God's Voice - Part 4
Scripture Reading - Joshua 5:6 KJV
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Today’s lesson will continue to build upon knowing the “Voice of God”. In our previous lesson we set a foundation of Jesus, Thee Good Shepherd, being the “Voice of God” or we could say literally the “Voice of the Lord”. We concluded that if you want to know the “Voice of God” you must be familiar with the “Word of God” specifically recorded in the Holy Bible. In another lesson we learned how the Prophet Samuel learned the “Voice of God” with some guidance from his elder. Thus, many elders are set in the Body of Christ to help younger disciples discern the “Voice of The Lord”. We also spoke about Jesus speaking the “Voice of God” publically and whatever we hear publically through the minister of God has direct impact on our personal lives. In this lesson we will focus on the example of The Israelites because they heard the “Voice of the Lord” coming through The Man of God but didn’t obey Him (God) due to unbelief. The Children of Israel back then (In the Old Testament) are a lot like the Christian today (under the New Testament). For example, when the Children of Israel saw something spectacular they often thought, “Wow, God is speaking to us, give honor and worship to Him!” Likewise, when the Christian sees or hears of something supernatural happening to them outside of the norm they deeply believe God has moved in this supernatural way, let us give glory and honor to God by praising His Wonderful Name. Now don’t get us (ihlcc) wrong by thinking that we are belittling the spectacular or supernatural manifestations of God because we are not. We (ihlcc) believe in both the spectacular and the supernatural including miracles, signs and wonders. However, the mistake we see with the Children of Israel was that they heard Moses and Aaron continuously during their stay in the wilderness but at times they acknowledged that God was speaking through them and they also chose to believe at other times that the words spoken by Moses and Aaron were just words of mere men. Moses is known scripturally as “The Law Giver” which means Moses represents the Word of God in stone unmovable, consistent and unchangeable. Aaron on the other hand represents the speaker of the Word of God, the minister of God. Aaron, although the High Priest of the people, is still known for preaching the Word of God from Moses (the written Law of God) to the people. So, it is obvious that every word coming out of Moses or Aarons mouth was not always spectacular and that made it easy to believe their words are the words of mere man. We see repeatedly with the Children of Israel that they believed God could do mighty acts but they didn’t trust God to always do them on their behalf. This is because they didn’t have a close relationship with God that called for intimate fellowship. So when a need came up in their life their (The Children of Israel) first thought was to go to Moses as the leader of the Children of Israel rather than going directly to God. For they knew not God nor believed He is The Way (The Answer to all their problems) when there is no obvious way. Likewise, many believers hear the word of God coming from the minister saying, “We should love one another everyday all day” but they esteem it as a good word from the pastor when they should be saying God is talking to me. Likewise, many Christians today are looking at the president or their boss to solve their personal problems rather than going directly to God, their Heavenly Father. Yes, the Holy Word of God found in your Holy Bible is God speaking to you personally, so if someone else is reading from the Holy Bible it is still God speaking to you personally. Why do you think so many people don’t realize that God’s Written Word found in the Holy Bible is God speaking to them personal? The answer is at least twofold: first spending time in God’s Word will for sure help you understand God better by showing you God’s nature and His thoughts. Secondly believing that God’s Word found in the Holy Bible is God speaking to you makes you personally accountable to obey what the Holy Bible is speaking to you. This means the scriptures that are written for the Body of Christ are the very same scriptures that the “Voice of Lord” is speaking to me. Yes, we know many believers like the Israelites who pick the verses they like for real life application while ignoring several other verses that apply to them also but they don’t like listening to certain verses that convict their heart. The Children of Israel had to learn the hard way that we can’t pick and choose what is the “Voice of God” by what is agreeable to us. No, we must recognize the whole Holy Bible as God’s Voice to His people. Yes, whether the minister behind the pulpit or your wife standing right next to you when either one starts quoting scripture in your ear it is God speaking to you and you need to pay close attention to exactly what is being said. We (ihlcc) don’t believe in random words just being spoken for no reason. There is always fruit produced by the seed of words. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 12:35-37 KJV that, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Knowing the “voice of God” has its foundation in the Word of God is for our benefit. We must closely measure what is being said in the voices we are hearing and pay close attention to any and every “voice that is from The Lord”. Yes, when you know the “Voice of the Lord” you also know the Lord Himself and knowing Him is life and health to our spirit, soul and body. So purpose right now to not let your pastor or hushand or wife become so common to you that you would ever think God doesn’t speak through them because the truth is “The Voice of God” is always speaking the question is, “Are we listening for Him to direct our life?” Amen!