The Lost Art of Hearing the Voice of the Lord
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In early Bible times Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel and many others heard the voice of the Lord for themselves. They did not have the benefit of a Bible, Bible commentaries, good Christian books, or wonderful pastors and teachers to help to guide them. They had to depend upon what the Lord told them. The Bible does not explicitly state HOW they heard or in what form His voice was communicated.
Please note that AFTER the fall of man, the disobedience of Eve (first) and Adam in the garden, Adam and Eve still heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?10 And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Genesis 3:8-10
So Adam and Eve were conscious that they had sinned, but there is no evidence from scripture that they were repentant of their disobedience. They were undoubtedly overwhelmed by the severity of their sentence, but expressed no sorrow for their sin of disobedience. There was no plea for pardon or expression of sorrow or regret. We will not speculate on what MIGHT have happened if they HAD expressed repentance. However scripture clearly indicates that man in his natural state can still hear the voice of the Lord. Abraham and Moses are prime examples of this fact.
We know that the Lord had given Abraham a preview of events in his family's future up to the point of their possession of the land which He had promised.
And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. Genesis 15:13
Also,
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. Exodus 12:40
The ONLY conflict between the 400 years of Genesis 15:13 and the 430 years of Exodus 12:40 is in our carnal minds. If we read the scriptures more carefully, we see that the children of Israel SOJOURNED in Egypt for 430 years but were AFFLICTED 400 years. In other words, there were 30 years of NO affliction. Those 30 years probably occurred during the time period between Exodus 1:6-7 and Exodus 1:8-14.
6And Joseph died, and all of his brethren, and all that generation.7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:6-7
In Exodus 1:8-14, a new king, who knew not Joseph, arose over Egypt, and began to afflict the children of Israel.
23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of their bondage.24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. Exodus 2:23-25
Why did it take the children of Israel 400 years before they cried out to God? It seems to be part of human nature for us to complain about all of our circumstances. Unfortunately, often our circumstances have to get to be quite difficult before we will look up and ask the Lord for His help. But as soon as our hearts are turned toward the Lord and we cry out to Him, the Lord, in His great grace and mercy, answers us. Thank you Lord! How much easier it would be if we could learn to call upon the Lord even in our "good" times! There are numerous scriptures that speak of the Lord answering us when we call upon Him.
Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3
Note, however that the word "call" means a heart cry from our innermost being. But God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24
When Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea (Exodus 15) the people murmured against Moses when they had no water to drink.
And he [Moses] cried unto the Lord ... Exodus 15:25
Why did the Israelites murmur against Moses rather than crying out to the Lord? undoubtedly because of their self-centeredness and their lack of understanding of the ways of the Lord. They had quickly forgotten what a mighty God they (and we) serve.
He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.
Psalm 103:7
Why did the Lord make known His ways to Moses but only His acts to the children of Israel? because Moses asked for it (Exodus 33). When the Lord provided water in the wilderness the children of Israel once more saw His acts. Then,
And [the Lord] said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26
However, the children of Israel continued their murmurings. So we see in scripture a gradual decline of hearing the voice of the Lord.
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself.5 Now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.6 And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord. Exodus 19:4-9
What presumption! All of the people said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." Shortly after their declaration,
18 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 it, they removed, and stood far off.19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. Exodus 20:18-19
The Lord honored their request. Hearing the voice of the Lord for one's self became a lost art. It remains so, in general, even today. Most denominational churches and even "charismatic" mega-churches hire pastors to hear what the Lord is saying and to tell the people. The spirit of Balaam (ministering for money) runs rampant throughout the church today! Further, this "division" between clergy and laity was NEVER what God intended for His people! In two places in Revelation, Chapter 2, the Lord says that He hates the deeds and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which means, "people conquerors." In many "churches" today, the pastor wears a distinctive robe to make sure the people know that he is clergy, rather than laity. Furthermore, if churches want to hire a pastor and support that ministry, why not support the ministry of an intercessor? or a prophet? or any other ministry? By blindly following the traditions of men, most of our churches have effectively eliminated all ministries except that of the pastor, who generally makes all of the decisions.
A number of years ago I went to a local church for 18 months every Sunday that we were in town. One time I took the pastor of that church to visit several out-of-town churches so other believers could be exposed to his ministry. During that time away he wanted to stop at a very large furniture outlet in High Point, N.C. to look for some new chairs to replace those on the sanctuary platform, and a new desk for his office. There was nothing wrong with the furniture that he already had. When we stopped at that furniture outlet, he ordered $12,000 worth of new furniture. When I asked him if he had permission from the church to spend that much money, he told me that he did not need any permission because he was the senior pastor; he said he could do anything he wanted to do with the church funds. He also told me that in order to draw more people and more money, the outward appearances had to look first class. I really feel sorry for that man.
Scripture also seems to indicate that there is no excuse for not hearing the voice of the Lord. Jeremiah said, in Jeremiah 25:3-4,
3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.4 And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
So Jeremiah spoke to them faithfully for ten years, to no avail. No wonder Jeremiah felt frustrated! He said,
7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision daily.9 Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jeremiah 20:7-9
Why has hearing the voice of the Lord become a lost art? for a variety of reasons: lack of understanding the ways of the Lord and self-centeredness are certainly two such reasons. We also have hardened our hearts.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice,8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ... ) Hebrews 3:7-8
In addition, Christians have become rather lazy, being inundated with good Christian books, Bible commentaries, and good Bible teachers. To hear the voice of the Lord for our self takes more individual effort. It also takes a right spirit. Many Christians are not willing to pay that price.
The Importance of Hearing the Voice of the Lord
When it comes to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the most important word that any Christian minister could ever impart to a new believer in the Christian faith is "how to hear the voice of the Lord for yourself." This is an area that I personally struggled with for a few years after the Lord sovereignly and dramatically apprehended me. I do not recall anyone who ever provided me with any word on how to hear the voice of the Lord for myself.
We might recall that when the Jews came out of Egypt, the Lord rained down manna from heaven every day except on the Sabbath. Each man was to daily gather the manna for himself and for his family. Although that literally happened, it was also prophetic of how a Christian family should function. The father, being the priest of his home, should receive the spiritual manna for his family every day.
I used to sit in church services, have a word come into my mind, and then sit there wondering whether or not that was just my fleshly, carnal mind or whether the Spirit of God had brought that word to my mind as a word that I should share with the other believers present. By and large, I would inevitably "sit on the word," afraid that it might simply be a product of my own, natural mind. I suspect that some other believers have struggled in this same way. How do I know (or even, CAN I know) that the Lord is speaking to me?
I personally believe that when time is no more, the excuse that "my bishop (or elder) told me to do thus and so, or my pastor (or priest) told me to do thus and so" will not be a valid excuse. It is imperative that each believer be able to hear the voice of the Lord for him/herself. Perhaps the best example, from scripture, of the importance of hearing the voice of the Lord, is contained in 1 Samuel, Chapter 3. Hannah told Eli, the priest, that Samuel, Hannah's son, was to be "lent unto the Lord as long as he (Samuel) lived." And so Eli undoubtedly taught Samuel many things about the priesthood, the law, and all of the Jewish customs and traditions. My old Bible contains dates on almost every page for the different events that are recorded in the Bible. If those dates are correct, then Eli taught Samuel for a period of six years. That seems like a long time! Surely in six years, Eli taught Samuel many, many things. But the only thing that is actually recorded in the Bible is that Eli taught Samuel to hear the voice of the Lord for himself. This may have been the most important thing that Eli did in his life. We read in 1 Samuel 3:1 that "the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli." Then,
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 1 Samuel 3:3-10
Note please that in verse one of this Chapter, Samuel ministered unto the Lord BEFORE he knew the Lord and BEFORE the word of the Lord was revealed unto him. It was a form, a ritual, with no real significance in Samuel's life.
Eli told Samuel that if the Lord called him again, Samuel was to say, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." Note that after the Lord called to Samuel again, Samuel actually said, "Speak; for thy servant heareth." Samuel did not say, "Speak, Lord." He only said, "Speak." Why? because at that point in time Samuel did not have a personal relationship with the Lord. After Samuel had told Eli of the vision he had received from the Lord, Eli confirmed, "It is the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:18). More mature ministers today have the same responsibility to confirm (or disconfirm) to younger Christians whether they have heard the voice of the Lord. From that time on, Samuel knew the Lord and knew His voice.
This chapter speaks volumes on the importance of hearing the voice of the Lord. In the seventh year, Samuel started his ministry on earth as one of the major prophets in history. And [the Lord] "did let none of his [Samuel's] words drop to the ground" (1 Samuel 3:19).
Robert Frost wrote a very lovely poem called, "The Road Not Taken." God, of course, is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. God KNOWS what is at the end of EVERY road. We do not. Each one of us makes decisions every day. Most of those decisions are trivial, such as what we should eat for breakfast, what clothes we should wear, etc. Other decisions can greatly affect our lives, such as whom, if anyone we should marry, what job we should take, etc. A major characteristic of decision-making is that we never know what the "other road" would have been like. We must depend upon God. Therefore, since He knows what is best for us at every juncture in our life, we need to ask Him and wait to hear His voice to guide us in the way that we should walk and trust Him completely.
Now consider this. I believe that the Lord wants us to hear His voice more than we want to hear His voice. Toward that end, I believe that the Lord speaks to us in a variety of different ways. Certainly not everyone has heard the audible voice of the Lord. But He speaks to us through scripture, through other believers, through non-believers, through circumstances, and, I believe, in many other ways. The question is, are we sensitive to whatever way that the Lord speaks to us?
In our next message we plan to get into the specifics of how to hear the voice of the Lord for our self. Until then, may His grace ever abound toward you and yours as you seek the Lord daily.
