GOD HATH SPOKEN

GOD HATH SPOKEN

By Cornelius R. Stam

In his farewell address to the nation Israel, Moses said:

"Ask now of the days that are past... since the day that God
created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?" (Deut. 4:32,33).

Moses referred, of course, to the giving of the Law, when
God spoke to Israel by word of mouth amid the lightnings
and thunders of Sinai. In Israel’s case alone "God spake all
these words" audibly. Never before had He undertaken to
address a nation personally.

This was indeed a great honor for Israel, but God has
since spoken to all mankind in an even more striking man-
ner, for in Heb. 1:1,2 we read:

"God... hath in these last days spoken unto us by [in] His Son...who... when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

At Sinai God spoke the words of the Law, but now, in
Christ, He speaks of mercy and grace. There He spoke of
the righteousness which He demands, but here He tells of
the righteousness which He provides in Christ.

Some suppose that the absence of miraculous demonstra-
tions, the want of divine intervention in the affairs of men,
etc., indicate indifference on God’s part, but actually this
apparent indifference speaks to us of His love and grace.

Remember, the Psalms and all prophecy had predicted
God’s judgment upon men for their rejection of Christ, yet
today the Son still remains a voluntary Exile from His own
world, while neither He nor the Father do anything to
avenge His cruel crucifixion. Meanwhile, still lingering in
mercy, He sends His ambassadors to offer reconciliation to
His enemies by grace through faith. Thus His silence ac-
tually cries: "The door of grace is still open. Be reconciled
while you may. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved."