Some people are confused because God doesn’t speak to them like He does to their friends. God speaks in a language you understand. He has created us as individuals with different gifts and knows the most effective way to communicate with each of us.
I can understand this as a parent. We have three children, and while they are siblings, they have very different personalities. Our middle child was very sensitive, but the youngest was headstrong. I had to communicate differently with them. The sensitive one was easy to correct with a simple word. In contrast, the headstrong child needed a strong, forceful reprimand. If I mixed the communication methods, the headstrong child wouldn’t listen, and the sensitive one would be in tears.
God Spoke to Pagan Astrologers
We think the Wisemen were not kings but Gentile, priestly astrologers. They used the heavens to discern the signs of the time and saw something unusual. This was so compelling that they traveled hundreds of miles to learn more. There may have been a connection between them and the Chaldeans mentioned in the book of Daniel.
Daniel, a Jew, had been exiled to Babylon, which was later conquered by Persia. He was a long-time advisor to the kings there and probably shared the Jewish Scripture and stories of the Exodus. Balaam was an ancient seer who had been paid to curse Israel by an enemy. But he knew that was not what God wanted, so he blessed them instead.
Numbers 24: 15 This is the message Balaam delivered: “This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, 16 the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: 17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. [1]
God Chooses the Method of Communication
God took the Wisemen’s history and their science of astrology to tell them that one with a scepter or king would come when a star rose. We aren’t quite sure what the star was; it may have been a conjunction of planets or a miracle. Whatever it was, God communicated the fact that Messiah had been born.
Joseph received four dreams: the first to marry Mary, the second to escape to Egypt, the third to return to Israel, and the fourth to settle in Nazareth (Matthew 1 & 2). Dreams seem to be God’s main communication method with Joseph, and God knew this was effective. Mary and Zechariah had an angel with a message. Elizabeth and Simeon received words of knowledge about Jesus. All these methods were unique to the individual.
God continues to speak individually to us. He can use nature, circumstances, dreams, visions, angels, Scripture, and many other ways to draw us to Himself. But be assured, God speaks in a language you understand. Don’t be jealous of the way God speaks to others. Be thankful that our loving God speaks to us.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/seeking-jesus
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Nu 24:15–17). Tyndale House Publishers.