SOME SAID IT THUNDERED
Imagine sitting in your garden on a fine Summer’s Day and hearing a low rumble somewhere in the distance. Our immediate reaction might be to believe we have just heard an airplane taking off or landing at East Midlands airport. What would it take before you realized that, actually, it was the sound of thunder? You might say, a change in the sky to darker clouds, maybe one or two drops of rain, maybe an unusual flash before you hear the low rumble repeated. In other words, our perception would change when we are presented with additional clues.
In Jesus’ day, there were no airplanes, but the people of the Middle East were well acquainted with the sound of thunder. On average, Israel experiences twice the number of days with thunder activity compared to us here in Derbyshire.
When Jesus predicted His sacrificial death, He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. (John 12:23 – 29)
Some in the crowd mistook God’s voice for thunder; others believed it was the voice of an angel. Arguably, few people in Jesus’ time would have heard God’s voice directly, so perhaps it is understandable to see why some thought they had heard thunder, because they had no other clue to verify the source of the sound.
How about us? Are we able to differentiate the voice of the Lord speaking in our spirits from our own imagination? Are there any clues? Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27). In this short verse, we see that we need to be:
1) Actively listening for His voice;
2) Cultivating a living relationship with our caring Chief Shepherd;
3) Choosing to obey His leading;
4) Following after Him, by developing trust in His direction
You may also remember that Eli, the Chief Priest, gave the young Samuel some good advice: “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9, 10)
