THE VOICE AND SHAPE OF GOD
Wednesday – December 12, 2018, Tevet 4, 5779
Greetings my precious brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and welcome back to this amazing Bible Study of the Book of John. What a wonderful God we serve, not as servants, but as children, sons and daughters serving with eager and willing hearts.
Galatians 4:7 (KJV)
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The featured picture today is more of the Belgrade Stream. I hope you are not thinking “enough already with the Belgrade Stream”. Now, let’s turn our focus to our Bible Study and start by reviewing our primary Bible text reading it aloud.
John 5:31-37 (KJV)
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
We have now come in our study to verse thirty-seven which tells us that the Father is bearing witness of Jesus by the vary works that Jesus is doing. Then we hear Jesus say: “Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.” This is interesting for we remember Moses in the cleft of the rock and we remember the voice from Heaven when Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. First the voice from Heaven when Jesus is baptized.
Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Notice that it is a voice from Heaven, we are not told it is the Father’s voice which they were hearing. This is like when one speaks on behalf of or in the place of another. As we read the Matthew text carefully, we see that the “the heavens were opened to him” not everyone there, and “he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove” not everyone there. Consider the following passage.
John 12:28-29 (KJV)
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
They did not hear the voice of God that day either. The other point to consider is that these people, the Jews who are seeking to kill Jesus, even the disciples, do not have ears to hear and cannot hear the Father (Holy Spirit talking to them). Perhaps the Amplified Version will give us some further insight.
John 5:37 (AMP)
37 And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me. Not one of you has ever given ear to His voice or seen His form (His face—what He is like). [You have always been deaf to His voice and blind to the vision of Him.]
Jesus kind of nails them with this statement. Let us examine ourselves and be sure that when He talks to us, we hear. Are we hearing the voice of God, do we have a vision of Him by the artistry of Holy Spirit? Notice when we get to Mount Transfiguration that the disciples Jesus took with Him (Peter, James, and John) did indeed hear a voice out of the cloud. Apparently, they had ears to hear just as we do who are born again and have answered the door when He knocked.
Matthew 17:5 (KJV)
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Now let us look at the “shape” of God referred to in this thirty-seventh verse and what occurred when Moses asked to see God’s glory.
Exodus 33:18-23 (KJV)
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
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.
Moses asks to see the glory of God and God responds by telling Moses He will show him His goodness. The ultimate goodness of God is Christ Jesus. Recall, as I have taught before if you examine the phrase “back parts” in verse twenty-three it means I will show you the future. What was that future? It was Christ Jesus, Him crucified, resurrected, and returned to the Throne of Heaven. I will pick up right here tomorrow and move forward with our exciting study.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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