God’s Voice

Editorial – The Voice of God, part 2

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It has always been difficult for God’s professed people to recognize the voice of God among them in the present. The voice of God through past time in former prophets and messengers is recognized, but the present messengers are usually despised. Examples of this are: the Jews rejected the prophets over and over and killed them but “revered” them after their death. (See Matthew 23.) In Christ’s day the Pharisees claimed to believe the whole Old Testament but rejected the voice of God among them. The same was true for the Christian church—a large contingent rejected Paul while he was alive, but revered him in later ages. (See II Timothy 4:9-16.) The same has been the true with Seventh-day Adventists in recognizing the voice of God today. The question is: will you be one of those select few that recognizes the voice of God today and chooses to obey it?

“I inquire: Do you believe that the testimonies of reproof which have been given you are of God? If you really believe that the voice of God has spoken to you, pointing out your dangers, do you heed the counsels given? Do you keep these testimonies of warning fresh in your minds by reading them often with prayerful hearts? The Lord has spoken to you, children and youth, again and again; but you have been slow to heed the warnings given. If you have not rebelliously braced your hearts against the views that God has given of your character and your dangers, and against the course marked out for you to pursue, some of you have been inattentive in regard to the things required of you…” Testimonies, vol. 3, 362, 363

Just as Ezekiel was told to bear a message to the people whether they would hear or not, so Ellen White was told to bear a message, yet not to attempt to prove that it was the voice of God:

“I fell asleep, and in the night season I was taught of God. My guide said, ‘I have a work for you to do. You must speak the words given you by the Lord. After these words have been spoken, your duty here is done. You are not required to enter into detail before individuals, whatever may be their position or work, if they do not recognize the voice before individuals, whatever may be their position or work, if they do not recognize the voice of God in the message He gives you to bear in His name. All your efforts to remove their doubts will be of no avail if they gather the clouds of darkness about their souls. If you enter into particulars, you weaken the message. It is not you speaking, but the Lord speaking through you. Those who want to know the will of God, who do not desire to follow their own will and judgment, will be easily entreated. They will be ready to discern the right way.’” Upward Look, 339

We each individually have a responsibility to recognize the voice of God when it speaks to us.

“What voice will you acknowledge as the voice of God? What power has the Lord in reserve to correct your errors, and show you your course as it is? What power to work in the church? You have, by your own course, closed every avenue whereby the Lord would reach you. Will he raise one from the dead to speak to you?” Testimonies for the Battle Creek Church, 50

If we do not recognize the voice of God given in the Spirit of Prophecy to His remnant people, it is prophesied that we will not escape the snares for these last days. Neglecting or rejecting the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy is not a minor matter—it will prove to result in the loss of the soul for many Seventh-day Adventists. For the honest seeker plenty of evidence of their origin is available, but even the resurrection from the dead would be to no avail for many in modern Israel. (See Luke 16:19-31.)

Through his Holy Spirit the voice of God has come to us continually in warning and instruction, to confirm the faith of the believers in the Spirit of Prophecy. “Repeatedly the word has come, Write the things that I have given you to confirm the faith of my people in the position they have taken. Time and trial have not made void the instruction given, but through years of suffering and self-sacrifice have established the truth of the testimony given. The instruction that was given in the early days of the message is to be held as safe instruction to follow in these its closing days. Those who are indifferent to this light and instruction must not expect to escape the snares which we have been plainly told will cause the rejecters of light to stumble, and fall, and be snared, and be taken. If we study carefully the second chapter of Hebrews we shall learn how important it is that we hold steadfastly to every principle of truth that has been given.”

Editorial – The Voice of God, part 1

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Since the fall of man in Eden, the tempter has been most successful in reaching men when he is able to deceive them into thinking that his voice is the voice of God. “Men must be in close connection with God, or the enemy will interpose himself between them and God, that they will take his suggestions as the voice of God.” 1888 Messages, 939

In order to avoid being shaken out of with any device of our adversary who is much wiser than we are, we must know with certainty the voice of God and then obey it.

Many times in the book of Genesis God spoke to individuals but in Exodus, He speaks not only to individuals but to the entire world from Mount Sinai in giving His Law. “The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Psalm 68:8. Amid the most terrific convulsions of nature the voice of God, like a trumpet, was heard from the cloud. The mountain was shaken from base to summit and the hosts of Israel, pale and trembling with terror, lay upon their faces upon the earth. He whose voice then shook the earth has declared, ‘Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 340. Concerning what He spoke, He declares “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” (The Ten Commandments are called is covenant. See Deuteronomy 4:13; 5:22.)

Any voice with any message can be compared to the Law of God. God’s voice will never contradict His Law and any voice that does contradict His Law is not His voice no matter what claim may be made. It is this stabilizing knowledge that will be one of the main factors that will keep the elect from being deceived in the times of trouble just ahead. (See The Great Controversy, 622-626.) There are mysteries in the Bible that the wisest minds cannot fathom, but this is not true concerning the law of God. “There is no mystery in the law of God. The feeblest intellect can grasp these rules to regulate after the Divine Mode.” Review and Herald, September 14, 1886

But God’s voice is heard not only in the Ten Commandments. “Do we receive the testimony of the Scriptures as the voice of God? Through the Scriptures, the voice of God comes to us as veritably as it came to Israel when He spoke on Sinai in the audience of all the people. How many of us regard it in this light? If we did regard it thus, what a change would be seen in our daily words and actions. With what reverence and awe would we search the Word of God to know the truth, the medium through which the souls sanctification is accomplished.” Signs of the Times, April 6, 1891. If we could fully realize the truth of this statements, how the Holy Bible would be prized. It would be considered the greatest of any material possession that could be acquired in this world. It would be realized that this Book allows us to have an audience with our Maker Who holds the destiny of every living thing in His hands and has in this Book graciously shown to us how to live so as to obtain life’s best results.

“The Lord has uttered His voice in His Holy Word. Those blessed pages are full of instruction and life, harmonious with truth. They are a perfect rule of conduct. Instructions are given, principles are laid down, which apply to every circumstance in life, even though some particular case may not be stated. Nothing is left unrevealed which is essential to a complete system of faith and a correct line of practice. Every duty that God requires at our hands is made plain…None will err from the right path who meekly and honestly take the Bible as their guide, making it the man of their counsel.” Our High Calling, 36

There are other ways in which the Lord speaks to the children of men, but it is basic to understand that the voice of God will never contradict the Scriptures, especially the Ten Commandments. If the voice of any person, organization, or group of persons, no matter how many miracles are performed or how many signs and wonders, are worked proclaims a message contrary to the established and certain vice which has stood the test of many centuries of criticism and abuse and has given unmistakable evidence of its source, the we may know that, however pleasing, this voice is neither the voice of God nor speaking for God. (See Matthew 7:21-23.)