Why does God not talk directly/audibly to us as in the OT?

[JStates]

We have all the words we need from God in the King James Bible.

I generally agree, the Bible contains everything that we need to know in order to be saved and know God through Jesus Christ His Son. But it's not a container of all truth, just necessary spiritual truth. Day to day wisdom in how to live our lives and what choices (especially when both paths are morally acceptable and seemingly beneficial) to make is another type of thing altogether. I do think God gives guidance in these cases through His Holy Spirit and sometimes with an audible voice:

Isa_30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Whether the voice is in one's head or external, who can say? I've heard a quiet voice speaking to me a few times before.

 

[PaulChristensen]

If I want to perceive the voice of God, I read the Bible. If I want to hear the voice of God, I read the Bible out loud!

We have the indwelling Holy Spirit. God speaks Spirit to spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit, and we become aware that God is saying something to us. We then interpret in our mind what we sense God is saying to us. I find that when I am discussing issues or asking questions with God, the exact verse or passage of Scripture comes to mind that coincides with what I am discussing or questioning. This has happened so many times, that I know that this is the way the Lord speaks to me. Other times it comes as a sort of conviction that something is either okay nor not okay. I think that has come through my 50 years of trial and error experience. The Scripture says that strong meat is for those through use and experience have learned to discern between good and evil.

 

[PaulChristensen]

I generally agree, the Bible contains everything that we need to know in order to be saved and know God through Jesus Christ His Son. But it's not a container of all truth, just necessary spiritual truth. Day to day wisdom in how to live our lives and what choices (especially when both paths are morally acceptable and seemingly beneficial) to make is another type of thing altogether. I do think God gives guidance in these cases through His Holy Spirit and sometimes with an audible voice:

Isa_30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Whether the voice is in one's head or external, who can say? I've heard a quiet voice speaking to me a few times before.

It is interesting that when the Holy Spirit gives me a verse of Scripture to make something clear to me, it comes in KJV format, rather than a more modern version. I don't think it is because the KJV is God's preferred version, but that for the first 12 years of my Christian life I read and studied the KJV so it must be burned into my system when it comes to having verses of Scripture come to mind when I need them. For the rest of the time I have read and studied the NAB, AMP, and NIV versions, but still, when a verse comes to me it is in the KJV format. Quirky!

 

[JStates]

If I want to perceive the voice of God, I read the Bible. If I want to hear the voice of God, I read the Bible out loud!

We have the indwelling Holy Spirit. God speaks Spirit to spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit, and we become aware that God is saying something to us. We then interpret in our mind what we sense God is saying to us. I find that when I am discussing issues or asking questions with God, the exact verse or passage of Scripture comes to mind that coincides with what I am discussing or questioning. This has happened so many times, that I know that this is the way the Lord speaks to me. Other times it comes as a sort of conviction that something is either okay nor not okay. I think that has come through my 50 years of trial and error experience. The Scripture says that strong meat is for those through use and experience have learned to discern between good and evil.

Sometimes you read Scripture and something sticks in your mind and bothers you day after day until you act upon it. I've experienced this before. One time, I felt like God wanted me to do something that I wasn't particular happy to have to do. I procrastinated for ages, months and months, but eventually it became a certainty in my mind that I needed to do this thing and finally I said, alright, I'm going to go insane if I don't do it, so here I go!

 

[Pilgrimshope]

I think I know the answer to this one, but I’m curious to see what you all think.

The God of the Old Testament was directly and personally involved in the daily lives of His people. And surely He is today, with us. However, one significant difference between then and now is that we do not hear God talking to us audibly.

No, I’m not talking about legitimately insane people who claim to “hear the voice of God.” Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and many other OT figures literally, actually, and AUDIBLY heard God speak directly and intimately with them on numerous occasions.

I want to understand more about why this doesn’t happen today.

And let me clarify: I know that many of us have heard the voice of God in a way that’s not audible. God has spoken to us in our lives and led us, and most of us have truly and really had that experience. My question is more about the audible voice of God that was recorded throughout the Old Testament. Jesus came to earth - God in human form - but we simply do not see that level of interaction today.

I hope this question makes sense. And I don’t doubt that God is active in our lives and speaks to us in other ways. Just curious about the difference between the OT and now.

Thank you for your insights.

he was outside of man in the ot so they had to hear with their ears . He dwells within us in the nt so he becomes part of our thoughts and heart changing what we know and believe inside , how we think and perceive and know internally so the communication comes through our conscience and mind our hearts

that’s my opinion

 

[John146]

I generally agree, the Bible contains everything that we need to know in order to be saved and know God through Jesus Christ His Son. But it's not a container of all truth, just necessary spiritual truth. Day to day wisdom in how to live our lives and what choices (especially when both paths are morally acceptable and seemingly beneficial) to make is another type of thing altogether. I do think God gives guidance in these cases through His Holy Spirit and sometimes with an audible voice:

Isa_30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Whether the voice is in one's head or external, who can say? I've heard a quiet voice speaking to me a few times before.

Day to day guidance and wisdom is found in the word of God.

 

[JStates]

Day to day guidance and wisdom is found in the word of God.

Then what do you make of Isaiah 30:21, which IS the Word of God?

Christians are too quick to put God in a box when presented with things they do not understand. I have heard credible accounts of people being converted through dreams and visions in places where God's Word is not available, and then being taught by the Holy Spirit for years before ever meeting another Christian. In our mechanistic American Christianity so dominated by scientism, Christians tell me, "No, such things cannot happen." Well, God worked miracles once and He still does.

Don't put God in a box.

 

[Beckie]

Years ago maybe 40 or 50.. I asked Mom about the same question.. "Mom God speaks so and so He spoke to the guys in the OT why WHY wont He talk to me? " The wisdom of a mom a Christian mom.... Beck she said, shut-up and listen .

 

[John146]

Then what do you make of Isaiah 30:21, which IS the Word of God?

Christians are too quick to put God in a box when presented with things they do not understand. I have heard credible accounts of people being converted through dreams and visions in places where God's Word is not available, and then being taught by the Holy Spirit for years before ever meeting another Christian. In our mechanistic American Christianity so dominated by scientism, Christians tell me, "No, such things cannot happen." Well, God worked miracles once and He still does.

Don't put God in a box.

I’m not putting anyone in a box, just stating the Bible is enough.

 

[JStates]

I’m not putting anyone in a box, just stating the Bible is enough.

Fair enough, and 100% agreed.

2Pe_1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

God gives us revelation in His Word, and those who continue on following it and come to know the Lord get the gift of the Holy Spirit. Concerning the Spirit AND the Word, the more we listen to what they tell us, the more God shows us.

 

[CS1]

God is Shouting to us today.

He speaks in HIS Creation, He speaks from HIS word, He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. The question should be why can't you hear HIM speaking?

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Years ago maybe 40 or 50.. I asked Mom about the same question.. "Mom God speaks so and so He spoke to the guys in the OT why WHY wont He talk to me? " The wisdom of a mom a Christian mom.... Beck she said, shut-up and listen .

Love That mom advice !!!

 

[Pilgrimshope]

God is Shouting to us today.

He speaks in HIS Creation, He speaks from HIS word, He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. The question should be why can't you hear HIM speaking?

I think he’s talking about the difference in outward audible voice like we speak to each other versus being able to hear God within as Christians do. I can only speak for myself but I don’t hear God with my actually physical ears I hear him a lot internally but I think he’s asking why is that different from it to nt

In the ot God didn’t live here


“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But he was outside of them speaking to them through the mediation of
Moses . God spoke to Moses and the prophets they then spoke to the people externally .

so it stands to reason why it’s different from old to new just a matter of where God is speaking from he’s within now and was without then

 

[Amanuensis]

I believe that when this happened in the OT it was rare. And significant events in the lives of Abraham or Moses, etc as they were part of redemption history and needed to be supernatural events to mark them as clearly God intervening in the lives of these men.

We have examples in the NT also. And they too are rare and mark significant events related to redemption history, declaring Jesus as the Son of God and to be heard over Moses and the prophets, and there is Pauls conversion which marks a significant vessel to write much of the New Testament.

What I see in these patterns is that there is absolutely no indication that God will not speak audibly to someone or a whole group of witnesses if he so chooses today. But I would expect that to be a significant event marking it as some kind of prophesy fulfilment in the history of redemption or something. Like maybe something like that would happen when something in Revelation is being fulfilled, or one of the details of an OT prophecy that has a further end time fulfilment.

I wouldn't say that God doesn't do it today. Only that nothing has required Him to do so. We are in that stage in the redemptive time line where we are to be winning souls in the power of the Holy Spirit and God is speaking through us in the prophets voice, (or at least those of us surrendered to him, and filled with the Holy Spirit).

We know that there will be the voice of the Archangel when the trumpet sounds.

Maybe there will be a few more audible voice events.

One of the last ones, and maybe the last unless you include Jesus talking to Paul, was when God said, "This is my beloved Son, Hear Him" and He said this when Peter wanted to make a tabernacle for Moses and Elijah and Jesus, thus signifying that the time of the Law and the Prophets had been eclipsed by Jesus ministry and we are to Hear Him.

If there is another audible voice event it will be a few rare instances at most before the world ends and that would be no different than in the past. A very rare event marking significant developments in the Redemptive plan of God and the plan he foreordained to redeem mankind and wrap all things up and usher in the eternal kingdom of perfection and everlasting dwelling in righteousness.

 

[Pilgrimshope]

I believe that when this happened in the OT it was rare. And significant events in the lives of Abraham or Moses, etc as they were part of redemption history and needed to be supernatural events to mark them as clearly God intervening in the lives of these men.

We have examples in the NT also. And they too are rare and mark significant events related to redemption history, declaring Jesus as the Son of God and to be heard over Moses and the prophets, and there is Pauls conversion which marks a significant vessel to write much of the New Testament.

What I see in these patterns is that there is absolutely no indication that God will not speak audibly to someone or a whole group of witnesses if he so chooses today. But I would expect that to be a significant event marking it as some kind of prophesy fulfilment in the history of redemption or something. Like maybe something like that would happen when something in Revelation is being fulfilled, or one of the details of an OT prophecy that has a further end time fulfilment.

I wouldn't say that God doesn't do it today. Only that nothing has required Him to do so. We are in that stage in the redemptive time line where we are to be winning souls in the power of the Holy Spirit and God is speaking through us in the prophets voice, (or at least those of us surrendered to him, and filled with the Holy Spirit).

We know that there will be the voice of the Archangel when the trumpet sounds.

Maybe there will be a few more audible voice events.

One of the last ones, and maybe the last unless you include Jesus talking to Paul, was when God said, "This is my beloved Son, Hear Him" and He said this when Peter wanted to make a tabernacle for Moses and Elijah and Jesus, thus signifying that the time of the Law and the Prophets had been eclipsed by Jesus ministry and we are to Hear Him.

If there is another audible voice event it will be a few rare instances at most before the world ends and that would be no different than in the past. A very rare event marking significant developments in the Redemptive plan of God and the plan he foreordained to redeem mankind and wrap all things up and usher in the eternal kingdom of perfection and everlasting dwelling in righteousness.

Agreed , all things are possible for sure I can only say I’ve never heard or seen with my flesh.

 

[Blain]

I have only heard his voice audibly once I don't even know why he spoke to me when he did it really didn't make much sense but I was grateful for it it was exactl as you would expected it I was walking and drinking my drinking after I drank it I threw it on the ground he suddenly commanded in a booming voice PICK IT UP and my body just did as commanded on it's own
But his voice is everywhere we just have to know how to listen to it, it's in the laughter of a small child it's in the gentle breeze of the wind it's in the flowers we walk past every day it's in the ant hill we see as the ants work together to bring food to their colony he has even used things to speak to me that have seemingly nothing to do with him like my favorite anime shows.

For instance the ant hill thing I was going on one of my walks with him and I saw an ant carring a leaf to the ant hill and he taught me an analogy through this scenario I saw. See to this ant it's whole world is the ant hill and the small patch of land and blades of grass that tower over it that surround it like a forest but from my perspective I know how big the world no the universe really is, and for this ant this leaf it is carrying takes all it's strength to carry when I could just pick it up and carry it for it easily this ant probably thinks a small pebble is a mighty boulder but I know a boulder no more than that a giant meteor is far heavier than that.

GGod taught me about my perspective vs his perspect that day about letting him carry my burdens that are heavy for me but so very easy for him and about how small and meek I am vs how great and mighty he truly is because think about it you have the ant's perspective vs my perspective but then even more than that you have my perspective vs God's is your mind blown yet?

 

[Amanuensis]

Agreed , all things are possible for sure I can only say I’ve never heard or seen with my flesh.

Because you have not been told you are one of the two witnesses.

That is probably when something like that would happen. If that is how the two witnesses get called, and I am not saying that it is. If God were to speak audibly and lots of people heard it that would sort of seal the authentic call of the witness.

I am just making stuff up here. Thinking of examples of why an audible voice might be used that would match some OT event. It would have to be significant to Bible prophesy or something like that.

I don't believe people who say that God spoke to them audibly. Usually they don't really mean it when you ask them for more details. They end up saying something like. I know it was not audible to others but it was to me. That kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and dishonest. They should quit it.

The prosperity gospel teachers are known for these claims. Jesus visits them at the breakfast table and they can see him and he talks to them and they can record the voice but never do. Yeah... right.... sure.

 

[Amanuensis]

Of course the Holy Spirit given to us to become comforter and constant guide, directing us into the will of God is better than an audible voice. Much better for God to speak to you and guide you in the minute details where people can't hear his voice talking to you as that would be awkward on so many levels and get in the way of effective ministry.

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Because you have not been told you are one of the two witnesses.

That is probably when something like that would happen. If that is how the two witnesses get called, and I am not saying that it is. If God were to speak audibly and lots of people heard it that would sort of seal the authentic call of the witness.

I am just making stuff up here. Thinking of examples of why an audible voice might be used that would match some OT event. It would have to be significant to Bible prophesy or something like that.

I don't believe people who say that God spoke to them audibly. Usually they don't really mean it when you ask them for more details. They end up saying something like. I know it was not audible to others but it was to me. That kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and dishonest. They should quit it.

The prosperity gospel teachers are known for these claims. Jesus visits them at the breakfast table and they can see him and he talks to them and they can record the voice but never do. Yeah... right.... sure.

yes I understand what your saying I caught the examples earlier of Jesus transfiguration and baptism when he spoke audibly .

I think the idea in my head is what Jesus has already said is what God will always say which is the importance of believing the gospel

but yes I agree there may be a time he speaks audibly again like when he’s about to return and restore things.

the relationship with God we have is internal where we hear him everyday

 

[Magenta]

People who have never experienced God speaking to them audibly... it seems to be someone from that group that says it doesn't happen any more, that there is no need for it, we have the Bible and that is the only way He speaks to any one any more. People also act as if only believers can hear God speak. I am not sure why anyone would exclude non-believers. After all, it is the Holy Spirit of God Who convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Jesus Christ...