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Hearing God’s voice

Biblical HistoryFallen manHearing God's voiceMankind

Caught

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

Everyone experiences getting caught. It goes back to the beginning with Adam and Eve. They show us the human response to disobeying God. Still the story shines a light and gives us hope. In Genesis 3:7-10 we read the immediate results of listening to the tempter and ultimately not to God. The beautiful relationship of God and His creation deteriorated to shame, fear and a shattered peace.

Shame

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were naked. They knew no shame. After disobeying God, the first consequence was seeing their nakedness and attempting to cover it up.

Fear

Fear entered next. At the sound of God coming, they tried to hide among the trees. The presence of God now brought fear.

Shattered Peace

The peace of the garden shattered. Adam and Eve hid among the trees. They felt shame and feared the voice of their provider. God called to them. He knows what has happened but still He wants to hear it from Adam. “Where are you?” Adam confessed, not what he had done, but his condition. “I heard Your voice,” “I was afraid because I was naked,” and “I hid myself.” God digs deeper. “Who told you?” “Did you eat from the tree that I said you should not eat?” It is hard for Adam to confess. Instead he says, “The woman You gave me, gave me the fruit, and I ate.” He blamed God, and the woman God gave him. As for Eve, she blamed the deceiver. The garden is no longer a nice place. Thanks be to God, it is not the end of the story!

The beautiful relationship of God and His creation deteriorated to shame, fear and a shattered peace.

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Hearing God's voice

Lamb of God

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

In John 1:29-34 Jesus arrives on the scene. When John sees Him coming, he declares Him as the Lamb of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world. How can this man make such a statement? We see how John can make such a statement as John proclaims the Lamb of God, speaks of his ministry and of the inner witness.

“Behold the Lamb of God”

The Lamb

When John proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” he used an image familiar to the Jewish people. Sacrifice existed deep within their religious understanding. An unblemished lamb was part of that ritual. Without it they had no access to God because of their sinfulness. Apart from this yearly sacrifice they had no answer to their sin problem and therefore no access to God. Now John declares the image in a new form. He relates it to a man. He declares He is of God and proclaims him as the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. John is a prophet. He speaks of a future his natural eyes have not seen, nor understand.

 John’s Ministry

John tells us that at first, he didn’t know Him. However, he did have a call to baptize with water. He believed that through this ministry the Lamb of God would be revealed. It motivated his showing up at the Jordan river, calling people to repent and being faithful in it. He declared One much greater than himself was coming and he did so boldly. So how did he know?

The Inner Witness

John recognized the voice. The One who called him initially to baptize, to prepare the way for the Lamb again speaks to him letting him know how he will recognize the One. It will happen in a certain manner. The Spirit will descend from heaven in the form of a dove. He will rest on Him. This is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Thus, God prepared John. Then when the events played out before him as the inner witness had shown, he could proclaim with confidence, “This is the Son of God.”

This same Spirit yet speaks. As Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” John proclaimed the Lamb of God, spoke of his ministry and of the inner witness.

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