I have enjoyed learning to crochet over the years. I never accomplished the complex and intricate methods that some gifted artisans can create, but I have mastered the “Granny Square”. With this simple crochet technique, I have been able to create blankets in so many different colors and patterns. One thing I have always been amazed at is how a huge blanket can be constructed with a single, ongoing piece of yarn that, if unraveled, would stretch for over a mile!
The Word of God is also like a beautiful tapestry that has been woven over many centuries by a number of fantastic wordsmiths, “holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) And part of the beauty is being able to follow a single thread that wends its way through the Scriptures like a strand of pure gold.
I would like to trace to you one such lovely strand today that weaves through the Bible starting in Exodus, reappearing in Deuteronomy 4, turning through Psalm 68 and ending up with a twist in Hebrews 12 and 2 Peter 1. This is a strand about how God speaks to men and what His voice is like. I encourage you to read these chapters together for the full and exciting impact. Let’s follow this thread’s interesting journey…
Look first at Exodus 19:16 and 20:18-19, when God physically appeared to the Israelites at Mount Sinai,
“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled…Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’”
This encounter with God was more than the people could endure; they begged that the Lord would not speak directly to them . And so terrifying was the sight that even Moses himself said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling!” (Hebrews 12:20-21) Yet, at the next appearance of this thread, Moses had to remind the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:11-12, of what they saw and heard on that day (as if any of them could forget?),
“Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; only heard a voice.”
Then, the thread turns in and out of Psalm 68:7-8, 11, 28, & 33,
“O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, (Selah)…Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God…The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it…Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us…To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of Old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice…”
And finally, here comes the twist. This time, instead of appearing at Mount Sinai, the LORD God uttered His voice in fulfillment of His divine plan from Mount Zion, from the heavenly Jerusalem, to those who were with His Son on the earth,
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18)
And Hebrews 12:18-29 proclaims that God’s voice from this heavenly mountain is not one to be afraid of, but one to run toward and accept.
“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.'” (Hebrews 12:25-26)
Thus, through this single thread that has been unraveled through time, we can see that God speaks to His people in real and tangible ways. And if He did this for so many faithful eyewitnesses, He will do it also for you. It might not be an audible voice that you hear, but you can be sure that God is speaking to you His Word, His promises, His will for your life. If you can tune in to His still, small voice that rises up in your heart, it will become louder and louder as you draw closer and closer to His presence. And He will speak glorious things to you that will bring life and light to your whole being.
“So we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts…” (2 Peter 1:19)
I pray you will hear the voice of the Lord speaking clearly to you today and that you will be blessed as you trace His wondrous threads of gold through the tapestry of your Scriptures.