In the book of Numbers, it says again and again, "The Lord spoke." The Lord spoke and He spoke and He spoke. It reminded me of Genesis. God spoke and then there was light. God spoke and everything on earth came into being. One by one at His command. And then God spoke, but this was different. He spoke His intention and His purpose. He took up dust and formed man with His hands. He breathed life into His nostrils. And from then on, man was the only creation God spoke to. He spoke to Adam and Eve as they walked in the cool of the day, He had relationship with them.

Then everything spiraled into darkness and shadow and death. A veil now existed between God and man. Sin stood on now side and holiness on the other. And the holiness of God kept Him from communing with man side by side as He did with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. And the sin of man kept him from approaching the Holy Creator.

But God spoke. He spoke a promise. And He called to Himself a man who birthed a nation. He spoke and called a people to Himself, to be His own possession. He could not walk with them as He did with Adam, but He went before and behind them, and dwelt in their midst. He blessed them mightily. He even spoke to some of them, face to face as friends, and called His Spirit to fall on them for a time. But they rebelled. They scorned His presence and spurned His face. They pursued gods of stone and gods of flesh. They fell prey to their own desires and lusts.

Then God spoke through the prophets. He warned them of His rightful wrath to come. He called to them, "Repent, and even now shall I forgive!" But they did not come. Judgement fell, swift and sure. The people groaned under the weight of the chastening hand of God. But it is not written wrongly that whom the Lord loves He chastens. The people lifted up their face and repented. And God forgave.

Time and time again the weary cycle. Blessed by God, the people still rejected God. Warned by God, the people refused to turn to God. Judged by God, the people returned to God. Forgiven by God, the people were blessed by God. Then it would begin again.

But one day, God didn't speak. Hundreds of years went by, and still He was silent. His people became pressed. Things seemed hopeless. dark. dead.

Remember when all was so after Adam fell, and God spoke a promise? He promised then a Messiah. And all through the years He spoke, He promised salvation. And now, when it seemed that God would never speak again came the greatest word of all.

The Word Made Flesh

God came down to live among men a man. He spoke, and it was with authority. The people's ears, unaccustomed to listening, heard the word of God. Some listened and followed Him. Most rejected Him. And finally, they did the unspeakable. They nailed God's Son to a cross. They heard Him speak, "It is finished!" That was a very silent night. But in the temple, they heard the veil tear in two. For with the death of the Word made flesh, God's holiness bore man's sin, and man's sin was taken away.

Three days later, He rose again! And the sin of the world staid buried! Now He speaks, and He calls all men to Himself. And to those who accept Him, He comes and lives in them. And they have relationship with Him. They walk, day by day, in sweet fellowship. And so it is that we who are His do say, "It is well!"