why as we unfold the story.


You will find the story of Balaam’s donkey in Numbers 22 and 23.


Balaam was a mighty and wealthy prophet who could pronounce blessings or curses. God told him not to prophesy a curse against Israel. When the king of the Midianites asked him to curse Israel, he, at first, refused to do so. But as the price of payment for the curse became higher and higher, he began to compromise his conviction.


In the New Testament, Balaam is talked about in the books of Revelation and Jude. Here’s the bottom line of Balaam’s life: he loved money. As the Midianite king began to offer more and more money, Balaam became increasingly tempted to pronounce a curse against Israel.


One time, as he was moving toward Israel to speak, his donkey kept moving off the road. The donkey saw an angel that forbade it from moving forward!


Finally, Balaam hit the donkey because he couldn't understand what it was doing. The donkey spoke up to Balaam! Can you imagine? A talking donkey! It asked Balaam what in the world he was trying to do? Why was he hitting him, yes, but mostly wanted to know why he was disobeying God?


The donkey’s unusual actions halted Balaam…for a while. But ultimately, as the NT tells us, Balaam gave into temptation. After settling down and apparently enjoying the tidy sum of money the Midianites gave him for pronouncing the curse, the Israelites eventually killed him.


What’s the point? God can use anyone, yes, even a donkey to speak on his behalf! And sometimes the donkeys of this world, common lovers of Jesus, are smarter than our supposed superstar prophets!


Make sure you speak God’s truth about anything and everything you see in this evil, dark culture. God wants to use our voices. Human voices. To speak his warnings and truth.


But remember: if you don’t let him use you, God will happily use a donkey if he has to!

Writer's pictureDavid and Marilynn Chadwick

by David Chadwick


Joshua and Caleb were a significant duo in the Bible. They are definitely more well known Biblical figures, but their daddies are two of my hidden heroes.


Yesterday, we learned about Nun, who was Joshua’s daddy. Today’s hidden hero is Caleb’s daddy: Jephunneh.


Found in Numbers 32:12 and Joshua 14:6, Jephunneh is referred to as a Kenizzite.


We don’t know much about Jephunneh, but we do know a lot about his son, Caleb.


There is a very good chance that someone who turned out as powerfully as Caleb probably had a very good dad.


If you remember biblical history, Caleb and Joshua were the two spies who originally went into the Promised Land. Unlike the 10 other spies, the two of them came back with a good report. They spoke to how beautiful the land was and how God was bigger than the giants, the walled cities, and the challenges before them. Joshua and Caleb sought to instill faith in the people, challenging them to look at the size of their God, rather than the size of the giants. But the people failed to heed their exhortations.


40 years later, when the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land, Joshua led the people, but Caleb, at the age of 85 or so, chose his portion of the land. He chose the portion where the giants were the biggest and the fruit is the most luscious.


Caleb’s life is my favorite example in all of Scripture of someone who didn’t retire, but refired. What an incredible message! God can use anyone at any age for his glory. At the age of 85, Caleb was still fighting and defeating God’s giants.


What faith! What courage! Where did it come from?


I can’t help but wonder if Jephunneh had a huge impact on the characteristics we see in Caleb’s life. It is highly likely that he instilled a fortitude, a stamina, and a faith in Caleb that allowed him to remain strong in the Lord and to experience the Promised Land.


A true hidden hero!

Writer's pictureDavid and Marilynn Chadwick

by David Chadwick


Most people who have been Christians for any length of time have heard of David and Goliath. You’ve probably heard of Adam and Eve, too. How about Daniel? But what about the less common people? Have you ever heard of Nun? He’s today’s hidden hero. A lesser known figure who played a significant role in God’s story.


There are many hidden heroes in the Bible who are either overlooked or never even noticed. I love to find the lesser known figures and extrapolate the importance of their life in the story of God.


Nun was Joshua’s daddy. Found in 1 Chronicles 7:26-27, he was a man from the tribe of Ephraim.


We don’t know much about him, but we know a great deal about his son, Joshua. Joshua became Moses’s successor. He led the Israelites from the wilderness to conquer the Promised Land.


Joshua had a book of the Bible named after him and is most renowned for his declaration, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Perhaps this generational legacy began with Nun, Joshua’s daddy.


While everyone knows about Joshua, I believe his father was the true hero. Joshua most certainly did not become such a mighty man in a vacuum. Nun must have been a wonderful father. And then Nun’s father was named Elishama, who was probably also a God-fearing, wonderful man. Joshua’s entire lineage shows the power of a family line whose men pass on their faith and unwavering commitment to the Lord from generation to generation.


For those of you who are fathers, remember this: when you are raising your sons, you are probably raising your sons’ sons! You are raising the generations to come! Be a great, Godly, and good dad. Who knows? Your grandson may have a significant role in God’s story because of your faithfulness to your son.

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