What can we learn about God's nature from hearing His voice and living? Setting the Scene: Deuteronomy 5:26 “For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and lived?” Israel has just heard God thunder the Ten Commandments from the blazing summit of Sinai. The nation stands trembling, amazed that they are still alive. That single sentence opens a window into several beautiful truths about God’s nature. He Is the Living, Speaking God • Not silent, not distant, not an idol of wood or stone (Jeremiah 10:5). • Scripture consistently pairs “living” with God’s voice—life issues forth when He speaks (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:9). • Deuteronomy 4:33 echoes the same wonder: “Has any people heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?” Holiness That Consumes, Yet Mercy That Preserves • Fire at Sinai signals His blazing purity (Hebrews 12:29, “our God is a consuming fire”). • Exodus 33:20 reminds that unmediated sight of God would mean death. • That Israel hears and survives reveals restrained judgment—mercy folded right into His holiness (Psalm 103:10). Personal, Relational, Covenant-Making • He speaks directly to a gathered people, inviting covenant fellowship (Exodus 19:5-6). • His self-disclosure forms the basis of relationship; obedience flows from hearing (Deuteronomy 6:3-5; John 10:27). • The “living God” title later becomes the psalmist’s longing: “My soul thirsts for God, the living God” (Psalm 42:2). Mediator Required, Mediator Provided • Israel pleads for Moses to stand between them and the fiery voice (Deuteronomy 5:27). • This anticipates the greater Mediator—“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). • Through Him we “draw near with a sincere heart” (Hebrews 10:22) and still live. Life-Giving Power of His Word • The same voice that could destroy instead sustains: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3; quoted by Jesus in Matthew 4:4). • Hearing and keeping His word equals life (John 5:24). Takeaway Snapshot – God is vibrantly alive and actively communicates. – His holiness inspires awe; His mercy enables survival. – He seeks covenant relationship, providing the Mediator we need. – His spoken word isn’t merely sound; it is life itself. Hearing His voice and living tells us that the blazing, righteous God delights to reveal Himself, spares those who listen through His appointed Mediator, and sustains them with every word He speaks. |
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