The Word of the Lord and the Power of Human Agency: An Appraisal of a Theological Dynamic – Mary-Sylvia Nwachukwu
The topic of this convention “The Word of God, Alive and Active” relates to the general theme of God’s revelation of his will in human history. The Bible presents two basic forms of revelation: direct and indirect, which characterize periods of Israel’s history.1 The period of direct communication marks the time from creation through the Patriarchal period to the time of Tribal Confederacy. God’s direct speaking brought the world into being and held it firmly on its foundations. God also spoke directly to the patriarchs, and to the Judges he spoke through the mal’ak Yhwh, the heavenly messenger of God who announced salvation.
The period of indirect communication of God’s will began with the Monarchy. This period addressed the need for intermediation, which is presented prophetically in Deut 5, being fruit of the people’s request to Yahweh. Therefore, prophecy marks a period of indirect revelation when God no longer spoke directly to his people but is served by human messengers to communicate his will. 