Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli (1 Samuel 3:1–10). Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times (Judges 6:17–22,36–40).
In Deuteronomy 4, Moses reminds Israel of the authority by which they were to live. They heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire and survived.
In the Gospels, the voice of God is experienced three times—at Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3, Mark 1), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), and before His crucifixion (John 12). So, why don't we hear His audible voice? I believe that it is because of the goodness of God we first mentioned.
The “voices” that are heard in the New Testament mostly appear within narratives that are presented as historical. The four figures who might most readily be identified as putative voice hearers within these narratives are Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John (the author of Revelation).
Samuel, who ministered in the temple, uttered these words thousands of years ago. One night, as he was falling asleep, he heard a voice calling out to him. He thought it was the priest Eli, so Samuel called back, “Here am I” (1 Samuel 3:4).
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah.
One night, Samuel heard a voice calling his name. According to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Samuel was 12 years old. Samuel initially assumed it was coming from Eli and went to Eli to ask what he wanted. Eli, however, sent Samuel back to sleep.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.
Reading and studying the Bible, spending time in prayer, and talking with other followers of Jesus are not just part of our to-do list. God encourages us to do these things because they help us to learn about His character and learn to recognize His voice.
The beginning of Abram's (later renamed Abraham by God) relationship with God was his ability to hear God's voice. Without this having occurred, the rest of the story of the Bible would have ceased to exist as we know it.
The last person to whom God is said to have been "revealed" is Samuel (1 Sam 3:21). The last person to whom God is said to have "appeared" is Solomon; this occurs early in the next biblical book, the book 1 Kings (3:5; 9:2; 11:9).
Some encounter signs or experience influence on emotion, a poll shows. Hearing God's voice, it seems, is no longer just for prophets. A poll recently released by an evangelical Christian research group shows that about three-quarters of Americans say Jesus speaks directly to them.
The voice of the Spirit is described in the scriptures as being neither loud nor harsh, not a voice of thunder, neither a voice of great tumultuous noise, but rather as still and small, of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it can pierce even the very soul and cause the heart to burn.
When the Archangel Gabriel told him that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and bear a son (Luke 1:11-17), Zechariah doubted (and was probably a bit cynical about the whole thing, Luke 1:18) and Gabriel took away his voice (Luke 1:19-20). For nine months, Zechariah was left without a voice; he could not speak.
David truly knew God because he knew God's Word. God's natural revelation can condemn us, but it cannot lead us to truly know God like David did. Only God's Word can do that.
At times, the voice of God has been described as that of a parent (which could seem benign, benevolent, or terrifying, depending on what kind of relationship you've had with your parents). We are also told that God speaks in a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).
In rabbinic Judaism, such a voice was known as a bat kol (Hebrew: בַּת קוֹל baṯ qōl, literally "daughter of voice"), and was a "heavenly or divine voice which proclaims God's will or judgment." It differed from prophecy in that God had a close relationship with the prophet, while the bat kol could be heard by any ...
The bible tells us that David had a vow of praise unto the Lord. Seven times a day he would praise the Lord, and three times a day he would pray.
God called Samuel four times that night long ago. God was patient with Samuel; finally, Samuel understood and listened to what God was telling him. God patiently calls us, too. God calls us to listen to him and understand what he wants us to do.
Moses prayed seven times a day in the Bible to seek the Lord's mercy. He asked that God be merciful to his people, and to show them compassion. This is called hesed, or loyal covenant love. He asked that God not delay in sending mercy, as Israel had sinned.
The significance of God's call to Samuel is shown not only in Samuel being an obedient servant of the Lord and a faithful prophet of the Lord, but God's call to Samuel was also significant because Samuel was the prophet who would anoint David as King of Israel (1 Samuel 16).
'" When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
Swensson claims not only that Abraham is the first prophet to appear in the Hebrew Bible, but also that his intimate, friendly relationship with God is the perfect model for the relationship between humanity and divinity.