God Speaks

​Hebrews 1:1-2 ~ “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
 
Do you hearken to the voice of God? He has given His voice to mankind throughout our entire existence, from the day that Adam breathed his first breath, unto the very final day of man, God is speaking. For multitudes it is an unfamiliar voice, one that is missed because the listener does not desire to actually listen. Like the ruling council that condemned Stephen, they put their fingers in their ears lest they hear God’s actual word (see Acts 7:57). Atheists refuse the voice of God; skeptics ignore His voice. But all who reject the voice of God do so to their own peril. Hebrews 12:25 says, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.”
 
In the past, the LORD God spoke “at many times and in many ways.” There is ample evidence in the Old Testament to verify that the LORD spoke to the people of the earth. He spoke to Adam and Eve after they had sinned in the garden (see Genesis 3:9-24). The voice of the LORD came through for Elijah when he went up the mountain in 1 Kings 19:12-13, “And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” With all that, the LORD’s primary method of communicating with His people was through His prophets who would bring the Word of the LORD to the people. These men wrote down the message of the LORD so that it would carry on for all generations. Peter understood this when he declared in 2 Peter 1:19, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” But what confirmation came for the prophetic word? It was the birth, life, death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. At every point along the progress of the life of our LORD, the Old Testament declared that it would be so. Not one prophetic word concerning the Messiah failed, every one was fulfilled in the LORD Jesus.
 
And now, as our text today declares, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,” we must understand it is of vital importance that you and I pay attention. We learn from John that Jesus is the abiding Word of God. Consider John 1:1-2 & 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Do not do as some who pass off the Word of God as an archaic message that has little value in a modern world. For the timeframe of its proclamation does not negate the truth of its message. For Jesus as LORD declares His word and it rings with the authority of the Maker of all things. For we see in our text for today that Jesus not only is the Son of God, but He is, “appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” If the judge made a way for you to be freed from the punishment of the crimes you’ve committed, would you not treasure those words like gold? And the Judge of all mankind has given us His Word and instructed us on how we can obtain salvation in Christ.
 
As we started in this reading, I ask again: will you hearken to the voice of God? What prevents you from hearing His voice from His word? Simple: a lack of faith. Hebrews 4:2 states, “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” Those who died in the flood did not believe God’s word so they did nothing (see Genesis, chapters 6-7). The firstborn who perished at the first Passover did so because they did not apply God’s word by faith (see Exodus 12:1-32). And those who depart unto everlasting judgment do so because they did not believe the Word of Life (see John 3:18).
 
Hebrews 10:22 states, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” So, today, I encourage you to listen to the Word of God. God is speaking through His written testimony and He calls you to attend to His words by faith.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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