the Voice is calling

Samuel hears the voice of God calling. The Qol Yahweh rolling through eternity. “…God is forever seeking to speak Himself out to His creation. The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.”

Indeed the voice was calling Samuel—calling us—from the womb of the world.

“For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

Our calling is threefold: to Salvation, to Discipleship and to Ministry. I say three fold for it is one call. It is the eternal Speaking Voice of God calling us to Christ—to fellowship with him. We cannot claim ourselves saved and not count ourselves disciples. Paul tells me, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own.” Our bodies are members of The Body; our spirits united with His.

The Speaking Voice of God is calling us. And he is calling that which he knows. We are his own. Just as Jesus knew the thoughts of Nathaniel, Jesus knows us where we are, and calls to us. Our response is not optional.

“For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”

The Qol

Morna Hooker:

The voice . . .from heaven is usually explained in terms of the bat qol. This Hebrew term, which means literally 'daughter of a voice', was used by the rabbis to denote the echo of a voice uttered in heaven. When the Spirit had withdrawn from Israel, and there were no more prophets, then, so it was said, the bat qol was occasionally heard. The bat qol was thus a means of revelation to men, a substitute for the direct word of God which had formerly been given by the Spirit. It might be significant that its sound was at times compared to the cry of a bird, and once like a dove.

She goes on to say that at the baptism this is no mere echo. Mark's understanding of the Voice was that it was the Direct Voice of God (Qol Yahweh?).

Can you imagine a time without the speaking voice of God. Oh God don't withdraw your Spirit from us agian!

Diocese of East Tennessee: Weekly Lectionary

Diocese of East Tennessee: Weekly Lectionary: "Today's readings extend the call to discipleship. In 1 Samuel, the voice of the Lord awakens a sleeping Samuel, who responds with attentive obedience. Paul outlines how those called by God are to honor their physical bodies. Jesus calls his first disciples Philip and Nathanael with the simple invitation, Follow me (v. 43)."

Is this the connection? The voice is the call to discipleship. What does this tell us about the nature of discipleship? We hear the voice of God, he knows our thoughts. His thoughts are weighty to us, his temple, Holy.

what is going on here?

· Samuel hears the voice of God
· God hears the voice and thoughts of the psalmist; the psalmist values the voice and thoughts of God
· Paul says the body is holy as the temple of God and should not be sinned against (anti-Gnostic?) Union with God.
· Jesus knows the thoughts of Nathaniel.