“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
When you receive an email (or a handwritten letter) from someone you know well, and read through the content of it, do you somehow mentally imagine the person speaking to you? Whose voice will come up in your mind? For me, I would tend to “hear” the words of the email or letter in the writer’s voice. That is only possible because I have talked with the person face to face in meaningful conversation, or have heard from the person memorable words.
To read words from a person whose voice we have never heard, would somewhat put in certain distance between us. Impersonal. Academic or even legalistic. There is a heaven and earth difference between the word of God and the Voice of God. Jesus whom we celebrate His Resurrection on Easter, is the Word of God becoming flesh. He came to us bringing the mind and voice of God, expressing to us the heart of the Father. The Bible is a collection of what God SAID, and not merely what God WROTE!
God wants to establish intimate relationship with us. He wants us to hear His voice, which comes out from His mouth. The words that are carried by His voice have life and creative power. What a privilege it is to us! When He speaks to us, He wants us to know Him and His character. Just like when we read an email or letter from someone we know, sometimes we would say, “This is so him!”. Likewise, when we are accustomed to hearing God’s voice, when we read the Bible, we will be able to discern the will of God, and say, “This is so Him!”.
So determine in your heart, that you will always hear God’s voice, and not just know His words. There is a heaven and earth difference!