Covenant is God’s structure of love. Revelation is its living sound. The same divine voice that once called Abraham still calls us through scripture, inviting us to shema—to hear, understand, and act. When we approach scripture as a living invitation to hear, we participate in that same ancient dialogue of divine love.
Dear friends,
Thank you for your enthusiastic response to these short messages to prepare us for the upcoming Old Testament study year.
As a re-introduction, I’m Taylor Halverson, a scripture enthusiast (PhD, Biblical Studies) and long-time educator (PhD, Instructional Systems Technology) and travel tour leader with Exodus Tours.
I’ve dedicated my life to help people feel God’s love through His scriptures. My plan is to share insights each Saturday morning.
If you appreciate these insights, you can find more at my insights website as well as my YouTube channel Scripture Insights where I regularly post Come Follow Me content!
And now for today’s insight…
If covenant is the structure of divine love, then revelation is its sound. God binds Himself by promise and He speaks those promises into being. The same voice that called Abraham still calls us through the written word.
The Bible is more than a record of ancient speeches. We can see it as the ongoing conversation of a living God who keeps reaching out in Ḥesed, His steadfast love. Every command, story, and psalm invites us to hear that love and respond.
Shema: Listening That Leads to Doing
The Hebrew word for hear, shema (שׁמע), carries a meaning far deeper than sound. To shema is to hear, understand, and obey. It is listening with intent to act. The Israelite declaration of faith begins with this word: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
In the Bible, to hear was to respond. When God declared, “If you will indeed hear My voice and keep My covenant” (Exodus 19:5), he was describing two sides of the same action, listening that produces action that demonstrates faithfulness.
Prophets later used this same call. “Hear the word of the LORD,” they would cry. Notice that the prophets did not come with a set of new laws from God. Rather, they were seeking to renew broken relationships. Through their words, God was repairing the covenantal conversation that sin had broken.
Hearing in the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon continues the same covenant pattern. Lehi has a vision and hears great and marvelous things that inspires him to preach in Jerusalem. King Benjamin’s people listen until they feel God’s word pierce their hearts and change their nature. When the resurrected Christ invites each person to come forward, touch His hands, and hear His voice, He fulfills the ancient call to shema.
In both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, hearing is never passive. It always results in trust, gratitude, and action.
The Living Voice of Scripture
We can still hear God speaking through scripture today, through the same covenant story that has been lovingly preserved for our learning.
When we open the scriptures to hear God it is a signal that we are ready for covenant renewal with him. We seek to hear him so that we can act in covenantal relationship.
Revelation happens when scripture moves from being read to being heard (acted upon). We can invite the Spirit to personalize the text for us so that words on a page become living guidance.
Practicing Spiritual Hearing
You can further strengthen your ability to hear God’s voice in simple ways:
Try reading aloud. Scripture was originally written to be heard, typically in a community setting. Sound makes truth tangible.
Ask yourself questions. What does this scripture show about God’s character? What response does He invite from me? How can I live this truth in my relationships?
Pause often. Give space for reflection. Listening requires silence as well as speech.
Write impressions. Covenant memory deepens when you record what you receive. When have you heard God’s voice in your life and how did you respond?
A Closing Thought
God’s word is alive today. It continues to speak covenant life into the present. The same God who spoke worlds into order at creation now speaks peace, correction, and promise to those who listen.
To hear that voice, that is, to act in covenantal faithfulness, is to renew the relationship He began with Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus.
Next week we will learn how to read the Old Testament without getting lost, discovering tools to follow the thread of God’s Ḥesed through every chapter of His story.
—Taylor Halverson, Ph.D.
Learn Deeply. Live Meaningfully. Spread Light and Goodness!
Note on the AI enhanced audio or articles: Many of you agreed that the narration is functional but not quite authentic; and many of you requested that I continue to make audio versions available and that AI enhanced audio is acceptable instead of having no audio at all.