Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• John 16:3
• Luke 11:28
• Matthew 7:24

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 13:5
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 18:15-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 27:10
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 28:1-2
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 28:15
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 15:26
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 19:5
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 23:21-22
  Jewish Commentary
• Genesis 3:8
  Jewish Commentary
• Numbers 12:6-8
  Jewish Commentary

Supportive NT Scriptures

• James 1:22-25
• John 16:7-8

Supportive OT Scriptures

• Isaiah 30:30
  Jewish Commentary
• Jeremiah 7:22-23
  Jewish Commentary
• Jeremiah 11:2-4
  Jewish Commentary
• Jeremiah 26:13
  Jewish Commentary
• Jeremiah 31:30-33
  Jewish Commentary
• Psalms 29:3-9
  Click to retrieve Psalms 29:3-9
  Jewish Commentary

Bible verses copyright: PUBLIC DOMAIN except in the United Kingdom, where a Crown Copyright applies to printing the KJV. See http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/who-we-are/queens-printers-patent

Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

This Mitzvah is related to the Mitzvah on "Obeying Torah ". The emphasis here is somewhat different however, in that this Mitzvah has to do with listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to guide us on how God's Commandments should be applied in our particular circumstances. What it means to obey God's commandments (those written down by Moses) is clear, but what is not so clear is what listening to God's voice means. Rabbinical Judaism would say that it is referring to an "Oral Torah " - words allegedly spoken to Moses that were not written down, but rather conveyed verbally (as an oral tradition) from generation-to-generation. I do not believe that, nor do I believe that listening to God's voice is a mere metaphor for understanding what the written words of Torah say, nor does it mean hearing the words of Torah read aloud. Scripture is clear that, in the New Covenant, we are able to hear God speak to us (usually in a still small voice within us) by means of the Holy Spirit. At the time of Elijah, the New Covenant had not yet come in His fullness, yet Elijah was able to hear that still small voice of God because he was gifted with the Holy Spirit; consider 1 Kings 19:11-12 : He [the angel] said, 'Go outside, and stand on the mountain before ADONAI'; and right then and there, ADONAI went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before ADONAI, but ADONAI was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but ADONAI was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, fire broke out; but ADONAI was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. The Israelites of old heard and were guided by God's voice in primarily three ways - audibly from Mount Sinai (rarely) (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:32-33 ), from angels (e.g. Exodus 23:20-22 ) or from prophets (e.g. Numbers 12:6 ; Deuteronomy 18:17-18 ) who were specially gifted to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and repeat it to the inquirer. God's Voice can be heard today at least as clearly as it was in the past, because today we have the great gift of the New Covenant that was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:30-33(31-34) , whereby the Torah is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit who dwells within each and every one of us who will receive Him. Today, each of us we can hear God's voice in the same way as (in fact, more clearly than) the prophets of old heard Him; as Jeremiah prophesied, we no longer have to inquire of our neighbor or brother, for we all can know and hear Him ourselves. It is clear to me that God's voice is and always has been the voice of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, God speaks through His written commandments, but it is the Holy Spirit that gives the commandments voice for application in our individual lives and circumstances. 1 Expecting to hear God's Voice with a mind to obey it is very important if we are to have an intimate and loving relationship with God ( John 14:15, 21 ) - so much so that Romans 8:14 says of it: All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons. Because men's hearing of God's voice can be faulty, we are admonished to by 1 Thessalonians 5:21 test everything [and] hold onto what is good It is the approach used by the men of Berea who " welcomed Paul's message ", but engaged in checking the Tanakh every day to see if the things Sha'ul was saying were true ( Acts 17:11 ). 2 1. English translations of Deuteronomy 28:1-2 and 18 generally use the word "obey" when referring to (God's commandments), and "listen to" when referring to (the sound of God's voice). That notwithstanding, the Hebrew word used for both "obey" and "listen to" in these Scriptures is the same - a derivation of the word ( sh'ma ), and so the two functions of listening and obeying cannot be separated. On the other hand, derivations of Hebrew words (commandments) and (sound of voice) are both used in the Deuteronomy Scriptures and, since these are not the same, God's written Word and God's voice must be thought of and dealt with differently. 2. See also 1 Corinthians 14:29

Classical commentators

The only mitzvot that touch on listening to God's voice are Maimonides' RP172, and HaChinuch's corresponding mitzvah C516. They interpret Deuteronomy 18:15-19 as our needing to listen to and obey all of God's prophets even if the prophets should instruct us to temporarily do the opposite of what appears to be a commandment in Scripture. I cannot agree with that interpretation; I believe that Deuteronomy 18:15-19 refers to only one prophet - Yeshua the Messiah - who had yet to come at the time the Commandment was given. And whereas Yeshua interpreted and applied the Mosaic commandments, he never nullified them. Meir does not include the subject of this Mitzvah in his compilation.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

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Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2