Last night I woke up to a ‘crash-banger’. It was a pretty noisy one. As I lay there listening to the thunder, I was reminded of times in the Bible where God’s voice is referred to as thunder. “The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.” John 12:29 This was after Jesus had prayed, “’Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’” John 12:28
When Moses was up on the mountain talking with God and receiving the Ten Commandments, the people were waiting below. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear.” Exodus 20:18
Job’s young friend Elihu was speaking. “He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” Job 37:3-5
“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” Revelation 19:6-8
When our son Andrew was in first or second grade, he was to walk home with a friend after school. I was working in an office near the friend’s house. A thunderstorm hit about the time the boys were to walk home. I assumed the mother of the friend would pick the boys up at school. However, I found out later her car wouldn’t start. Two very wet and shaking young boys walked into the office – terrified by the storm they had endured. From that time until he was 12, Andrew cowered whenever a thunderstorm came through. He would come find me wherever I was and he would curl up in a corner a few feet (or inches sometimes) from where I was working. If it was night, he would crawl into our bed. I knew to not leave him alone in a thunderstorm. He was simply terrified.
At the age of 12, Andrew met God in a new and deep way. And miracle of miracles, he was no longer frightened by the thunder. In fact, he began to enjoy a good thunderstorm seeing it as a demonstration of God’s great and awesome power at work. I wonder if he began to hear God’s voice rather than the loud noise that made him tremble. He obviously had began to trust rather than fear.
I wonder… When God speaks to me, will I hear his voice – his words – or will I hear thunder? Will I tremble and fall down before him – before his great and awesome power and majesty? Will I fear and stand back or will I go up the mountain as Moses did and talk with God?
What a mixture of sensations when we draw near to an awesome and powerful God! Who can stand in his presence, yet, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 He calls us friends!
Lord, help me to hear what you are saying to me – not just noisy thunder. But help me to understand your holy majesty and power as I tremble at the sound of your voice as well. Amen
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