Genesis 3:11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked?
Voices are distinct. Often we recognize an actor’s voice before we recognize their face. We have telephone conversation with people we can’t see but are certain they are who they say they are because we know their voice.
Many people claim they hear lots of voices. These are typically intellectuals whose brains never stop. Unable to turn the voices off, they live their lives with continual conversation going on inside their heads. I read once that when this happens, one should try to identify one voice at a time, mentally put that voice in a lidded jar and soon all the voices would have a new home. I repeated this to my friend who only looked at me like I was crazy – he hears lots of voices.
Adam knew only a few voices, that of Eve’s and God’s. After the apple incident, Adam and Eve confessed, “We hide because we were naked.” It is God’s response that clenches my heart as if someone has reached in and grabbed it; “Who told you you were naked?” Adam, who told you?
I ask a similar question; Who told you you are bad? Who told you you are wrong? Who told you you are sinful? Who told you you are stupid? Who told you you are a failure? Who told you you are going to hell? I know for sure it wasn’t God. So whose voice is it? Who are you listening to?
It takes time to get to know God’s voice. It requires putting all those other voices in lidded jars and setting them on a very high shelf where they won’t be disturbed. If you’re not sure which is God’s, I suggest you begin with removing all the ‘you are bad’, ‘you are wrong’, ‘you’re a failure’, ‘you’re going to hell’, type of voices first; those can be jarred!
We fail to hear Him because we’ve allowed all the other voices in. God’s voice is the gentle whisper that says, “I love you. I have a plan for you. I’m right here waiting for you. I know everything you’ve done and it doesn’t matter. Let’s walk together.” His is the voice of love and forgiveness. It’s the voice of redemption. All the others are not.
So I ask you, Who told you you were naked?