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by Kevin Pauley
My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27 HCSB
What does God’s voice sound like? Throughout the Bible, many people heard it with their physical ears. Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze and in their sin-ridden guilt hid from His calling voice.[1] Their son, Cain, also heard from God after he had killed his own brother in a jealous rage.[2]
Lest we think God only shows up when we’ve messed up, we need to recall the Lord’s wonderful call to Abraham that included Yahweh’s promise of a land of his own.[3] Of course, that covenant required something of Abraham as well, but in His mercy, God only required devotion in return for His many benefits.[4] He has not changed in the intervening millennia.
Jacob not only had that covenant renewed[5], but he actually got to wrestle with the Son of God![6] Oddly enough, the theophany decided a physical defect would be the proper memorial of the encounter.
It isn’t until we get to Moses that we start getting an idea of what that divine voice sounds like. Moses had heard from God before[7], but when he heard from the Lord on Mount Sinai, God’s voice sounded like thunder.[8] This seems to be the most common testimony; I’ve come across at least 11 such descriptions[9] in the Bible.
Still, others describe God’s voice as the sound of the roar of many waters[10] or of a vast crowd[11]. Giving us insight into the power of Cherubim, the mighty roar of Yahweh’s voice is also compared to the thrumming of their wings.[12]
God’s voice also has musical overtones. Isaiah said that Assyria would be shattered by the voice of the Lord and that it would sound like tambourines and lyres[13]. John predicted that God’s voice would not only sound like the rumbling of loud thunder but also like harpists playing on their harps[14]. Its sonic complexity even includes the sound of trumpets![15]
It’s not all thunderous roars, trumpet blasts and musical overtones, however. Elijah’s encounter demonstrates that Hashem can, when He chooses, speak softly when His servants are tired and discouraged[16].
Regardless of the sound, the source demands our immediate compliance. It is far more important to know WHAT Elohim is saying than HOW He says it. Jesus taught that recognition of God’s voice resonating deep within is a hallmark of the righteous. It is vital that we develop an inner ear[17] that can distinguish God’s voice in the cacophony of conflicting truths that are enveloping us.
We need to not only hear, but recognize and follow[18].
[9] Exodus 19:19; Job 37:2-5; 40:7-9; Psalm 18:3; 29:3-9’ 68:2-3; 77:18; 104:7; Revelation 14:2; 16:17-18; 19:6
[10] Ezekiel 43:2; Revelation 1:15; 14:2; 19:6
[15] Exodus 19:16-19; Revelation 1:10; 4:1
[17] Matthew 11:15; 13:9,13; Mark 7:16; Revelation 2:7,11, 17,29; 3:6,13, 22; 13:9
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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