The sound of God’s voice was heard on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of the disciples and they shared the good news of salvation in Jesus. It was the same voice of God heard in the first chapter of the Bible as the God of creation said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). It is the same eternal voice of God that is heard in the last chapter of the Bible as Jesus identifies himself as “the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16). It was the same voice of God that inspired the psalmist to write about a new song to the Lord in Psalm 96:1-5
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless the Lord’s name; tell of the Lord’s salvation from day to day.
Declare the Lord’s glory among the nations, the Lord’s marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; the Lord is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Harold Russell lost both of his hands while training for combat duty during the Second World War. As a result of this tragedy, he was fitted with hooks. Resentful of his loss, he reported that he had a tendency to look at himself and say, “I have only two hooks while other people have hands.” He went through many months looking only at the tragedy of his life. Eventually, he worked through his grief and began to see how God could create something that “would work out for good” out of his tragedy. Singing a new song, he wrote “it is not what you have lost but what you have left that counts.” Singing a new song, he won a surprising best supporting actor award in the 1946 movie The Best Years of our Lives, a film that depicted how World War II veterans handled the aftermath of the war and their return to changed families and communities. He also won a second Oscar for “bringing aid and comfort to disabled veterans through the medium of motion pictures.”
Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking described what it means to sing a new song to the Lord in this way:
“… every morning you wake up to something that in all eternity never was before and never will be again. And the you that wakes up was never the same before and will never be the same again either.”
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples heard God’s voice as they sang a new song to the Lord. Awakened to a new reality, they could not stay silent as they spoke in the languages of people from around the world. To appreciate the sound of God’s voice that was heard in the message they shared, it is good to know the context of Pentecost:
A Feast of Booths was held annually in Jerusalem for the purpose of dedicating the fall harvest of wheat to God and remembering how God gave the 10 commandments directly to Moses and the people of Israel as recorded in the 20th chapter of Exodus.
The evidence of God’s presence in the giving of the 10 Commandment in the 20th chapter of Exodus is found in Exodus 19:18 as Mt. Sinai is wrapped in smoke as the Lord descends upon it in fire.
The Feast of Booths which occurred on the 50th day after the Feast of First Fruits was called Shavuot in Hebrew and Pentecost in Greek.
Persons participating in the Feast of Booths would have included the citizens of Jerusalem and the people described in Acts 2:5 as “devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.”
It is in this context of Pentecost that Peter and the disciples shared the voice of God as they sang a new song about God’s faithfulness with the world. It is in this context of Pentecost that we share the voice of God as we sing a new song about God’s faithfulness with the world.
On this Pentecost Sunday, may the sound of God’s voice be heard in our lives as we sing a new song in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Amen.
Hearing God’s Voice
by Pastor Marc Brown
May 28, 2023
Accompanying Scriptures: Acts 2:1-21
Fort Hill United Methodist Church
Order of Worship for May 28, 2023
Scripture Lesson Acts 2:1-21
The Good News “Hearing God’s Voice”
Music “Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here” by Brian and Katie Torwalt
Prayer
Blessing
Closing Music “Praise to the Living God” by Lani Smith
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