Job 33:14 (KJV) “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.”
This statement was made by Elihu, one of Job’s younger friends who spoke after the three older friends had finished. In this Scriptural text, Elihu speaks of how God communicates with man. The emphasis of this statement is that: “God is not silent in human affairs”; He speaks through different ways of communication. The (CEV) says, “God speaks in different ways, and we don’t always recognize His voice.”
The statement, “God speaketh once, yea twice”, is a Hebrew idiom meaning, “God speaks repeatedly” or “again and again” or “continually”. God confirms something through repetition (Deut. 19:15). God gives man more than one witness (e.g., dreams, visions, the voice of conscience, prophets). God does not just warn or guide once; He often gives multiple opportunities for man to hear Him. The Hebrew word, ûbištáyim, translated “yea, twice”, also suggests persistence and patience in God’s communication.
Now, the Hebrew verb form, yĕdabbēr (Piel imperfect), translated, “He speaks”, does suggest the emphasis that God does not speak casually; He speaks deliberately, purposely, or intentionally. In other words, God always speak “on purpose”; there is always a reason behind every word of God to us. But the problem is that “man perceiveth it not”, meaning, man is unable to notice, understand, or accept God’s voice due to distractions, spiritual deafness, and the hardness of heart (Heb 3:15). Sometimes, we don’t pay attention to what God is saying and so, we make shipwreck of our lives.
Written by: Pastor Andrew A. Esemudje