The Voice of God
The voice of God is a means of revelation that can take many forms, revealing Himself to humanity through various means such as thunder, wind, or a gentle whisper.
John Follette delves into Genesis 3:8, exploring the profound encounter of Adam and Eve hearing the 'voice of the Lord God walking' in the garden. He emphasizes the spiritual significance of this encounter, explaining that the 'voice' they heard was the 'sound' of God moving, not His literal footsteps or spoken words. Follette highlights how God's presence manifests in various forms, such as thunder, wind, or rushing sounds, to reveal Himself to sensitive beings like us.
Text
"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden"
Genesis 3:8.
"They heard the voice of the Lord God walking." It does not say they heard the Lord God walking.
Rather, they heard a voice walking. At first I thought the grammar was wrong, but it is right. Then I
diagramed this verse. Voice is the subject, a noun. Walking is a verb. It is a participle. I thought, who
ever heard of a voice walking.
In the Hebrew text, this word is not "voice" as we use it. It is "sound." When the source of the "sound"
is human, it is called a "voice." They heard the sound of God moving." What was it that they heard? It
was not His footsteps. He had not yet drawn near to them. It was not His voice. He had not yet spoken
to them. This is a spiritual thing.
We are sensitive, responsive creatures and every object has, in a sense, its "atmosphere." Have you
ever been near someone and "felt" their spirit? This is because we are sensitive. The presence of the
Lord is like this. Whenever the Lord moves, He chooses a means through which to reveal Himself.
Sometimes it is the rushing of the wind. At other times it is thunder. The Hebrew text confirms this is
what it was, sound, the "sound" or the voice of God in thunder, in whirlwinds, in winds.
Consider the word, telephone. "Tele" means, the end of; "phone," the voice. The voice at the end of it,"
is the telephone. I followed this through in my Greek Lexicon. I found that it is the same. "Sound,"
which is translated "voice."
Whatever "form" the Lord may take in making Himself known is called "His voice." It may be thunder,
it may be wind. At Pentecost it was the sound of a rushing wind. In the book of Revelation, the word
"sound" or "voice" of God is repeated 44 times. "The sound of the trumpet" is sometimes called the
"voice" of the trumpet, these are interchangeable.
Sermon Outline
- The Voice of God
- The Sensitivity of Humanity
- The Revelation of God's Voice
- The Voice of God is a means of revealing Himself to humanity
- It can be a powerful sound, like thunder, or a gentle whisper
Key Quotes
“They heard the sound of God moving.” — John Follette
“Whatever 'form' the Lord may take in making Himself known is called 'His voice.'” — John Follette
“The sound of the trumpet' is sometimes called the 'voice' of the trumpet, these are interchangeable.” — John Follette
Application Points
- We should be sensitive to the presence of God and His voice in our lives.
- The voice of God can be a powerful sound, like thunder, or a gentle whisper, and we should be open to hearing Him in all forms.
- God's voice is a means of revelation, and we should seek to understand and respond to it in our lives.