What other biblical instances show God speaking directly to individuals? Acts 22:9 in Context “ ‘My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.’ ” (Acts 22:9) Paul is recalling the moment on the Damascus road when the risen Jesus spoke to him audibly. Scripture gives many similar instances where God speaks directly to individuals. Old-Testament Moments When God Spoke Directly • Adam – “ ‘Where are you?’ ” (Genesis 3:9) • Cain – “ ‘Why are you angry…?’ ” (Genesis 4:6–7) • Noah – “Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me…’ ” (Genesis 6:13) • Abram/Abraham – “ ‘Leave your country…’ ” (Genesis 12:1) – “ ‘Abraham, Abraham! … Do not lay a hand on the boy…’ ” (Genesis 22:11-12) • Jacob – “ ‘I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham…’ ” (Genesis 28:13) • Moses – “‘Moses, Moses!’ ” (Exodus 3:4) – “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” (Exodus 33:11) • Joshua – “ ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise…’ ” (Joshua 1:1-2) • Samuel – “ ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ … ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening.’ ” (1 Samuel 3:10) • David – “David inquired of the LORD… ‘Go up.’ ” (2 Samuel 2:1) • Solomon – “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask…’ ” (1 Kings 3:5) • Elijah – “A still small voice… ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ ” (1 Kings 19:12-13) • Job – “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:” (Job 38:1) • Isaiah – “ ‘Whom shall I send?’ ” (Isaiah 6:8) • Jeremiah – “ ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…’ ” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) • Ezekiel – “the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel…” (Ezekiel 1:3) • Jonah – “ ‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh…’ ” (Jonah 1:1-2) New-Testament Moments When God Spoke Directly • At Jesus’ baptism – “ ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’ ” (Luke 3:22) • At the Transfiguration – “ ‘This is My beloved Son… Listen to Him!’ ” (Matthew 17:5) • In Jerusalem – “ ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ ” (John 12:28) • Saul/Paul on the Damascus road – “ ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ” (Acts 9:4-5) • Ananias in Damascus – “ ‘Ananias!’… ‘Arise and go…’ ” (Acts 9:10-11) • Peter in Joppa – “ ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ” (Acts 10:13) • Paul in Corinth – “ ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking… for I am with you.’ ” (Acts 18:9-10) • John on Patmos – “ ‘I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see…” ’ ” (Revelation 1:10-11) Shared Patterns in These Encounters • God initiates the conversation, addressing people by name and calling them to attention. • The divine voice often brings clear direction—command, promise, warning, or comfort. • Encounters occur in varied settings: gardens, deserts, mountaintops, caves, visions, and everyday locations, underscoring that God is not limited by place. • Each instance affirms God’s personal involvement and His desire that individuals respond in faith and obedience. Takeaway Just as in Acts 22:9, Scripture consistently records God speaking directly and intelligibly to real people. These narratives invite confident trust that the same God who spoke then remains active, sovereign, and attentive today. |
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