March 20, Day 79 – The Voice of God Speaks the Word of God
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Today’s readings encourage me that God “knows how we are formed, and He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). Numbers 7:66 continues the record of the tribal offerings of various gifts to the tabernacle and to the Levites who had the responsibility to manage it. Verses 84-88 itemize and summarize these gifts, and as we pointed out yesterday, the voice of God Himself came to meet with Moses and to speak with him – certifying His receipt and approval of all these various gifts (verse 89). Here, we read that Moses “heard the voice” of the LORD “speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony.” I want to point out here, that we have a personal God Who “speaks” – He vocalizes His will and His Word – in words. The voice of God speaks the Word of God. We do not serve an impersonal god – a neutral entity of some kind – a popular but impersonal “force.” Our God is intensely personal – He sees, He hears, He speaks, He feels, He can sense aromas, and He experiences joy, sorrow, grief, and laughter. He creates. He reasons. He knows. He not only knows the difference between right and wrong, but also He determines that difference. God is not amoral. He places expectations on His creation, and He holds His creation accountable. He loves, and He hates. Why is all this important? Because each of these characteristics and senses define personhood or personality. God has designed innately into each of His creatures His likeness. We are like God because He, in His personhood, has infused His image – His personal likeness – in each individual. We possess personal capacities only because He gave us those capacities which reflect His personhood. To ascribe anything less than personhood to God (and He is a Trinity – three Persons!) is dishonoring to Him and discrediting to man. This is the point on which Numbers 7 concludes.
Psalm 35:11-18 further informs us that we live in a hostile world with “ruthless” people (sometimes, even believers, unfortunately!) who mean to harm us (verse 11). It’s easy to become discouraged when we “stumble” or when we face “bereavement, grief, mocking, malicious slander,” etc., or when it seems that our prayers return to us “unanswered” (verse 13). Sin affects us this way, but in truth, God’s love for us is higher than the highest heavens (cf., Psalm 103). David calls on God to “rescue” him because he believes in and looks forward to the promise that God will rescue him (verse 18). David expects God to “vindicate” him (cf., Psalm 35:24). We should pray for and expect no less than the same.
In Luke 2:41-52, I am encouraged to find myself in good company with Joseph and Mary – who accidentally and unknowingly left their Son, our Lord Jesus, behind. Have you ever done anything like that? I recall our horror when we lived in Vienna, Austria, and, as we were on our way home, we drove off and inadvertently left our youngest child behind at school (she was about 12 years old). We assumed that she went home earlier with her older siblings on public transportation. After arriving home, we discovered her absence. Terri and I were frantic; how could we do that? Thus, I can identify with Joseph and Mary’s fear, consternation, frustration, and embarrassment. As parents, we felt SO irresponsible! Yes, we chalked it up to experience – a bad one, then – but for its safe outcome and the lesson I learned from it, now it remains as a treasured memory in my heart. “His mother treasured all these things in her heart” (verse 51). Praise God for His patience, His long-suffering, His teaching, His lovingkindness, and for His treasures of the heart!
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