Like the picture, the guy can see the little images and choose which voice he wanted to obey. In reality, we hear the voices, but don't always know the source. In 1977 a movie came out that caused some ridicule from the churches, "Oh, God" , staring John Denver and George Burns; the church could not picture George Burns as God. Watch a minute of the movie at this You Tube link. Oh, God I'm not defending or promoting the movie, but unlike the movies of recent years of naughty angles, etc., this one did have a message (if you could get beyond the actors).
Jesus instructed us about His voice; here are a couple of passages of the Bible, God's message to us:
"Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"" John 18:37-38 NASU
"The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. John 10:3-6 NIV Jesus often referred to those of us that follow Him as sheep and that we know His voice; if others called, we would not follow. But knowing His voice takes practice and it takes concentration to listen and block out competing voices that want to harm the "sheep".
Growing up on a farm with animals and doing my pre-vet work, I learned a few things about sheep (the real ones). They are not the brightest of animals, they are defenseless, if stuck on their back - they can't get up on their own, they smell, and their gestation period (pregnancy) is five months. They need to be cared for, sheared, their feet dipped to prevent infection, their tails docked (cut short), and many other necessary things. Christ's figure of speech of portraying us as sheep is quite accurate in the animal kingdom; we need a watchman or shepherd.
But Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, not only wants us to know His voice and follow Him, but He has a deep concern and love for those outside of the fold. In this passage Jesus again was using sheep as a figure of speech but of mankind. Jesus talked in "parables" or stories because in the culture that was the communication style and the people understood because they related to the story and remembered them.
"Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep .' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."" Luke 15:3-7 NIV I found this video clip for kids, but in this way, I never want to grow up; take a look by clicking the link:
Bottom line is that we were created by a God Who loves us and wants to care for us. He has given us a free will to love Him or not, but He calls to us and searches for us and sent Jesus to walk the face of the earth that we might know Him and hear His voice. We were created to be a part of His Kingdom, not of this earth alone; the choice to follow Him is ours.
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