Some Christian have taken to saying to others, “I have a word for you from the Lord.” The implication is that the speaker has information (or an inclination) from God that applies directly to the life of the hearer. I trust that, in most cases, the speaker is not claiming to have infallible prophetic knowledge to share with the hearer. Nor do I believe the speaker would claim that his word takes priority over Scripture. If these assumptions are true, is there a legitimate place for “hearing the voice of God?”
If we are to believe the Bible, then the answer is yes, but not in the way that some may think. Hebrews 3:7 reads, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice….’” According to the author of Hebrews, hearing God’s voice is a truth backed by the Holy Spirit. It is noteworthy, however, that the author is quoting a portion of Psalm 95. In that psalm the voice of God is calling the hearer to repentance.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Heb. 3:7–11)
To hear the voice of God is not to have sacred insight into where a friend should live, where a son should go to college or who your sister should marry. To hear the voice of God is to receive a divine ultimatum to repent of sin or risk bearing His righteous condemnation. Consider two examples of people that received a word the Lord had for them.
The word of the Lord came to Jonah which he was commanded to bring to the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah was obstinately reluctant to obey. When he eventually followed through, he did the absolute minimum, speaking a single sentence to them from God. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” The word Jonah had for them was very brief, yet they were cut to the heart! When the king heard them “he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” He proclaimed a fast throughout the land, declaring that everyone else must be covered in sackcloth and ashes as well, all the way down to the animals! As brief as it was, God’s word brought conviction to the most wicked of people!
In a different account, it was the prophet Jeremiah that heard the voice of God. He, too, was given a word from the Lord for another and again it was a call for repentance. Jeremiah was commanded to go to the king of the Jews, Jehoiakim, with a singular purpose. “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” (Jer. 36:3)
It appeared to be the ideal scenario. God’s prophet received a word specifically for the leader of God’s chosen people. In fact, God “dictated” the words Jeremiah was to bring to the king. In this case the king ordered God’s Word to be read aloud, and then paused intermittently to tear it up and throw it in a fire! He heard the word God had for him, disregarded it and destroyed them! The judgment that followed was exhaustive.
From this there is a caution and an encouragement. First, bear in mind that delivering a message of the Lord to another is not something to trifle with. If you have godly wisdom to share, then recognize it as such but don’t claim that you have a word from the Lord. Second, God does speak. He calls all people everywhere to repent. This means that you may, in fact, be the instrument God uses to bring His word to another. Be sensitive to being the one that brings God’s call for repentance to others. The Word of God is living and active and you may be the one God has chosen to deliver it. Be ready and be willing to obey the voice of God! Your faithfulness in delivering the Lord’s word to another will not be wasted.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Is. 55:10–11)