The Voice of The Lord!
Reflection: This Sunday's theme is the Baptism of our Lord. This is another one of the cool aspects of the daily lectionary reading plan, as the readings during the week provide background for the Sunday lessons and Gospel. When Jesus was baptized a voice from heaven said, "this is my Son with whom I am well pleased!" So today's readings are all about the voice of The Lord.
The psalm is about how the Lord's voice is powerful striking thunder over the waters, shaking the desert, and twisting trees and shaping forests. The idea is God's voice is over all of Creation, and by His Word stuff happens. Of course this aligns with Genesis 1, when each day in Creation God speaks into existence all things, including you and I.
Then, in the second two readings, we see God speaking to his servants and prophets. He speaks to Samuel who works for the priest Eli in the temple. Three times The Lord calls out, "Samuel", and finally since Eli is nearly sleeping he concludes it is The Lord who is calling. Samuel becomes a great prophet who will anoint Israel's first King, Saul. In Acts 9, the The Lord calls out to Ananias in a vision and tells him to go lay hands on Saul, the recently converted persecutor of Christians turned disciple of Christ. At first he is reluctant due to Paul's past but The Lord says, "go" and he goes! Ananias heals Saul and restores his sight.
So, in conclusion, we see God spoke powerfully to these two men. Despite initially not knowing it was The Lord or being reluctant to follow, they both do with significant results. It was not easy for them to know, but in faith they stepped out responding to God's voice. So a significant question might be, does God still speak to us today? And if He does how? An easy answer might be any way he wants. He called Samuel directly, and Ananias he called in a vision. While we don't know for sure if it was an audible voice it sure seemed to be and we have nothing to prove it was not. It was obviously very personal and very clear, albeit I'm sure a very frightening experience for both of them.
All I can do is share my personal experience here. There are many other examples in the bible and in history to read about including: John Wesley's experience at Aldersgate confirming his salvation, and Luther's thunderstorm story, where he vowed to become a monk if God saved him. In my experience God spoke to me in several ways as I felt a call to become a pastor. He spoke to me though my Dad who always thought I would become a pastor. He spoke to me in high school through some strong evangelical experiences and bible studies, where I began to develop a love for bible study and prayer and evangelism. He spoke to me though a church I attended which taught me my spiritual gifts, how to share my faith and challenged me with the question, "what am I going to do with my life that will make a difference for all of eternity". Finally as I begin to pray about a call from ministry he began to speak to me though other godly men who I sought advice from. And through small steps of faith like visiting seminaries, even though the last thing I thought I would be was a pastor. Finally through 4 years of seminary and a year of internship he called me to be a Lutheran pastor.
So what am I trying to say? Though certainly God could have spoke to me in a voice and directed me to the pastoral ministry, he used many ways to communicate his will to me. All of these experiences helped me to learn how to hear his voice and most importantly obey. Of course I am not perfect at this, but have found when I hear God's voice and obey His Word, good things happen for me and others. So I would say yes God does speak to us today in many ways, which never conflict with His Word. So the only question is will we make space in our lives to hear God's voice? Most importantly before Jesus did anything, he heard His Father's voice say, "You are my Son with whom I am well pleased". This is a voice I pray you and I would hear all the time, guiding us in all we are called to do.
Baptism of the Lord [1]
Psalm 29 (The voice of God upon the waters); 1 Samuel 3:1-21 (Samuel called by God as a prophet); Acts 9:10-19a (Saul is baptized)
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion[b] like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[c]
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
1 Samuel 3
The Lord Calls Samuel
3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
Acts 9:10-19
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
The psalm is about how the Lord's voice is powerful striking thunder over the waters, shaking the desert, and twisting trees and shaping forests. The idea is God's voice is over all of Creation, and by His Word stuff happens. Of course this aligns with Genesis 1, when each day in Creation God speaks into existence all things, including you and I.
Then, in the second two readings, we see God speaking to his servants and prophets. He speaks to Samuel who works for the priest Eli in the temple. Three times The Lord calls out, "Samuel", and finally since Eli is nearly sleeping he concludes it is The Lord who is calling. Samuel becomes a great prophet who will anoint Israel's first King, Saul. In Acts 9, the The Lord calls out to Ananias in a vision and tells him to go lay hands on Saul, the recently converted persecutor of Christians turned disciple of Christ. At first he is reluctant due to Paul's past but The Lord says, "go" and he goes! Ananias heals Saul and restores his sight.
So, in conclusion, we see God spoke powerfully to these two men. Despite initially not knowing it was The Lord or being reluctant to follow, they both do with significant results. It was not easy for them to know, but in faith they stepped out responding to God's voice. So a significant question might be, does God still speak to us today? And if He does how? An easy answer might be any way he wants. He called Samuel directly, and Ananias he called in a vision. While we don't know for sure if it was an audible voice it sure seemed to be and we have nothing to prove it was not. It was obviously very personal and very clear, albeit I'm sure a very frightening experience for both of them.
All I can do is share my personal experience here. There are many other examples in the bible and in history to read about including: John Wesley's experience at Aldersgate confirming his salvation, and Luther's thunderstorm story, where he vowed to become a monk if God saved him. In my experience God spoke to me in several ways as I felt a call to become a pastor. He spoke to me though my Dad who always thought I would become a pastor. He spoke to me in high school through some strong evangelical experiences and bible studies, where I began to develop a love for bible study and prayer and evangelism. He spoke to me though a church I attended which taught me my spiritual gifts, how to share my faith and challenged me with the question, "what am I going to do with my life that will make a difference for all of eternity". Finally as I begin to pray about a call from ministry he began to speak to me though other godly men who I sought advice from. And through small steps of faith like visiting seminaries, even though the last thing I thought I would be was a pastor. Finally through 4 years of seminary and a year of internship he called me to be a Lutheran pastor.
So what am I trying to say? Though certainly God could have spoke to me in a voice and directed me to the pastoral ministry, he used many ways to communicate his will to me. All of these experiences helped me to learn how to hear his voice and most importantly obey. Of course I am not perfect at this, but have found when I hear God's voice and obey His Word, good things happen for me and others. So I would say yes God does speak to us today in many ways, which never conflict with His Word. So the only question is will we make space in our lives to hear God's voice? Most importantly before Jesus did anything, he heard His Father's voice say, "You are my Son with whom I am well pleased". This is a voice I pray you and I would hear all the time, guiding us in all we are called to do.
Baptism of the Lord [1]
Psalm 29 (The voice of God upon the waters); 1 Samuel 3:1-21 (Samuel called by God as a prophet); Acts 9:10-19a (Saul is baptized)
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion[b] like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[c]
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
1 Samuel 3
The Lord Calls Samuel
3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
Acts 9:10-19
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
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