When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they walked and talked with the Lord. Sin however came between them and this beautiful fellowship was lost. Despite our sinful nature, God has always reached out to us in one form or the other. According to the Bible, God spoke to many. Some of the prominent people He spoke to are given below.
1. Abraham: God spoke to Abraham on a number of occasions. When He asked Abraham to leave his ancestral home; He promised Him to make his descendants like the stars of the sky and the sand of the seas.
2. Moses: Moses had a direct and intimate relationship with God. In Exodus 3, Moses encountered a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. God spoke to him from the bush and commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
3. Samuel: As a young boy, Samuel served in the temple under the guidance of Eli the priest. In 1 Samuel 3, Samuel heard a voice calling his name in the middle of the night. Believing it to be Eli, Samuel went to him, but Eli informed him that it was God who was calling him. Samuel then listened and responded to God’s voice, becoming a prominent prophet in Israel.
4. Elijah: In I Kings 19, Elijah, a prophet of God, was hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb. As he sought guidance and reassurance from God, a series of natural phenomena occurred, including a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire. However, God was not in these forces of nature. Finally, Elijah heard a still small voice, and it was in this gentle whisper that he recognized God’s presence and received instructions for his future ministry.
5. Isaiah: Isaiah’s encounter with the voice of God is described in Isaiah 6. In a vision, he saw the Lord sitting on a throne, surrounded by heavenly beings. Seraphim called to one another, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah was overwhelmed by the sight and the voice of God, realizing his own unworthiness. He then received a divine commission to be a prophet to the nation of Judah.
6. Saul of Tarsus (Paul) – Paul, originally known as Saul, was a prominent persecutor of early Christians. However, his life took a drastic turn on the road to Damascus. In Acts 9, Saul encountered a blinding light and heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked who was speaking, and the voice replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” This encounter led to Saul’s conversion, and he became one of the greatest apostles and writers of the New Testament.
The single thread that runs through all these people is a bond of commonness. Each person had been chosen by God and had a specific ministry. They were all loyal obedient, humble, pious, and walked in the ways of God. They had lived for the Lord and had been faithful and loyal to the Lord till the very last.
Dr Ashwin Drummond
laddertoheaven.co.in