John 10:4-6
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Truth - When God speaks, those who KNOW Him hear Him and follow Him
Hearing a familiar voice is very comforting ... especially to children. A baby might be confused by the voices around them, but they are suddenly soothed when their mother or father speaks. When we hear the voice of our loved one over the phone after a long separation, we are suddenly and wonderfully calmed. At creation we have been programed with a highly technical and highly competent voice recognition system. The same is true spiritually. God has a distinct voice. He has a voice known to those who know Him. Those who do not know God and/or walk contrary to God, do not know His voice. When we don't know Him we don't know His voice (His Word) and that is when we mistake other voices for His authoritative Word. Note what God says through two of His prophets in regard to this thought, when they speak to a rebellious Israel that had, for a long time, forgot who God was:
Hosea 8:12
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
Daniel 11:32
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
Notice, especially in the Daniel passage, that when we "Know" God we will not be seduced by the "flattery" of this world. This is what Jesus is talking about in the above passage out of John 10. At this point in Jesus' teaching, even the disciples didn't understand this type of speech. They will, however!! John is now writing about this teaching of Jesus and admits, at the time, "I" didn't get it either. This theme of knowing God's voice and, therefore, following God's voice will become a central theme in John's first epistle. When we know God's Word we are not lead astray by the words that flatter us and attempt to seduce us. The story of Eve in The Garden with that snake Satan is a great example of being lead astray by flattering words and failing to hear God's Word over the sounds of dissonance. Christ is telling us that if we KNOW Him we will KNOW His voice and follow that voice ... like a small child.
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