Does God have a voice? Obviously, He does. He is able to communicate to man through the spoken word which becomes the written word. When God speaks, we should be attentive unto His voice. The first point of the covenant model is God is transcendent and imminent. This means that He is above us but near us at the same time. He is sovereign over man because He is the creator of man. Being the Creator means that He determines the law. 1 Kings 19:11-13 reads, "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?" God has a still small voice that He speaks to us with. When you read His word, this still small voice speaks to your heart.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
We read in Leviticus 18:1, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying," in Leviticus 19:1, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying," and in Leviticus 20:1, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying." This is what is known as direct revelation. Numbers 12:6-8 says, "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" God spoke with Moses mouth to mouth or face to face. He had privileged communication from the Lord. What follows in Leviticus 18, 19, and 20 comes directly from the throne of God. Moses is being used as a mediator between God and Israel.
Leviticus 18:2-5 reads, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. 5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them:I am the LORD." This is a warning that God’s people are to be a separate people.
This is what Paul had wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." God’s people are to be different than the people of the world. We do not have the same values and lifestyles. Our lives are to be epistles of grace read by every man.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 10:2, "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." To follow the ways of pagans is a direct violation of the word of God. We are not to learn their ways but they are to learn ours. Exodus 23:2 says, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment." We are not to be followers of the crowd. Just because everyone is doing something does not make it right. Holiness of life automatically brings separation from the world.
We are not to think our own thoughts but to think analogically that is to know God’s law and obey it. The prophet Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 33:30-33 tells us what we are not to do, "Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them." Many people go and hear sermons and say wasn’t that wonderful but they do not apply the word to their own lives. They are hypocrites. We are not to imitate them.
Conclusion
James 1:25 tells us what we are to do in regard to God’s law, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." Do you want to be blessed? Obey God’s law.
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