The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to His people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16 ESV)
Voice
My grandfather told this story about his Recruit Division Commander (the Navy’s Drill Instructor). The man was like a mountain. He woke the recruits loudly. He called them to order loudly. He dismissed them loudly.
He had one volume level: Extra Loud.
But in the wild chaos of battle, my grandfather said that he imagined that terrifying voice becoming a comfort to every sailor. Sure, it was loud, but it was loud on HIS side!
The Lord’s voice is something like that.
While the unrighteous should fear when they hear His voice (in His Word, in creation, in His people, or via His Spirit), God’s people can find comfort in His voice.
He is mighty, and He has called us to His side. He is awe-inspiring, and He has brought us to His city. He is both loud and quiet, terrifying and peaceful, roaring and whispering.
But to us, His people, whose righteousness is bestowed on us through Christ’s life and death, His voice is the cry of freedom, of victory, of redemption, of salvation.
We hear that voice only through the mediation of Christ Jesus.
We are comforted by that voice only through the mediation of Christ Jesus.
We find rest only through the medication of Christ Jesus.