Birding at Helena’s Regulating Reservoir, our guide asked us to close our eyes. By sound, he identified more birds than we saw. We heard doves’ soft coo-oo followed by two or three louder coos. The loud, excited series of 3-6 klee! notes came from the kestrel hawk zooming by.
Friend, this column focuses on vigilantly listening, not to birds, but to words we read/hear, especially God’s. We’re not eavesdropping, but almost!
Our culture stimulates our visual addiction. But, here we communicate with words. What a gift.
words, words, and God’s Word
Still, some words are mere verbiage – yadah, yadah, yadah. And worse – in my next column, I’ll consider abusive words used in lying and slander.
But, here we marvel! God created heaven and earth by speaking words! And, he reveals himself by words! Jesus is called the “Word” made flesh! Marvelous/momentous!
Other idols, “god-impersonators,” like the sun, moon, and stars – reveal themselves as they are, primarily as images. “Idolatry” compounds the Greek words, “eidolon,” “image” or “figure”, and “latreia,” “worship.” Like those addicted to the image they present on social media, we can worship what we see. Image attempts to dictate.
Still, other ideological impersonal “god-imposters” – like Freudianism, communism, scientism and globalism use words to unwrap their systems. But, hollow systems produce hollow people.
We need more
Invisible God leaves his fingerprints in the nearly unfathomable design of nature. And Invisible God dictates/charms through words, revealing his character, his plan, his person.
Words give us the meaning of persons. When we are apart, words can bring us together. “Language is the narrow bridge across the abyss between soul and human soul. So it is between us and the Soul of the universe. At Sinai, Infinity spoke and the world trembled.” (Jonathan Sacks, “Celebration and Ceremony” 285)
Before the world trembled, Moses trembled. God spoke with him One-on-one.
Over 600 years later, again on Mt. Sinai, God also spoke One-on-one with Elijah. “Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper” (ESV, ‘a sound, a thin silence’; lit. ‘a still, small voice’). (I Kings 19:11,12) This is “the sound beneath the sound.” (Sacks, “Numbers,” 50)
God reveals himself neither in wind, earthquake, nor fire, but in sound/word to Moses and Elijah.
Still, who will bow down his ear to hear the sound beneath the sound – eavesdropping on God?
The fruit of a listening tradition
A young maiden matured among some who were attentive – attending weekly synagogue, hearing Scripture. Mary learned to hearken to words.
Most unexpectedly, great angel Gabriel came to despised Nazareth to speak to alert maid Mary. “’Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the ‘saying’” (‘logos’).
“Logos” is “the expression of a thought, reasoning.” Jesus is the “Logos” of God – no one truly expressed/expresses God like Jesus.
Back to Gabriel, Gabriel declared that Mary, a virgin, would give birth to Messiah. Mary replied, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your ‘word’” (‘rhema’ – ‘a spoken word’). (Lk 1:26-38) The Latin is: “Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.” The “verbum” (“word”) that she would be mother of Messiah was for Mary “fiat.” Glory!
Jesus
Mary and Joseph, both attentive to the Scripture, raised One who depended upon and relished God’s word even more.
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, after a 40-day fast, Satan tempted him to make stones into bread. Jesus: “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every ‘word’ (‘rhema’) that comes from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4)
Nourished by God’s word, Jesus, with his unrivaled voice penetrated unseen dimensions, dismantling disease, bringing healing to those who were pleading for mercy – “the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.” (Mt 4:24)
With his imposing/arresting voice, Jesus rebuked a terrifying storm: “‘Silence! Be still!’ The wind ceased, there was a great calm.” (Mk. 5:39)
Still, those spiritually-hard-of-hearing would not follow Jesus. Starkly, Jesus informs his disciples: “‘No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the ‘words’ (‘rhema’) of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:65-69)
Fast forward to the cross. Usually, the crucified shrieked or fainted. Crucified Jesus spoke seven vital “words.” Hear crucified Jesus’ first extraordinary “word” from the cross: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24) With words, Jesus prayed and loved when no one else could or would.
“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” (Jn. 7:46)
Jesus/us
Friend, how do you explain the origin of language? Like the One who created you in his image, you speak. Extraordinary!
Let’s speak truly. We must “give account on the day of judgment for every careless word (we) have spoken.” (Mt. 12:36)
Bowing down our ears, let’s hear God primarily through Christ and the Scriptures. Listen! God is speaking. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the ‘word’ (‘rhema’) of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17)
Christian, “you have been born again through the living and abiding ‘word’ (‘logos’) of God. ‘The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the ‘word’ (‘rhema’) of the Lord remains forever.’ And this ‘word’ (‘rhema’) is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
Note 1: “The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.” (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Section 10 [1643-1648]):
Note 2: “It isn’t that the Bible is true. It’s that the Bible is the precondition for the manifestation of truth. Which makes it way more true than just true. It’s a whole different kind of true.” (Jordan Peterson, 1962-, podcast)
Note 3: Readers, this is column #100 for me! Some of you regular readers say you are part of a whole “congregation.” One said: “We are friends who haven’t met yet.” Readers and IR, thank you for persevering. The good news has been preached to you.
