Imagery in Scripture – God’s Mouth

(Note: This is the second article in a four-part series. I invite you to read my introduction, where I shared what I discovered in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Click here for the first article I wrote on God’s hands.)

What comes to your mind when you imagine God’s mouth?

Does it have a white beard around it and perfect teeth? Do you hear God’s booming voice? I am hoping you would think about God’s capacity to speak. He certainly does not do so with a literal mouth, but figuratively.

When Scripture refers to something that God said, it is merely a literary device to help us see that God is not silent. He has always spoken to His chosen people through His word and through His prophets. He still speaks.

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology informs us that one of the Hebrew words used for mouth, which is translated “word” in the Bible when referring to divine communication points to “the source of the declarations as coming directly from God himself. . . As the expression of his being and character, the word of the Lord is the supreme means by which God makes himself known to his creatures.”

I will begin with Ezra and Nehemiah and share my observations about God’s words. Next, I will discuss man’s mouth, and how they relate to one another. I will list a few other Scriptures where more is revealed about the mouth of God (in a figurative sense) so that we can know Him better. Lastly, I will ask my readers to consider what to do with their own mouths in response to what they know about God’s.

God’s mouth speaks in Ezra

Although we may not see this body part mentioned specifically in Ezra, like we did with God’s hands and like we will as we unpack references to God’s eyes and ears, we do see what God’s mouth does. In several places, we read that God gave His words that were spoken and/or written through Jeremiah in Ezra  1:1, Moses in Ezra 3:2, David in Ezra 3:10, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah in Ezra 5:1.

In Ezra 6:18, we see that as the temple was dedicated, the Jewish leaders installed the priests “according to what is written in the Book of Moses.” This reference to one book is actually the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch. This same source was referred to in Ezra 3:2 as “the Law of Moses,” which is interesting because it was God’s Law. God gave it; Moses wrote it down.

I want to call attention to the attitude of humility towards God’s Law that was exhibited by King Artaxerxes in a letter he wrote to Ezra the priest expressing his support to the rebuilding of the temple. He wrote, “Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and of his sons?” (Ezra 7:23).

God had put this pagan king of Persia at just the right time and place for His glory. He understood God’s authority was above his own. He knew enough about God to know there would be both short and long-term consequences for lack of obedience to God’s specific instructions about temple worship.

God’s mouth leads in Nehemiah

In the sequel to the book of Ezra, we see that Nehemiah also makes reference to God’s mouth.

There is a moment when Nehemiah goes out at night to inspect Jerusalem’s walls. He casually mentions that he “had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:12). God spoke to Nehemiah’s heart, giving him a vision to take charge of repairing the walls around God’s city.

Nehemiah encourages the rebuilding team by reminding them that God’s hand was with them. He says in Neh. 2:18, “I also toldthem about the gracious hand of my God upon me.” Nehemiah boldly proclaims, “The God of heaven will give us success” (Neh. 2:20). This knowledge of God’s omnipresence during the long days and opposition from their enemies is based on God’s own revelation of His divine attributes, which was highlighted in Ps. 139:7-12 and other places in the Scriptures.

Man’s mouth teaches, prays, and leads in response

As Ezra arrives in Jerusalem, he is referred to as “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:6). We read in v. 10 that “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” He took this job seriously. His calling was to take the promises, commands, and narratives in God’s word and enable God’s people to understand and obey them. God gifted Ezra, and countless other teachers, to use their mouth to glorify God.

When Nehemiah hears of the broken condition of the wall around Jerusalem, he sat down and wept. He prayed in response. He acknowledges God’s character, as revealed in the OT Scriptures: “the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands” (Neh. 1:5). He fervently prays that God would hear “the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel” and confesses the sins that he and the Israelites had committed against God degrees and laws (Neh. 6-7). When his team were insulted, Nehemiah prays that God would destroy their enemies (Neh. 4:4-5).

Not only did Nehemiah pray regularly for the work and for his teammates, but he also used his mouth to lead the rebuilding project in response to God’s vision. To be prepared against the many threats from those opposing the work, Nehemiah took charge, posted guards 24/7 (Neh. 4:9), and directed a detailed defense plan (v. 13). He rallied the troops to fight and reminded them of God’s promises (v. 14).

Lastly, God’s word, spoken by the prophets led to shouts of praise. After the wall was rebuilt, we see the Israelites gathered to hear Ezra read “the Book of the Law of Moses” (Neh. 8:1). He read it aloud and “all the people listened attentively” (v. 3). Ezra praised the Lord, and the people worshiped the Lord (v. 6).

God’s mouth throughout the Bible

The first book of the Bible highlights God’s mouth. We read in Gen. 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” God created everything by using His mouth and speaking it all into existence.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Jesus’ connection to this topic and His part in the creation narrative mentioned above.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made” (John 1:1-3). John continues, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Jesus’s pre-incarnate involvement in creation is a mystery. By John calling Jesus “the Word,” we get the impression that God’s voice, which was rarely audible was now going to speak to His followers face-to-face.

How should my mouth respond to God’s mouth?

Like these two prophets, we need to read, listen, and respond appropriately to God’s holy word as revealed in both the Old and New Testaments. As followers of Christ, committed to walking with God, and being filled with His Holy Spirit, we cannot hear God’s voice to us personally without reading and applying His word regularly. We need to grow in our understanding of His truths to guide us.

For those of us who have the spiritual gift of teaching, we need to dive in to the word of God a bit deeper than most. If we are gifted to preach God’s truth or share the gospel with unbelievers, we should do so with a holy boldness. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

I trust that this in-depth look at how God speaks to His people encourage you to seek His face.

(Note: I invite you to read the next article in this series here.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written more than 320 articles on a variety of faith and work and other topics; many of them have been published or posted on Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.