Whose Voice Do You Recognize?

There are those voices that when we hear them, we quickly recognize whose voice it is, often without actually seeing that person. For whatever reason, some voices are more easily recognizable than others. I think of James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Rod Stewart, Julia Child.

There are other times that when told what someone whom we know well said, we confidently know whether or not that person actually said what they were purported to have said. When told that my wife said this or that, I know her well enough to know whether or not she really said it, even without asking her if she actually said it. And I trust the vice versa is true as well.

While sometimes we can pick out voices by their uniqueness or peculiarity, I think most often it is because we are familiar with that voice. Due to my intimate familiarity with my wife’s voice, I am able to hear her voice amongst a group of voices, often even when she isn’t the loudest voice.

One of the images of Jesus found in scripture is that of a shepherd. What do we know about shepherds? Shepherds generally came from the base elements of society. They were on the lowest rung of the economic scale and had little or no formal education. Shepherds had no power or influence, they simply tended sheep. They were also totally committed to their flock and would do anything, including risking life and limb, to care for and protect their sheep. And sheep are very familiar with their shepherd, so much so that they recognize his or her voice. In the early centuries there were usually multiple flocks in the same pen, so it was important for survival that the sheep knew and recognized their own shepherd’s voice.

In the Bible, Abel was the first male to be called a shepherd (Genesis 4:2) while Rachel was first female shepherd(ess) mentioned (Genesis 29:9).  

In John 10, as Jesus faces growing opposition, He desires to draw his followers into more intimacy with himself, using a metaphor they would greatly understand, that of a shepherd. There is much packed into this passage but what I want to focus on is that Jesus says He knows his sheep and his sheep know him and his voice. In v.14, we find this – “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” And later on, here was what Jesus says – “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (v.27). To keep these verses in context, it is important that you read the entire narrative (10:1-30). Click here to read the full passage.

My sheep listen to my voice implies an experiential intimacy with Jesus, our Good Shepherd, one in which we not only know him and his voice, but also that we follow and obey. Recognizing His voice requires attentive listening and discerning his voice from all the rest. Attentive listening to his voice, and for His voice, comes primarily through Scripture. Attentive listening is an ongoing every day thing, and it takes practice. Attentive listening leads to faith. And faith leads to obedient response – “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Whose voice do you recognize?   

If you are encouraged by this or any of my writings, you can subscribe to be notified by email when I post something new. To subscribe, click here. Once you put in your email address you will then get an email confirming that you wish to subscribe. Thank you.