Some day I do in fact expect what has been called in a similar context, “First Contact.” What we have been given so far (What the light of nature teaches) amounts to some interesting facts, especially when we fill out their implicates with a few interesting facts and propositions of our own to provide a better way of understanding nature’s light, as it comes to bear on the topic of God speaking.
First of all, we deny that God did any speaking in the creative acts necessary to get us here in the first place, since 1. There was no audience 2. He did not need to speak to create (an act of divine volition suffices), so that Ockham’s razor bids us to shave off this part of the explanation of the creation event.
Second, our blessed and most wise Creator gave us as “general revelation” what was nonverbal, proving He is able quite well to convey to us what we need WITHOUT WORDS. Since we still have that light and wisdom from nature, and God’s plan cannot be thwarted, we still do not need divine speech.
The third fact, is, however, likely to shove something of a stick into the wheels of the progress of this argument. God has given language and writing systems to us to make us wiser. Our “speaking platforms” (language and writing systems) make us far, FAR wiser than we were without them. This means that we will continue to progress in our ability to grow more diligently and flourish more brilliantly in the wisdom of nature’s light in the future.
This suggests, that, combined with the law of progress in the light of nature, that God intends to speak to us in the future, but that we must first progress much more “fluently” in the wisdom of nature. We are not yet wise enough.
Recall the principle from the wisdom traditions we already know: “Do not speak to a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.” Would this prevent God from choosing to speak to us? “The secret of the Lord is with the just.” And again, “Do not give to the dogs what is holy, neither cast your pearls to the pigs.”
Here are a few other points to consider in pondering this question. God only gives his very best. This means that if He were to speak to us, He would need to await our construction a language thoroughly and accurately constructed upon the principles of the wisdom of the light of nature — else He could not give us His very best in a badly faulty tongue.
Inference: God is waiting. He intends to speak to a council of our very wisest when, and only when, we have created the nearly perfect language, having founded it carefully and accurately upon the principles of nature he has given us as wisdom. The Wise language – the tongue of “pure monotheism,” is the only one He speaks (the very best), and we do not yet have it.
Inference: We should get busy about our Father’s business. It would appear that this business includes diligent and faithful (did I mention critical) studies in the philosophy of language in light of what we know about ideal language and pure (limited) monotheism.
First contact may not be too far off. Just remember — WE are the aliens.
And now for a brief postscript. If God speaks (verbally, as opposed to the nonverbal LON), He will speak only in the ideal language, that language constructed accurately and solely upon the principles of the light of nature. By learning that the myth of the infinite God teaches that we have been praying all these years to a wantonly falsely-portrayed God, we should rightly think that only in this generation are we beginning to love God aright.
It should astonish us that it has taken this long just to learn to BEGIN to love our Creator rightly. We have been reckless and foolish in our approach to Him, but no longer. Now we can begin to work together to construct just that most ideal language, that when we have it promises to reshape our minds and our whole person(s), making us suitable (over time) to God’s true friendship/ fellowship for the first time.
The quest for wisdom necessarily, eventually, leads one into God’s presence. But we must first learn to speak his language. And then we must rehearse our speech in that tongue carefully in advance, practicing it in our discourse for some time before one with another that we may prove proficient in it when talking to God, first in prayer. Eventually, when He wants — He will answer.
I would expect that when we first ask Him for wisdom in His native tongue, that we shall have all we desire and more. Wisdom, and the fellowship and favor of the Most Wise, is the prize.