“These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. And you said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’
“And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever! Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess. (Deuteronomy 5:22-33 ESV)
Have you ever wished that God would just give you a clear answer to a question or request in an easy to understand voice? Kind of like a phone call, where God calls and says “Hey it’s me God, you need to go to the store and get some milk and take to 104 East Street.” If only God’s thoughts were this clear to us… Or maybe like the picture here shows, God asks you what He should do. Would you know how to answer if God did this?
Well we did have that access to God. In the reading from today, the Israelites heard God delivered to them orally the 10 commandments. He spoke to them. And they realized what was happening, and the fear of the power of God over took them. Kind of like when God passed by Moses and Moses saw God’s backside because if he would have seen God’s face he would have died. Like the angels in Isaiah 6 that cover their faces with 2 of their wings, because to see God is death…
So the Israelites heard God speak to them, and said, “No More!” Let Him not speak to us or we will surely die. He can speak to you and you to us for Him.” So they set up the prophets, who they said did not really hear God and did not know what they are talking about. And we do this…
We say we want God to speak to us, but f He actually did we would be so scared that we would not know what to do. Am I saying God does not speak to us? No, He does. Directly even I believe. And He also speaks to us in many and various ways. Through His word, in Jesus, and the Bible and extra biblical books. He speaks to us through friends and family, through strangers. He speaks to us through nature and circumstances that impact our lives… God works in and through everything to speak to us every day.
So do you hear God? Or are you too busy to be quiet long enough to actually listen…
aSacredRebel 