THE LORD SPOKE (February 25)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Numbers 7

“He heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony.” (Num. 7:89)

Moses was not the first to hear that Voice. Nor was he the last. The first instance was in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:8, Adam and Eve “heard the voice of the LORD walking in the garden.” The NIV weakens this by translating it “the sound of the Lord God as he was walking” as if it were the shuffle of His feet. But the word “voice” (Heb. kol) is used here. That Voice was heard at various times in biblical history and always with great significance in the lives of those who experienced it.

He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." (Ex. 15:26)

But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? (Dt. 5:25-26; c.f. Dt. 18:16)

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (I Sam. 15:22)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa. 6:8)

...The people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. (Hag. 1:12)

With the completion of the canon of Scripture, God’s voice is heard through what’s written down for us in the Bible. He still speaks. His voice is still to be heard. His guidance still comes to us through His Word. Have you heard the voice of the Lord? Are you listening?

Psalm 29
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

New Testament: Luke 12

“Guard against all kinds of greed.” It seems someone forgot to preach that message in America over the last 50 years. We may not own the disease but it’s like we claim first rights in this country! As some wag has said, “Get all you can. Can all you get. Then, sit on the can.”

Jesus’ words sting because His description of “a certain rich man” strike too close to home. We’ve calmed ourselves a bit by comparing ourselves among ourselves (see what God has to say about that in II Cor. 10:12) and feeling not so terribly rich. But compare America with five billion plus of the world’s population and our wealth becomes embarrassing. Like the men in the story, our national sport could be called, “Wine, Dine, Shine, and Recline.”

The rich man says, “I want to be merry” (Gk. euphron) but Jesus calls him a “fool” (Gk. aphron). In the end he will get exactly the opposite of what he wanted. He will die totally empty! Storing up things for yourself is the certain route to an empty existence. Because your heart can’t be full of things and full of God at the same time (Lk. 12:21), you’re left with a gigantic hole in your life.

But how will we get along? What about the stuff we really need? Jesus answers that in what follows (Lk. 12:22-34) by turning our attention to two insignificant objects - two items we would rarely spend any time thinking about - the birds of the air and the grass of the field. God feeds the birds and He clothes the grass and He can do the same for us. In fact, He does so in a way that surpasses even “Solomon in all his splendor” and is “pleased to give [us] the kingdom” (Lk. 12:32). So what could we possibly lack?

So let’s go back to the bookends of this passage:

12:15 - “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

12:31,34 - “But seek his [God’s] kingdom...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”