Eight Ways to Hear from God #8 - Life Itself

 This is the last week of our Bible study “Eight Ways to Hear from God.”      We have already looked at:  Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, Visions and Dreams, Godly Counsel, Relationships, and Fellowship.  This post will look at the eighth way to hear from God – Life itself.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the seventh method – Fellowship.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 

Job 36:15 (NKJV)

^36:15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

 We all understand that life is NOT fair, right?  There are things that happen that cause pain and suffering.  No one is immune to suffering.  We all suffer and struggle through certain things.  Oftentimes when we are experiencing AFFLICTION, we ask the question, “Where is God in all this?  Why am I left to suffer and God is allowing that?” 

 Our text takes place after Job has been attacked by Satan.  You know the story:

 

Job 1:8-12 (NKJV)

^1:8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" ⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

 After this Job’s servants died, his donkeys were stolen were stolen, his sheep were burned, his camels stolen, and his children were killed.  This all happened in one day and the Bible says that “in all this Job did not sin with his lips.”  He never cursed God.  He didn’t complain about it all. 

 

Job 1:20-21 (NKJV)

^1:20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."

 So the devil came to God once more:

 

Job 2:4-6 (NKJV)

^2:4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ⁶ And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."

 Satan afflicted Job with boils from his head to his feet.  So, job covered himself in ashes and scraped his skin with a pot shard.  He’d lost everything his wealth, his family and now his health.  He was in such a pitiable state that his friends didn’t recognize him.  He was beaten down by life.  He was afflicted and oppressed.  His friends came to speak with him and Elihu speaks our text to him:

 Job 36:15 (NKJV)

^36:15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

 According to Elihu in this verse it may be that God is trying to SPEAK to you through affliction and oppression.  That’s what it means when it says, “opens their ears in oppression.”

 Let’s first look at that word oppression:  It comes from the Hebrew word that means “to press.”  It is also translated as afflict, crush, force, and hold fast.  According to the Mirriam-Webster English Dictionaries it means to crush or burden by abuse or power. 

Have you ever suffered from some affliction where you felt crushed by the “weight” of the problem?  Depression often feels like that.  You are too depressed to do anything but sleep.  It’s like a great exertion to do anything else:  Like a great weight is crushing you. 

 The Bible tells us that it is in these times that God “opens our ears.”  He makes it possible for us to hear from Him.  You could even say that affliction and oppression is how God taps us on the shoulder.

 I remember when the World Trade Center was attacked.  3,000 people were killed on that day.  The entire population of the United States was affected and the newspapers printed stories about how people returned to churches trying to find out, “where God was in all of that.”  God spoke during that.  People heard God remind them of His presence and went to churches looking for comfort from God.

 Psalms 119:50 (NKJV)

^119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

 In the Book of 1^st Kings chapter 18 the Bible reports that Elijah stood against the Prophets of Baal.  Elijah challenged them to call on their gods.  So, they did and their gods did not answer.  Then Elijah set up an altar to God and placed an offering on it.  Then he poured water over the offering.  Finally, he called on God to ignite a fire and consume the burnt offering…and God did that.  But in doing that he made the queen Jezebel, angry:

 

1 Kings 19:2-4 (NKJV)

^19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." ³ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"

 He has followed God and now the queen is after him to kill him.  He’s beaten down, he’s depressed and he feels alone.  Have you ever felt like that?  He’s in hiding in the wilderness:

 1 Kings 19:9-10 (NKJV)

^19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

 God says to Elijah, “why are you HIDING here?”  Elijah complains to God.  I’ve served you zealously.  The people have, turned their backs on your commands, torn your altars down, and killed all the prophets.  I’m all alone, now!

 Then God says look at this.  He passes before him, shows him God’s power:  the mighty wind, the earthquake, and the fire.  Then He speaks with a small still voice and commands him:

 1 Kings 19:15-17 (NKJV)

^19:15 Then the Lord said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ¹⁶ Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

 He tells him to get back to it.  Go do these things, stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Then He gives him a word of comfort:

 

1 Kings 19:18 (NKJV)

^19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

 In the midst of turmoil and affliction God speaks to him.  In the midst of the struggles of life God meets him and comforts him.  God will speak to us in the things of life itself.  In times of blessing God speaks of His provision and care for us and in the struggles and turmoil of affliction God speaks comfort and of His power to deliver.  God speaks to us through life itself.

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 God speaks to us in various times in different ways.  The real question in all of this is “Are you listening for God’s voice.”  God can shout from the rooftops but if you’[re not listening you’ll never know that.  In this study we have seen eight ways that God speak to us.  For Bible Scholars tonight, see if you can find in your Bible other way that God speaks.