Connect John 5:37 with Old Testament instances of God speaking to His people. Jesus’ words in John 5:37 “And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form.” (John 5:37) Jesus is standing before leaders who spend their days immersed in Scripture. Yet He tells them they have never truly heard the Father’s voice. To grasp the weight of His statement, it helps to trace earlier moments when God’s voice rang out in unmistakable clarity. Early echoes in Eden • Genesis 3:8–9 – “They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day… But the LORD God called out to the man, ‘Where are you?’” Even after the fall, God’s voice broke the silence, proving His willingness to speak directly to humanity. Patriarchs who heard and followed • Genesis 12:1 – “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country…’” • Genesis 22:11–12 – “The angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’” • Genesis 26:2 – “The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt…’” • Genesis 28:13–15 – Jacob hears the covenant reaffirmed as the Lord speaks from above the ladder. These encounters show a personal God who guides, covenants, and reassures by audible word. The nation hears at Sinai • Exodus 19:19 – “Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.” • Deuteronomy 4:12 – “Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.” The entire assembly heard thunder, trumpets, and articulate words—yet they “saw no form.” This mirrors Jesus’ way of saying the Father’s voice had sounded, but His form remained veiled. Prophetic whispers and warnings • 1 Samuel 3:10 – “Then the LORD came and stood and called out as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’” • 1 Kings 19:12 – “After the fire came a gentle whisper.” • Isaiah 6:8 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?’” Across centuries the prophetic line is marked by direct speech from God—sometimes thunderous, sometimes barely above a whisper. Glimpses without full sight • Exodus 33:18–23 – Moses is allowed to see God’s back, but not His face. • Numbers 12:8 – “With him [Moses] I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD.” Even Moses, privileged as he was, received only a partial revelation of God’s form. The Father’s full glory stayed concealed. Why Jesus can still say “You have never heard His voice” • The leaders knew the texts but missed their central witness—“these are the Scriptures that testify about Me” (John 5:39). • Hearing in Scripture is inseparable from believing obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Hebrews 3:7–8). Rejecting the Son proved they had not truly heard the Father’s testimony. • God’s voice in the Old Testament always pointed forward: “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him” (Luke 9:35). The consistent testimony of the Father • Psalm 2:7 – “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son…’” • Isaiah 42:1 – “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold…” These proclamations, centuries before Bethlehem, form the backdrop for John 5:37. The Father’s voice in every age converges on Jesus. Living in the light of His voice today • Hebrews 1:1–2 – “God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” • John 10:27 – “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” The same authoritative, literal voice recorded from Eden to Sinai now calls through the Son and the written Word. Treasuring that voice—and trusting the One it magnifies—places us in the long line of those who have truly heard the Father speak. |
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