In his commentary on The Minor Prophets, James Montgomery Boice summarizes a book by Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson wrote one of the most original and stimulating books have read. It is called The Silence of God. It asked why in our time, if God is as omnipresent, omniscient, and caring for us as we imagine Him to be, He does not speak. He spoke in the past through prophets. From time to time there was even a voice from heaven. Certainly we would like to hear God speak today. In a number of penetrating chapters Anderson presents how even strong believers would like a whisper of explanation in moments of personal suffering, a pointed, directing word in crisis, a shout of vindication when non-Christians seem to have the upper hand. Yet God does not speak. We refer to the four hundred silent years that intervened between the words of God through Malachi and the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. But since the time of Jesus nearly two thousand years (five times the other silent period) have gone by. Why is God silent? Why does God of all the universe not speak? Anderson answers that God has already spoken everything that can probably be spoken graciously. Jesus is the ultimate, final word of God in that area. Not a syllable can be added. The only words that remain to be spoken are the final words of judgment. And God is silent now because, when He speaks audibly again, that judgment will come.
Is that a convincing explanation? Why is God silent? Or maybe you don't think he's silent, but whispering instead. If so, why doesn't he speak louder?
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Comments
re: The Silence of God
It's not that God is silent - we don't listen.
re: The Silence of God
I don't think this is talking about God telling us something through promptings of the Spirit, opening or closing "doors", etc...but rather by means like speaking out of the burning bush, an appearance on the road to Damascus, etc. In my experience, God seems to be silent in that regard.
re: The Silence of God
Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't spoken to me in that way. I'm no Moses or Paul. But why not anyone these days? Some people would claim he has. Others (like Anderson) would argue that Jesus was the final word. But if that's the case, why does the NT contain anything beyond the gospels? Others, based on 1 Cor. 13, would say that such direct revelations or prophecies ended when the Bible was completed or the church matured. Maybe so, but neither of those views seems like a slam dunk to me. It seems to me that we sure could use some more direct revelation these days.
re: The Silence of God
Sorry, I guess I'm always wrong.
re: The Silence of God
No you're not, I am! ;-)