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                          The Awesome Voice of God

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By David Wilkerson
November 15, 1999
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          The book of Exodus contains one of the strangest
          passages in all of scripture. As Israel camped at Mount
          Sinai, they were suddenly engulfed by thick darkness
          and an incredible, blazing fire. Out of the midst of
          these awesome elements, God spoke: "These words the
          Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of
          the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick
          darkness, with a great voice" (Deuteronomy 5:22).

          The mountains surrounding the Israelites were ablaze,
          the supernatural fire consuming everything in sight.
          Thunder cracked as if the earth were splitting in two.
          And from the midst of it all, God spoke audibly, in a
          voice that was awesome and almighty.

          While all this was happening, the Israelites stood
          frozen with fear. They were convinced they would die
          before the voice of the Lord stopped speaking.
          According to scripture, even Moses, the great friend of
          God, "quaked and feared exceedingly." They must have
          thought they were suspended over the mouth of hell.

          Finally, the voice stilled. The lightning stopped and
          the quaking ended. And before long, the sun began to
          shine. As the people looked around, they saw everyone
          was still alive. It was a miracle. They had heard the
          actual, audible voice of God and lived.

          Evidently, as soon as this incredible manifestation
          ended, Israel's elders and tribal heads called a
          meeting. You would expect this to be the greatest
          praise meeting in the history of humankind. Everyone
          could testify to the glorious and life-changing
          experience God had given them.

          I imagine them saying, "This is amazing. No other
          people on earth have heard the voice of God out of the
          fire, and survived. We can tell our grandchildren, I
          was there the day God spoke to us. " I also envision
          the Levitical priests admonishing the people, "Do not
          forget this day. We've experienced firsthand the
          almighty holiness of the Lord. Let us live in fear of
          him always."

          Yet this meeting wasn't one of praise not at all.
          Incredibly, the elders told Moses, "We can't handle
          this kind of experience. We don't want to hear God's
          awesome voice anymore. If he speaks to us this way
          again, we'll die. From now on, we want to hear his
          words through a man's voice."

          Their response is absolutely puzzling. Why would anyone
          react this way to such a glorious miracle of God
          communicating with his people? I can tell you why: It
          was because the Israelites had hidden sin in their
          hearts. They were secret idol worshippers.

          Unbelievably, these people still clung to the small
          golden idols they'd brought with them from Egypt,
          graven images of Moloch and the star of the god
          Remphan. The apostle Stephen said these idols were
          "...figures which ye made to worship..." (Acts 7:43).
          The Israelites had carved them in the likeness of the
          giant golden calves the Egyptians worshipped. They
          cried, "You delivered us from Egypt. You are our God."
          And now, in the desert, they still hadn't let go of
          their horrible idolatry.

          Stephen called this people "...the church in the
          wilderness..." (verse 38). He was amazed that even
          after the Lord had spoken to them audibly, their hearts
          were still back in idolatrous Egypt. He said of them,
          "...our fathers would not obey, and in their hearts
          turned back again into Egypt" (verse 39).

          You can see why God's voice made these people quake.
          The reason they thought they would die was because they
          were in the presence of a holy, powerful God not some
          lifeless, carved idol. His Spirit had gripped their
          souls, and their consciences were convicting them.

                      -------------------------------

                        You Have to Understand God
                        Wasn't Playing the Role of
                        Some Divine Monster, Trying
                         to Scare His Own People.

                      -------------------------------

          This great scene of shaking and quaking wasn't some
          fright show meant to terrorize Israel into obedience.
          That's not what our God of love is about. Moses
          explained to the people God's purposes:

          "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" (Exodus 20:20). "Ye shall walk
          in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded
          you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with
          you, and that ye prolong your days in the land which ye
          shall possess" (Deuteronomy 5:33).

          Moses said, in essence, "God isn't mad at you. That's
          not what this majestic experience is all about. No he's
          wanting to empower you with his awesome fear. He's
          trying to build into you a powerful weapon that will
          sustain you against the enemy. And he's doing it so you
          can live victoriously, all the days of your life."

          At this point, however, the incredible fire had
          disappeared. The dreadful sounding thunder and
          supernatural lightning were gone, and the indescribable
          voice of God was silent. So now the leaders came to
          Moses with their "concerns." On the surface, their
          words sounded very religious: "We've seen how great and
          glorious the Lord is. And we've been privileged to hear
          his audible voice. We know now that it's possible to
          hear his divine voice and live." So far, so good.

          Yet then came some of the strangest logic in all of the
          Bible. These leaders said to Moses, "...we have seen
          this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
          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. 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?" (Deuteronomy 5:24-26). They had just heard
          God's voice and survived. What strange logic is this?

          They told Moses, "We know we can hear God speak out of
          the fire, and survive. Yet, if we have to sit under his
          direct, pure, holy voice, we'll be consumed. Why should
          we die? Of all people in the world, we're the ones
          who've heard God's voice and lived."

          But the Lord knew what was in their hearts. He said to
          Moses, "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" (verse 28). God
          was saying, in other words, "The people's words sound
          good because they know the right religious lingo. It's
          the language of a humbled, obedient people as if they
          have a genuine fear of me."

          The Lord then gives us a clue about what's really
          happening: "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" (verse 29).

          They were giving God honor with their lips but their
          hearts were far from him. To quote Isaiah, "...this
          people draw near me with their mouth, and with their
          lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far
          from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
          precept of men" (Isaiah 29:13).

          The Israelites were so devoted to their little golden
          images, nothing could keep them from idolatrous
          worship. Not even a mountain on fire, a supernatural
          earth-shaking, an earth-splitting thunder could loosen
          them from their idolatry. They finally even ignored the
          audible voice of God, in all its holiness and majesty.

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                            Israel Insisted on
                          Hearing a Softer Voice.

                      -------------------------------

          When Israel's elders said, "We need a softer message,
          otherwise we'll die" how right they were. Anytime you
          sit under Holy Ghost preaching hearing God's anointed,
          convicting word you're surely going to die. That is,
          you'll die to your sins.

          Today, thousands of believers flock to hear preachers
          who know nothing of the fear of God. And that's just
          what the Israelites were clamoring for. Shortly after
          hearing God's voice speak to them audibly, they were
          clinging to their idols again. Their praises to the
          Lord were mere lip service hollow and meaningless.

          If we were to translate the Israelites plea into modern
          terms, it would sound like this: "Stop all this
          negative preaching. We don't want to hear any more
          scary doomsday messages. All they do is bring on
          needless guilt. Preach to us about God's love and
          forgiveness after all, we're only human. Our Lord is
          about love, not wrath and fear."

          A man recently wrote the following to our ministry: "I
          don't know who put me on your mailing list, but please
          remove my name immediately. I can't stand your gloomy
          gospel and your hammering against sin. None of us is
          perfect, not even you. I've had it with your King James
          gospel of doom."

          Isaiah spoke of this kind of response: "...this is a
          rebellious people, lying children, children that will
          not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers,
          See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us
          right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy
          deceits: Get you out of the way..." (Isaiah 30:9-11).

          The word "smooth" in this verse means "flattery."
          Israel said, in short, "Don't tell us any more bad
          stuff. Tell us how good things are going to be.
          Describe how we're going to prosper, how great things
          lie ahead of us. If not, then get out of our faces."

          No believer who hides sin in his heart ever wants to
          hear a holy, sin-exposing word. That person will always
          flee the Holy Spirit's voice of truth. And he'll turn
          to some preacher who's soft on sin, offering smooth
          talk and flattering prophecies.

          So, you ask, what hard message did God's voice deliver
          to his people on Mount Sinai? He said simply this: "I
          am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land
          of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have
          none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any
          graven image... Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto
          them, nor serve them..." (Deuteronomy 5:6-9).

          Here was the pure, unadulterated word of the Lord,
          coming directly from his mouth. It should have sent the
          people flying to their tents to smash their graven
          images. It should have stirred their hearts and brought
          them to their knees. But instead they cried, "No more
          thunder, fire, shaking. No more audible voice speaking
          to us. Give us a spokesman who's like us, and let him
          speak to us. Then we'll hear and obey."

                      -------------------------------

                       God Immediately Responded To
                      Israel's Request to Hear a Man.

                      -------------------------------

          The Spirit of the Lord fell upon Moses, and he
          prophesied the following:

          "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet
          from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me;
          unto him ye shall hearken; according to all that thou
          desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of
          the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice
          of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire
          any more, that I die not.

          "And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that
          which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet
          from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put
          my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all
          that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass,
          that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he
          shall speak in my name, I will require it of him"
          (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

          Simply put, God would meet Israel's request in two
          ways:

          1. First, he would speak to his people through men for
          the next 1,500 years. He would use prophets, judges,
          seers and kings as his righteous spokesmen. In fact,
          for forty years God put his word in the mouth of Moses,
          to speak to that generation. Stephen testified that
          Moses received "the lively oracles" from God on the
          mountain (Acts 7:38).

          Yet throughout the centuries, Israel refused to listen
          to the Lord. "To whom our fathers would not obey, but
          thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back
          again into Egypt" (verse 39). They became "...a
          stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that
          set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not
          steadfast with God" (Psalm 78:8).

          For generation after generation, God did just what the
          people had asked for he spoke to them through men. Yet,
          as God stated through Isaiah to a later generation,
          "...when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before
          mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not"
          (Isaiah 65:12). God said the same thing through
          Jeremiah:

          "Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the
          land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you
          all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and
          sending them: yet they hearkened not unto me, nor
          inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did
          worse than their fathers.

          "Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them;
          but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call
          unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou
          shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not
          the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth
          correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from
          their mouth" (Jeremiah 7:25-28).

          In his mercy, God spoke to his people in every possible
          way warning, wooing, loving, threatening. And he spoke
          so clearly there could be no mistaking his desires. Yet
          the people continually turned a deaf ear to him.

          2. God would also speak to Israel in a second way. He
          promised to send a prophet to them and it would be
          1,500 years from the scene on Mount Sinai before this
          man appeared. That prophet is Christ. "This is that
          Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A
          prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of
          your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear" (Acts
          7:37).

          Under the New Covenant, God has chosen to speak to us
          in the last days through Jesus: "God, who at sundry
          times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
          fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
          unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all
          things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Hebrews
          1:1-2).

          So, why did God wait 1,500 years to fulfill Moses
          prophecy to Israel? He did it because he was waiting in
          great patience all those years to see obedience from
          his people. His delay was an act of mercy.

          Jesus refers to God's patience in his parable of the
          vineyard owner. The owner kept sending his servants to
          ask the field workers for fruit. He sent one messenger
          after another to them, but to no avail. Finally the
          owner thought, "I'll send my own son. Maybe they'll
          respect him enough to heed and revere me." But they
          still refused to respond. And, in a rage, they even
          killed the vineyard owner's son.

          This is just what happened with Israel. For generation
          after generation, God sent his spokesmen to the people
          but they continually refused to hear. In fact, they
          were so determined to cling to their sin, they killed
          his spokesman son, Jesus.

                      -------------------------------

                      Here Is the Point of All This:

                      -------------------------------

          God is still speaking to us clearly today. His heavenly
          voice is sounding mightily throughout the earth. And
          that voice is coming through a man Jesus, who's seated
          at the right hand of the father. Consider these words
          from Hebrews:

          "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be
          touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness,
          and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet,
          and the voice of words; which voice they that heard
          intreated that the word should not be spoken to them
          any more: (For they could not endure that which was
          commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the
          mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a
          dart: and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I
          exceedingly fear and quake:)

          "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of
          the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
          innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly
          and church of the firstborn, which are written in
          heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
          of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of
          the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
          speaketh better things than that of Abel.

          "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they
          escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much
          more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that
          speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth:
          but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake
          not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet
          once more, signifieth the removing of those things that
          are shaken, as of things that are made, that those
          things which cannot be shaken may remain" (Hebrews
          12:18-27).

          Do you get the picture from this passage? When God
          spoke the first time, the people answered, "Don't speak
          to us from heaven anymore. Speak to us through a man."
          And Moses prophesied, "Just as you've asked, God is
          going to raise up a prophet. He will be fully human and
          he'll speak God's words to you."

          Jesus was that promised prophet. He was God incarnate,
          the Lord in human flesh. He had a ministry on earth as
          a man, and a multitude of witnesses saw him ascend to
          heaven as a man. Now he has a mystical body, which is
          his church. But Jesus is still a man made of flesh
          still touched with the human feelings we all
          experience.

          Today, in these last days, God is speaking once more
          from heaven. And he's telling us he's going to shake
          everything in sight: "Whose voice then shook the earth:
          but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake
          not the earth only, but also heaven" (Hebrews 12:26).

          God is saying, in essence, "I shook the earth at Mount
          Sinai. But when I speak in these last days, my voice
          will shake both the natural and spiritual worlds. The
          status quo will tremble; nothing will remain as it is.
          Whatever is called religious all that's of Christ or
          the church will be shaken by the voice of my son,
          speaking from heaven."

          God had warned Israel that all who refuse to listen to
          his prophet would be brought to account: "And it shall
          come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my
          words which he shall speak in my name, I will require
          it of him" (Deuteronomy 18:19). He was saying, "I'm
          going to pursue every disobedience and you'll account
          for it all."

          Scripture reveals that those who ignored the words of
          God's prophets fell into ruin. They became withered and
          bitter, dying without any joy or peace. "See that ye
          refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not
          who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall
          not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh
          from heaven" (Hebrews 12: 25).

          Beloved, neither will we escape God's wrath either as a
          nation or as individuals. And right now Jesus voice is
          shaking every nation, causing institutions, leaders and
          economies to tremble. He's saying to the wind and the
          elements, "Blow upon the earth." He's saying to the
          clouds, "Withhold rain." He's saying to the economies
          of the world, "All greed be judged." We're seeing that
          terrible shaking right now in Asia, Brazil, Mexico,
          Argentina.

          God is also commanding, "Prisons, shake. Governments,
          shake. Financial systems, shake. Schools, shake.
          Military forces, shake. Courts and legislatures, shake.
          Everything on earth, shake until there is no foundation
          left but the Lord."

          It's not the devil who's shaking everything. The whole
          world is being shaken by the voice of the victorious
          Christ. The man in glory has risen in power upon his
          throne and he's speaking a word to shake all things.

                      -------------------------------

                          The Most Awesome Shaking
                          Is Now Upon His Church.

                      -------------------------------

          Right now, God is doing a house-cleaning. According to
          Hebrews, the sole reason Jesus will pour out his Spirit
          in these last days is to shake up God's house.
          Everything that's unholy, unclean or of flesh will be
          shaken, swept, wiped out.

          Our ministry receives heartrending letters from
          precious saints who grieve over what they see happening
          in their churches. There is a constant clamor for "new
          works," and horrendous things are being introduced
          daily fleshly manifestations, foolish practices. At one
          church, gold dust falls from the ceiling like rain.

          One person writes that every week his church features
          punk rock concerts, with performers who look and act
          like secular, devil-influenced groups. Others write
          about choreographed worship that belongs more on
          Broadway or in a nightclub than in church. Still others
          write of empty, dry, permissive preaching.

          I tell you, all that is about to change. The Lord is
          going to speak powerfully, exposing everything that's
          false, lascivious, full of greed. Every money-obsessed,
          false prophet will tremble because an economic collapse
          will shake them out of business.

          How will this shaking and exposing happen? It will
          happen through a man, Jesus. He vows to speak to all
          who are living in sin, disobedient, clinging to things
          his word has condemned. And his voice will be
          unmistakably clear.

          First he'll speak tenderly to every backslider who has
          strayed. He'll say, "Why have you not listened to my
          plea for you to return? Why have you turned a deaf ear
          to my call to repent and be restored? Come to me now,
          before your life is shaken to the foundation."

          Yet Jesus will also speak to godly men and women who
          pursue truth, purity and holiness. Even now he's
          raising up a people whose hearts have received his
          shaking, convicting word. They're shut in with the Lord
          and he's going to give them power to speak for him.

          So, how will the Lord speak to you? Are you receiving
          his word of shaking, allowing it to work in your heart?
          Or are you living a double life still indulging in
          fornication, adultery, hatred, bitterness?

          If you claim, "Christ is my Lord," yet you still have
          hidden sin in your life, you can know you'll hear him
          speak. He's going to say, "Why haven't you come back to
          my grace? Why have you continually rejected it? You've
          heard my loving call. You've tasted my loving kindness.
          Yet you're doing despite to it all. Why?"

          The Israelites were so given over to their lusts, they
          clung to them even in the face of God's consuming fire.
          And the same thing is happening in the church today.
          God has clearly said judgment will begin in his house.
          And Paul writes that if we continue in our sin, we'll
          be turned over to Satan for the destruction of our
          flesh, that our souls may be saved.

          Yet, here is the good news: This supernatural shaking
          God's house-cleaning, in both the nation and the church
          will result in an unshakable foundation. It will
          produce a holy, pruned church boasting a remnant of
          saints who walk in the fear of God and the
          righteousness of Christ.

          We'll have fellowship like we've never known. We'll
          have joy unspeakable. And we will yearn to hear the
          awesome voice of God.

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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