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Above: An artist’s view of Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. |
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WHAT IS GOD SAYING?
(this section, and the Bible verses below, can also be used as a lesson handout)
- If God wrote on your wall, you would desperately want to know what He is saying to you, wouldn’t you? Actually, God does write on your wall every time you read your Bible, His Word.
- Writing, or speaking, is most important when: (a) someone very important (b) says something very important. When God speaks God’s message, the most important Someone of all is saying the most important Something of all…for you! Are you listening?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
18 When the Lord finished speaking to
Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God
(Exodus 31: 18, NIV).
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace (Daniel 5: 5).
BIBLE LIFE AND TIMES: GOD WROTE TWICE WITH HIS OWN HAND
Suppose you were sitting in your family room or living room, and the hand of God began writing on the wall of your room. What would you think? What if God suddenly wrote on your wall in Facebook? Would you want to know what He is saying? Would you want to know what it means? Would you want to know what you should do about it?
Did God ever write anything for us with His own hand? The Bible records two times when something was written with the hand, or finger, of God. The first time, God wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone (Exodus 24:12). Actually He wrote them twice, for when Moses saw his people worshiping the golden calf, he furiously smashed the tablets of stone (Exodus 34:1). Then God wrote them again for Moses.
Why did God write the Ten Commandments personally? Because they were so significant for all people of all time, including you. God wrote this message on a lonely mountain with an immediate audience of one—Moses, and an ultimate audience of many millions. God’s Word is significant for it is what God says. When something is that significant, we should do all we can to listen and understand the message. Then we should do something about it.
The second time God wrote with His own hand was quite different. This time it was in a banquet hall with pagans getting drunk. This time, God wrote on the wall of Belshazzar’s banquet hall (Daniel 5). Quite a contrast with the writing of the Ten Commandments.
This event was significant because it was a monumental turning point in Israel’s history. On that night the Babylonian Empire, which had brought Judah into exile, ended and the Medo-Persian Empire began. With this new Empire the exile would come to an end. The Medes and Persians treated the Israelites favorably, largely because of Queen Esther. They even allowed some Israelites to return home, rebuild the Temple, and later rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
God’s Word is as significant to you as if He wrote the words personally on your wall. Whenever you read God’s Word, you should try to: (a) hear what He says, (b) understand what it means, (c) understand what it means for you, and (d) think about what He wants you to do about it.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
God speaks to us because He loves us and wants the best for us. We should listen because we love Him and want to do our best for Him and for us.
VERSE FOR TODAY
(this can also be used as a memory verse)
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' " (Matthew 4: 4, NIV).
RELATED TOPICS
Medes, Persians, Babylonians, speaking, understanding, listening, following, God’s ways
OPTIONAL SERMON OR LESSON OUTLINE
Listening is much more than merely hearing
1. God speaks so we will listen
a. We listen because He is God
b. We listen because He knows everything, even the future
c. We listen because He tells us what is best for us
2. God speaks so we will understand
a. We want to understand the One who made us
b. We want to understand the One who guides us
c. We want to understand how to please Him
3. God speaks so we will follow His ways
a. We should discover what His ways are
b. We should discover why His ways are best
c. We should discover how to follow His ways
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