The Voice of God

“...and you said, Behold! Jehovah our God has revealed His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen today that God talks with man, yet he still lives.” (Deuteronomy 5:24)

Moses tells the Israelites how the heads of the tribes and elders came to him and spoke to him about hearing God’s voice. It was a fearful thing to hear the voice of God coming out of the midst of the fire on the mountain. “And it happened on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain. And the voice of the trumpet was exceedingly loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God. And they stood at the lower part of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was smoking, all of it, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire. And the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and became very strong, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.” (Exodus 19:16-19) It was so fearful to the people that they asked Moses to speak to God for them. “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw, they trembled and stood afar off. And they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:18-19) But they didn’t die when they heard God’s voice.

I’ve heard some Christians say how glorious it must have been and wish they’d live then. This is ignorance of the Word of God, ignorance of God and ignorance of the New Covenant. Those were the days of the Law. The Law is a collection of commands found in the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah. It reveals what sin is and its punishment. It’s God’s standard of perfect obedience and holiness. God’s standard is so holy, no man can keep it.  The unregenerated spirit cannot keep it. The Law served to show mankind what sin is. “But we know that whatever things the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law; so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be under judgment before God, because by the works of the Law none of all flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20) Here Paul states that we are not justified by the Law, by doing good. Doing good doesn’t make one good. Alas, we were doomed under the Law.

Until Jesus, there was no redemption. People were in darkness. In contrast to the Law is God’s grace which was shed on mankind through Jesus. Those who surrender their lives to Jesus have a spirit that has been reborn of God. We cannot live lives in perfect obedience and holiness. But the difference is that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. We are not liable for our disobedience and unholiness. We are found not guilty for our disobedience and unholiness because Jesus took our guilt. He took our punishment. And the debt for our sin has been paid.

In the Old Testament under the Law, God’s voice was fearful. Sin was judged immediately and punished. In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, God’s voice is love. It comes from the Holy Spirit in us. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1Corinthians 6:19-20) Under the New Covenant through Jesus, there is mercy, forgiveness and righteousness for us in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is God in us. He speaks to us and it’s not fearful but loving because we are His; we belong to Him.

In summary, we don’t hear God’s voice like those who lived in the Old Testament. God’s voice comes from the Holy Spirit Who indwells. It comes from within us. It’s internal. It’s important that we speak with God so that we come to know His voice. What God tells us will always agree with His Word.  It will never contradict the Bible. It will always glorify Jesus and bring us peace.