Ever wonder what God's voice would sound like? I imagine His voice would be a deep, rich, James Earl Jones-type bass; reverberating and commanding attention: "H-e-l-l-o-o-o, this is God". Probably Hollywood has had a greater impact in forming this image than biblical truth has.
More importantly, if God were to audibly speak, what would He say? The account of a young boy hearing His audible words is very instructive.
"Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent" (1 Samuel 3.1)
The backdrop for this life-changing encounter with the living God is bleak at best. An elderly temple priest named Eli and his immoral sons typify the spiritual climate of the day. While the temple rituals continued day after day, the God they were designed to serve had withdrawn into silence. The storm clouds of judgement had gathered on the eve of God's encounter with a boy named Samuel.
One fateful night, God broke through to this young boy. Twice confusing God's voice with Eli's (1 Samuel 3.2-6), Samuel was finally instructed by the elderly Eli to listen carefully as God spoke. What he heard was monumentally important, and deeply disturbing:
"I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end." (1 Samuel 3.11-12)
In a single day, judgment would come to a blatantly wicked man and his family, but God would faithfully continue His work through an obedient young man, and all who were responsive.
So, what's the take-away for us today from this ancient story? Perhaps simply that we be attuned to the voice of the LORD in the various forms it might take. Sometimes His voice is conveyed through a chosen messenger, as it was with a man of God send to Eli (1 Samuel 2.27-36). In rare instances, it may indeed by an audible voice, as it was with Samuel. Ultimately, His voice will always be heard in the record of the Bible. And it is here that we should concentrate our most intense effort to truly hear what He has to say.
I'm finding that whatever God has to say, He says it through His Son (Hebrews 1.1-2). My objective in life is to know Him, and to listen as He clarifies what the Father speaks. This is a source of great joy, as well as a remedy to any confusion about the voice of God.
May we each be attuned to God's Son as He instructs us in the will and word of our Father.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
More importantly, if God were to audibly speak, what would He say? The account of a young boy hearing His audible words is very instructive.
"Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent" (1 Samuel 3.1)
The backdrop for this life-changing encounter with the living God is bleak at best. An elderly temple priest named Eli and his immoral sons typify the spiritual climate of the day. While the temple rituals continued day after day, the God they were designed to serve had withdrawn into silence. The storm clouds of judgement had gathered on the eve of God's encounter with a boy named Samuel.
One fateful night, God broke through to this young boy. Twice confusing God's voice with Eli's (1 Samuel 3.2-6), Samuel was finally instructed by the elderly Eli to listen carefully as God spoke. What he heard was monumentally important, and deeply disturbing:
"I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end." (1 Samuel 3.11-12)
In a single day, judgment would come to a blatantly wicked man and his family, but God would faithfully continue His work through an obedient young man, and all who were responsive.
So, what's the take-away for us today from this ancient story? Perhaps simply that we be attuned to the voice of the LORD in the various forms it might take. Sometimes His voice is conveyed through a chosen messenger, as it was with a man of God send to Eli (1 Samuel 2.27-36). In rare instances, it may indeed by an audible voice, as it was with Samuel. Ultimately, His voice will always be heard in the record of the Bible. And it is here that we should concentrate our most intense effort to truly hear what He has to say.
I'm finding that whatever God has to say, He says it through His Son (Hebrews 1.1-2). My objective in life is to know Him, and to listen as He clarifies what the Father speaks. This is a source of great joy, as well as a remedy to any confusion about the voice of God.
May we each be attuned to God's Son as He instructs us in the will and word of our Father.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
posted by steve @ 9:22 AM
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