Who Told You?

The Voice of the Lord

Intro —————— The Word

Amen! Alright, you can turn in your bibles to Genesis chapter 3. I’m excited to share with you what our Father has been showing me lately. I’m excited to share with you His heart for you and His invitation to go deeper in your relationship with Him. This Christian walk is so much more than the routine of going to church and studying the Bible. It’s so much more than singing some songs and listening to bible teachers on a podcast. It’s more than drinking some juice in a tiny cup and eating a wafer. In fact, this walk is none of those things.

The Bible says that there’s no other foundation that can be laid than that which has already been laid, it is Christ Jesus. While those things are all really good things and we get to do those things, if your walk is founded upon anything other than you simply knowing Jesus, your creator and savior, you’re never going to turn the corner, you’re never going to go deeper to discover all that God wants you to know about Him and about you.

Honestly, as I say this, I know that it sounds like something a bible teacher would say, it sounds very cliche. And so truly, the invitation is straight from the Lord who is stirring up those who will respond, and there are few who find out exactly what this means.

This walk is more than memorizing the Bible, it’s more than having coffee with a brother or sister in Christ. It’s more than imitating those who have been walking with God longer than you. Though it is good to imitate those who love Jesus, but they can only get you so far (and it’s not very far at all).

This walk is for you and for you alone. This walk is the revealing of the very God who crafted you with all of who HE is. This walk is the revelation of God’s heart for you, His kid, and His desire for you to belong to and to be known by Him. This walk is meant for you to know the voice of YHWH, the Holy Existing One, the Creator, who loves you; to know His voice.

From the beginning, the voice of God has brought order out of chaos. His voice has brought light where there was darkness. The voice of God has brought life where there was no life. He is the voice that spun all of creation. He spoke existence into existence. This is the voice we’re going to discuss tonight. This is the voice who will be speaking tonight.

Opening the Bible and reading the words on the page will not save you; Retaining the knowledge of the scriptures will not get you anywhere. But we get to examine the Word tonight as it is how we learn of God’s heart and nature.

As scripture unfolds, the very nature of God becomes more and more clear as He weaves together stories of men and women who hear His voice and respond. His heart for these characters is spelled out clearly at times, and hidden between the lines for us to uncover at others.

Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”

The words we find in this book are pure, Holy - Set apart that we may read them, and not stop there. That we may we read them and make the decision to trust Him, that what He says is true and that He will keep His Word.

Now the next verse in Proverbs 30 is also key: Verse 6 says, “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

We have a responsibility to discover God’s intention and purpose in these verses and others like it; we are not to add to or take away from the Words of God, especially for those who teach the Word and who Shepherd the flock of God.

Concerning the “oracles of God” and those to whom they were committed, Paul writes in Romans 3:3-4, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”

Who is he talking about? Those who don’t believe? Those who hear it? No, this verse is for those to whom the scriptures have been committed; they themselves missed the understanding and so were swallowed up in their unbelief. Notice the connection to belief and faithfulness regarding the handling of scriptures.

2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

That word of “rightly dividing” means to clear a path, to cut a path. Anyone’s job and responsibility as a Bible Teacher is to carve out a clear path from the words on the page to the understanding of the hearer’s heart, to shed light on the heart of the scriptures, to give the right understanding of God’s heart for the hearer.

When this does not happen, God is misrepresented. And we know from the Bible that God deals with those who lead His children astray. Consider the Sons of Eli and James chapter 3 for instance.

While there exists the responsibility to clearly explain the Word and to give an understanding of God’s heart, there is also a trust that the Spirit will bring the increase in the heart of the Christ follower thereafter.

We get to partner with God in teaching them God’s heart so that He may reveal His voice. Which is all that truly matters.

All that matters is the response of the believer in submitting to God’s ways over their own, a willingness to seek and then listen, trusting that God will keep His Word, that when they draw near to Him, He will draw near back. This is faith.

All that matters is that you would believe that you can be in a relationship with God because of His grace, not because of your ability to maintain a good standing with a righteous and holy God by your own works.

I believe that I can be in an intimate relationship with God because I am found in Christ. I have an intimate relationship with my Heavenly Father, not because of what I do, but because of what Christ has done.

I don’t need to earn my right to be in a relationship with God. Some people aren’t going to like this truth. I don’t have to memorize scripture to be in good standing with God. I don’t have to fast once a week or for weeks on end so that He’ll speak to me or answer a prayer. I don’t have to serve in children’s ministry 4 times a month so that God is well pleased.

I don’t need to be a Pastor or a Bible teacher to hear His voice.

We’re going to read Genesis 3. I want you to notice what Adam and Eve experience immediately after they fall and notice how God responds.

Section 1 —————— The Problem

READ Genesis 3:1-3

Notice, the serpent spoke without the permission of Eve. He initiated. Our enemy does not need us to invite him in before he makes his pass at us. There is nothing wrong with you when you hear the voice of the enemy. But be on guard when he starts speaking.

Some things to know going into the rest of this chapter:

God spoke the universe into existence. God spoke and the light cut through the darkness. His voice entered and His light disrupted what was once the absence of Him. Where there was death a darkness, life and light entered.

We have some patterns in the first few chapters that help with our understanding of this third chapter.

In chapter one, we read over and over that “God said”. The word for “God” in the Hebrew is “Elohim”, and speaks of a divine rulers - it is indeed plural.

The pattern for creation is “Elohim said” and then after the thing being created was created, we see “Elohim saw that it was good.” So Elohim said and Elohim saw.

Before the Fall, the phrase “Elohim said” appears 14 times, and then after the fall, 7 more times.

The phrase “Elohim saw” is written 7 times and is only in chapter 1.

There are 3 blessings in the first 2 chapters. One for the sea and winged creatures (not for the creeping things - God does not curse what he has already blessed?). One for the Humans that He made in His image (the blessing to be fruitful and multiply, just as He did?, to have dominion just as He does.). And one for the seventh day, the day of sabbath rest. That day is blessed by God.

In chapter 2, there’s a new phrase we’re introduced to after the creation account including the day of rest. We zoom in on the generations of the heavens and the earth, and we learn of this Elohim’s name. In chapter 2 and 3 the phrase “Lord God” or “YHWH Elohim” is written 19 times.

Okay the numbers. You can get caught up in the numbers for sure, but God can use even numbers to bring understanding and clarity and simply a blessing because it shows that He cares about the little things. Even from the beginning, we get a glimpse of God’s perfect care for the smallest of details. The patterns of 7 are significant. There’s perfection and double perfection before the fall. And then a complete fall but God is still in it. Thus a total of 21 times “Elohim said” shows up.

There’s perfection in the blessings that God gives.

What about the 19 times for YHWH Elohim? Well, it may be meaningless. But I was blessed by viewing it this way, that the whole creation account and fall of man is not where the story ends. With the two cursings from the mouth of God, there’s a plan for redemption and perfection restored. Hope persists because this Elohim is unlike any other Elohim. He is the perfect and complete existing one.

Genesis 1-3

14 “Elohim said” before the fall, 7 after.

19 “YHWH Elohim”

7 “God saw that it was good”

3 blessings

2 cursings

As we jump into chapter 3, we notice a break in the patterns. No longer was it “Elohim said” or “YHWH Elohim said”, but now a new character is speaking, “Has Elohim indeed said”? Bringing into question all of existence. And perhaps it’s a fair question.

But Eve’s response gave the serpent the insight he needed, which was that she didn’t actually know what God had said; she didn’t know the word of God completely. She has the truth but it had become twisted in translation.

Did you notice how it had changed? “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it…”. Adam must have told His wife on one of their first dates through the garden, “and these trees, we can’t eat from…you know what, it’s probably best, don’t even touch them; you will die. Oh look, a platypus!”

READ Genesis 3:4-5

The serpent, so smart and so cunning, spoke what was true; but it was twisted. He even used the same exact word for “die”. But he was speaking of a physical death. Adam and Eve did not know that the cost would be their intimate relationship with life Himself. And if you’re separated from life Himself, you are dead. This is the death of which the Bible speaks. They did not know what it meant to be dead spiritually. They would be alive but completely lifeless.

Look how clever the response of the enemy is, how powerful his lure to distrust God’s Word. “Your eyes will be open”. Obviously you’re missing something if you don’t even know what’s going to actually happen. “You will be like Elohim” Wouldn’t it be nice to be make your own rulings and decisions? “You will know good and evil”. You will know for certain what is right and wrong.

Notice the desires at the root of those appeals. A desire to have understanding so as to not be lacking anything (James 1:4 “…that you may be complete lacking nothing). A desire to have dominion (sounds like the original blessing, right?). And a desire for the ability to discern right from wrong; perhaps so that we don’t displease God?. The serpent knew exactly how she was wired, these things were in her. *All good things by the way! And even from YHWH Elohim. But they had been twisted by the serpent.

Speaking of desires, look at the next verse.

Section 2 —————— The Ignorant

those who don’t know His voice

READ Genesis 3:6

Another break in the original pattern. No longer “Elohim said” and “Elohim saw that it was good”. It’s now, the serpent said and “the woman saw that it was good...” Good for what? Good for her own desires. Good looking, the result would be good and it’s coming from something beautiful that God had made.

1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away (dying and death), and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides (remains, does not perish) forever.”

All of sin and the reality of the fall of the Fallen is summed up in those three things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Do you see those things present in Eve’s encounter with the serpent? Even believed that she was lacking in some way. That YHWH Elohim was withholding something from her. That Adam and the rest of creation wasn’t enough and would never be enough.

Her desires (which are present pre-fall by the way; and they are good) coupled with the idea that they must be there because she is somehow lacking and the ability to do something about it for herself (freewill; also a good thing from God), resulted in the lust for more and then the violation of God’s command. Eve had believed the word of the Serpent over the Word of God.

Then she gave what she had to her husband. This is maybe obvious but worth saying every time. Your sinful actions don’t ever just affect you. They affect the people around you whether you see it or not. We think we’re so sly and that we’re good at covering up those things that don’t honor God. But the truth is that it shows up in how you speak or how you show up or how you engage or how you react. OR maybe it’s not even obvious, maybe it shows up in spiritual warfare in your home and you blame it on a bad day or sickness or depression. There is access given to the enemy when you engage in secret sins.

More than that, there’s something worth noting and for you to consider. Adam was there with his wife the Bible says, seemingly the whole time.

Adam, in the moment between Eve eating of the fruit and him eating the fruit had the decision of a life time. In that moment he was still without sin. If he had not eaten the fruit, could he have died for the sins of his wife? Perhaps. Though not necessarily honorable, Adam chose to lay down his life for his wife. He was going to die for her either way. He chose to be with her and I wonder if he understood the consequences. He desired to be one with his wife (a really good thing), and that desire was exploited with a twisted reality.

Or maybe, since they were already one flesh, when Eve ate, sin had already entered. Adam, made the decision by not stopping here or standing in the gap as the serpent spoke to her; he was deceived also because there was truth coming out of the voice of the serpent. It sounded good.

Do you know the story of Balaam and Balaak?

In Numbers 22, King Balaak of Moab had thousands of new neighbors when the Israelites setup camp in a plain of Moab. He asked Balaam the diviner to curse the Israelites.

Balaam inquires of YHWH about what He should do and YHWH refused Balaam from going. Then Balaak offers much more and Balaam says he will inquire of YHWH again. Then that night, the word changes and it says that “Elohim” came to him and told him to go.

The the Angel of YHWH stands in the way of Balaam and his donkey. The donkey speaks which is not weird to Balaam at all lol. And Balaam goes anyway.

Balaam had heard YHWH’s voice. But he didn’t know YHWH’s voice enough to distinguish it from the voice of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

Balaam does not know how to distinguish the voice of the Lord. Later in the story, we see that he actually has an understanding of the will of the enemy, which is to divide from within, after he sees that he can’t actually curse the children of God. Rather than submit to God’s voice, he continues to listen to the enemies voice because the enemy continues to appeal to his lustful desires.

One more thought before we move on. I heard a pastor teach recently on fear. There’s a question that Christians tend to ask when we’re faced with life altering decisions.

“Do you have a peace about it?” This seems like a reasonable question. But there’s nothing in the Bible that indicates that we’ll have a perfect peace before we face the things that God would have us to face. In fact, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, all faced with major life altering callings on their lives, were in desperate need of encouragement because they were discouraged and afraid. God had to say to Joshua over and over, “Be of good courage and don’t be afraid for I will be with you.”

When discussing God’s perfect peace in Philippians 4, the verse that proceed it talk about being anxious for nothing and in everything give thanks. There’s an order here. That when we do face things that bring anxiety, we are to give them to God.

Psalm 94:19 says, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”

And when letting His disciples know about the cross He’s facing, Jesus says in John 16:33, “these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

And when He faced the cross, the amount of pressure from the stress He was under caused Him to sweat drops of blood! Our Savior!

It’s not that there won’t be fear or anxiety; I would submit that there should even be a sense of being unsettled. “hard and narrow is the way that leads to life” right? So a peace about the situation is not what we should be looking for. The peace that passes understanding, the peace the comes to guard our hearts and minds is found only in Christ. It’s trusting in Jesus in the midst of my anxiety.

That pastor said this, “when you ask, do you have a peace about it?” you’re accidentally discipling Christians into letting a Spirit of fear drive and make their decisions. The right question is, “has the Word of God spoken about it?”

READ Genesis 3:7

Check this out, the root word for “covering” is a verb that could be rendered as “ to restrain” 🤯

What were their eyes open to?

Shame. Fear. Loss. They learned the absence of good for sure.

Check this out, the root word for “naked” is also a verb and it means “to be crafty” or “to take crafty counsel”.

They became like “Elohim” for sure, they became like the serpent. Or they at least became aware of his tactics. but had only themselves to blame. What were the accusations like after they had fallen?

Another way “naked” could be translated is “subtle”

Man, the enemy has this plan to steal, kill, and destroy. And if he can’t do that, he’s going to minimize your glory. Adam and Eve were made to connect with God and with each other. That was their glory. The enemy stole their glory. He minimized their ability to do those things. To be free, vulnerable, and without shame in front of each other. Yes, they covered themselves up to hide from God. The consequence of hiding from God, they were hidden from each other.

Section 3 —————— The Forgetful

Those who know his voice but have forgotten or misunderstood his heart

READ Genesis 3:8-10

How heartbroken must have the Lord been hearing Adam say this?

I know He already knew everything. I know. Jesus already knew that Lazarus was dead. He already knew that He was going to raise Him from the dead a few moments later! And yet “Jesus wept” as soon as He saw Mary heartbroken.

Adam and Eve heard the “sound of of the LORD…” what’s the sound of the Lord? Interesting, verse 10 Adam says “voice”.

It could be rendered as “the sound of instrument”. Whoa, like in Revelation when John hears the voice of a trumpet saying “come up here”! So cool.

The voice of God, the very voice who spoke all of the beauty of this world into existence, that was the voice they heard and they were afraid?

Do you remember the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19?

After a major victory on Mt Carmel, facing off against the 800 prophets of Baal and the evil queen Jezebel, the great prophet Elijah finds himself on the run, afraid for his life after Jezebel threatens to take it.

Such tremendous faith in God, to call upon Him in crazy ways, to see Him come through and then to be afraid because of the word of a wicked woman who has manipulated her way into power? It almost doesn’t add up.

But Elijah had forgotten the voice of the Lord and had begun to believe the whispers of the enemy.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Elijah wasn’t afraid because of Jezebel’s voice. His fear is made known in his own statement, “I have been very zealous for YHWH Elohim”.

He had begun to believe that this zealous faith had gone over board. The enemy used the very glorious part of Elijah against him.

Elijah had forgotten the gentle grace of YHWH, the one who provided food for the long journey on the run.

He had believed that judgement was coming for him at the hand of God because what he had done was too much. Killing those 800 prophets, those who mocked God and stole Israel away from Him.

And so for 40 days he hid himself from God, waiting for Him to strike. Asking God to just do it already.

READ 1 Kings 19:11-14

Elijah thought that God was in the mighty wind, earthquake, and fire. But God was reminding him that He wasn’t in those things against Elijah at all. Elijah had to be reminded of God’s heart for him. His heart was that there was still purpose and that he wasn’t alone.

Now don’t get me wrong. God will not be mocked.

To those who are perishing, God’s Word stands true. The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. They are perishing because the reject the Word of eternal life, Jesus.

Isaiah 30 speaks of the glorious voice of the Lord which will be heard, and that through His voice, the enemies of God will be beaten down. The breath of the Lord is like a stream of brimstone.

Just as the Word of God is true regardless of your faith in it or not, where sowing to the wind reaps the whirlwind and sowing to the flesh reaps destruction, so too the very same voice that brings life and hope to those who are His, is the same voice that brings fire and judgment to those who choose to reject Him.

Often, as believers, in these bodies, this body of death, we slip into unbelief and we forget the voice and heart of YHWH Elohim, our good Father.

We are so easily choked out by the cares of this world as we face having to provide for our families, or having to grieve the death of loved ones, or the loss of a job.

And yet, for those who are found in Christ, God is faithful to gentle remind us of His faithfulness, even in the midst of our faithlessness.

I think of when Jesus arose to calm the storm - Matt 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25.

Jesus responded to the fear of the disciples, who were afraid to die, and felt as though Jesus didn’t care. He responded with the Word “Peace” to the many storms (the wind and the waves AND the anxieties of the disciples who had simply forgotten that the Sonny of God said there was work to be done in the other side., “Peace, be still”.

Jesus does this for us when He sends us a brother or sister in Christ, who reach out just because and when we hear the Word, we are reminded of His goodness and His faithfulness. And it’s needed often. That’s why the Bible says that are to be filled continually.

Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

As we grow in the Lord, as we grow in our walks, I think especially early on that there’s a fear of the Lord that is twisted because we just don’t know the Word nor His heart.

And so with an immature reverence, we find ourselves in a similar position to the Israelites at the bottom of the mountain afraid to even go near it, because they were afraid of the thunderous voice of God.

In Deuteronomy 4:33, they ask, “who can hear the voice of god and live?”

But they just didn’t know Him.

But Jesus came to flip it, to make a way where there was no way.

And same for us, those who are His, He meets us in the midst of our forgetfulness and His Words lead us to life.

Adam and Eve are going to encounter the grace of God who will bring a true covering. Provision and a promise to be restored to life.

Section 4 —————— The Remnant

Those who know His voice

READ Genesis 3:11

“Who told you that you were naked?”

It wasn’t YHWH.

But He knew. God was giving them an opportunity to come to Him. To meet Him and to know His restoring love.

There was consequence, yes. But notice, the things that God cursed were not the things that He had already blessed. The things that were cursed were not those children of His whom He loves.

He could have taken life away from them. But He in His Grace, not only made a covering for their sin, but He made a promise for full restoration. He let them know His heart for them.

In the previous verse, The word for voice in the Hebrew, denotes sound and words. The root word denotes appearing and being made manifest; as in coming into light, and the shedding of understanding, truth becoming known. It is where we come into understanding of the deep things of God.

READ 1 Corinthians 2:9-12

God wants us to know His heart. And the Spirit in us testifies of these things! The Bible speaks of deep crying into deep. The Spirit of God speaks to the Spirit He has given to us!

My sheep know my voice. There is great comfort and great hope knowing His voice. That when He calls out to us, there is safety. There is protection. There is guidance. There is hope.

2 Peter 3:9 “the lord is not slack concerning His promise (word)…”

Promise: epiangelio - upon and professing - the professing is in a direction to someone specific. The Word is life and the promise of life rests upon the one who receives it as though it’s going to come to pass. And that very hope of life gives life before it’s fulfilled.

Just as the spirit comes upon (Epi), breathing new life into our life, so the promises of God give life right now; and will ultimately be fulfilled when we have the new eternal life in His presence.

There is a promise of safety and security in the promise of a “future and a hope”. A promise of life continuing and a dissipation of fear when His word is received. Just because you don’t hear this promise doesn’t mean it’s not true that God has a future and a hope for you. You just need to tune your heart to His voice. How? By reading the Word. Reading the Word downloads and installs an ability to discern our Father’s heart and voice.

If you’re a parent, Do you not know your child’s voice? When you’re at a crowded park for instance, you can pick out the cry of your little one in the midst of the noise of all of the other kids. Your ear is tuned to their cry, tuned to their little voice.

Here are some verses for you as you consider the voice of GodZ

John 3:8 those who are “born of the spirit” is a likened to the sound of wind

John 5:25 - those hear the voice of the Son of God will live.

All four gospels contain the account of God’s voice from heaven confirming that Jesus is His Son

John 11, Jesus with a loud voice called Lazarus from the grave

“Do you also want to go away? No, we have come to know that you are the Christ and in you are the Words of eternal life…” John 6

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “god-breathed…that the man of God may be complete”

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

A great “sound” of a trumpet. Matt 24, revelation 4:1 “come up here

The Bible speakers of God’s voice be like a voice of many water and The sound of a trumpet (interestingly those same trumpets, do they not bring judgement in later verses?)

The 7 diadems, the 7 horns, the crown of judgment??

Outro —————— The Hope

I want to know the Lord’s voice so deeply that my voice sounds like His voice in any situation.

I’m not interested in finding my voice, nor in people hearing my voice. I’m focused on learning my Father’s voice and I desire that my family and my people will know the voice of our good God, even in the midst of the noisiest society ever.

SHARE: my dream and the little boy I carry around who’s lifeless…

I left behind a little boy who only dreamed of building Lego and playing Mario bros because I thought it was my job to take care of the people around me. I thought it was fault if they weren’t okay.

But my Father gently reminds me of His voice and His heart, “who told you that you needed to take care of everyone?”

And so I ask you now:

“Who told you that you have to make sure everyone is okay? Who told you that you can’t play? Who told you that you have to prove yourself worthy? Who told you that you have to be right about everything? Who told you that you couldn’t fail? Who told you that everything will fall apart unless you hold it together? Who told you that you have to do it by yourself? Who told you that you are alone? Who told you that you’re not fit for use?”

Who told you that you have to cover your shame?

Who told you that you are not good enough to be God’s son or daughter?

Who told you?