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Often, God speaks to people in the Bible through the mouth of a prophet. But there were also times He spoke audibly to people. A few examples include Moses, Isaiah, and Elijah. Still, this was not the most common way He spoke.
In our last lesson, we talked about this a little bit. God doesn’t use this method of communication as often as you might expect, so let’s recap why.
Exodus 20:18-22
18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
Deuteronomy 4:33
33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Up until this time, the people of Israel was the only group of people God had spoken to audibly like this. We are told that the reason is because no one could hear the actual voice of God Himself and live.
When we read the account of this event, we see that the people heard the voice but did not see God. What they saw were thick clouds and darkness, with lightning and fire. God spoke to them through the clouds and fire.
Even in this event, we see that the people heard His voice, but it was distant and not directed straight at them. This was God’s mercy—allowing them to hear Him in part, yet still live.
But God called Moses to come into the cloud itself, where He would speak directly with him. Why didn’t Moses die?
Exodus 33:9-11
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:20-23
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
In Exodus 33:11, we’re told Moses spoke with God “face to face.” Yet in Exodus 33:20, God said no one could see His face and live. This confuses many people because they misunderstand what “face to face” means.
The phrase doesn’t mean looking each other in the eye. It means being in one another’s presence.
The Hebrew words are panim el panim. Panim means “face,” but it also carries the meaning of “presence.” So, “face to face” literally means “presence to presence”—two people meeting directly without barrier, distance, or messenger.
It doesn’t mean Moses was staring into God’s literal eyes, because God Himself says no one can see His full face and live. When the Bible says Moses spoke to God “face to face,” it’s using the same kind of expression we use today when we say, “We need to settle this face to face.”
Nobody thinks that means sitting in front of each other staring unblinkingly into one another’s eyes. It simply means direct, unhindered communication. God spoke to Moses without letters, phones, middlemen, or only through dreams and visions. Yet Moses never saw the literal face of God, as we are told a few verses later. This is not a contradiction, once you understand the context.
Deuteronomy 5:24-28
24 And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it. 28 And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
God has always kept a barrier between Himself and mankind. He speaks through indirect means. Even when He spoke with Moses, He hid him behind a rock and covered him, allowing only a glimpse of His glory.
Even the temple had a veil that no one could pass except the high priest once a year. And even then, the priest had to be cleansed from sin and could not look directly on the flame above the ark of the covenant.
We see in Exodus the closest anyone has ever come to hearing directly from God. And the people begged Him never to speak to them that way again. This is why the audible thundering voice from heaven has not been heard since then.
Deuteronomy 5:29-31
29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! 30 Go say to them, Get you into your tents again. 31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
This was spoken after God said the people would die if He spoke directly to them. Too often, we read the Bible without emotion, as if God has no feelings. But look again.
There is a heartbreaking tone of longing in God’s words here. He wanted to be able to speak with His people face to face. He pleaded, “If only they had a heart for Me—if only they feared Me and kept My commandments.” But because they didn’t, He sent them away and spoke only with Moses.
Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
It is because of God’s mighty holiness that He shields us from His glory. Otherwise, we would be consumed because of our sin. This is why God doesn’t thunder His voice from heaven—it is mercy.
Can God still speak audibly with His thundering voice? Yes, if He chooses to. But why would He, when it would destroy us? Why speak to His people with terror when He can speak with peace and gentleness?
God has, can, and will (according to Scripture) speak audibly in this way. But because of man’s limitations, He most often chooses to send His word through people with a heart for Him. To them, He speaks in many ways—but thunder is not required.
He speaks through Scripture, prophets, and in a still small voice, which we will study next. While God may not thunder His voice at us, He still speaks.
Our next study will examine the still small voice of God. We have so much more to cover—we’ve only begun to scratch the surface.
Continue To Unit 4:7 – Knowing the Voice of God: The Still Small Voice of God OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 4 – The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Monica
carmine d'agostino