Thursday, August 9, 2012

When God Is Silent


When God Is Silent

It has always been the case that when God was silent about what He wanted, man is not to presume that he can guess his way into pleasing God.  When David presumed that he could carry the ark on the ox-cart, he soon found out that he should have consulted God about what God DID say about the transporting of the ark.  God had not been silent (1 Chron.15:13), but David had forgotten to check God’s will in the matter.  People are often reckless regarding God’s word and the authority it possesses over our every move and decision.   The fact that God had spoken meant that only what God specified could be used in transporting the ark. The fact that God had spoken about a specific way and was silent about any other possibility meant that everyone was restricted to what God said. When God specified, there was no general authority to give other options.



 David was confronted about another issue of silence.  David was feeling guilty that he himself had a nice house and that God was still in a tent, a lesser house.  In this regard God said to David:

Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'"'( 1 Chron.  17:6-7NKJV)

God’s point to David is that if God had wanted a house of cedar He would have “spoken a word” about it to others long before now.  The fact that God did not say a word about it was all the proof anyone needed to conclude that God did not want a cedar house up till now.  The silence meant that God did not want it.  People need to learn this.  Now, keep in mind that a dwelling for God such as a tabernacle or temple has to be commanded.  A building for people to meet in, such as a synagogue, is not a dwelling place for God, but a place for people to meet.  If God commanded the priests to make arrangements for teaching, then a place is generally authorized to facilitate that command. Building a synagogue to carry out the instructions to teach God’s word throughout Israel is not the same as building a gymnasium to do something God did not command the priests of Israel to do.  Likewise, a church building to facilitate doing something God has commanded us to do (meet for worship and edification) is not the same as building kitchens and gymnasiums to do something God has NOT commanded us to do.  The synagogue for the Jews was an aid to do what was commanded.  Likewise, when persecution is not a factor to consider,  local churches are authorized to choose anything that expediently aids them in assembling.  An addition would be to determine a work that has not been given to the church, such as games, social and recreational activities, and then adding facilities to accomplish what has not been commanded. 

God had Not Commanded




Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. (Lev 10:1-3 NKJV)

The fact that God had not commanded the kind of fire or source of fire they used, was enough.  God does not have to give a long list of forbidden things.  When He has spoken specifically, we are limited to what was specified and cannot presume upon His silence.  Silence is not automatic permission.  In fact, it should throw up a red flag. Silence is not permission.

 Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass,

When the Lord has not commanded it?  (Lam 3:37 NKJV)

Jesus Did Nothing of Himself




Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (John 5:18-20 NKJV)

This principle of respecting the silence of God is seen in Jesus.  He did not act unless He had authority.  We should be careful not to do anything when it is merely a personal desire from within.  Jesus did not act that way, and it is certain that we cannot follow Jesus and do differently.

We Gave No Such Commandment




It was considered into the evidence of the discussion in Acts 15 that we cannot bind upon brethren what had not been bound by the apostles from the beginning.  The silence of God was reason to reject allowing anyone to make circumcision a church ordinance.  But, God is also silent about infant baptism, instrumental music in worship, popes, Cardinals, human names and organizations, and a lot of other things that were not taught by the original apostles of Jesus.   When we see that the silence of God was considered on “proving” this issue of circumcision in the church, we know that we should take into our consideration the fact that God never commanded that and other similar matters.

Prove All Things




All matters must be tested as to their divine authority (1 Thess.5:21).  Only after it can be proven good, and scriptures furnish us unto “every good work”(2 Tim.3:15-17), can we “hold fast” to that tested and proven thing.  This alone demonstrates that we cannot presume upon the silence of God’s word.

Prove What IS Acceptable




Silence is not proof that something is acceptable.  The burden to prove all things and to prove it IS acceptable places us all under personal responsibility to not act unless and until we have proven that something is acceptable to God.  That means that we have to gather the evidence, test the evidence, and draw the necessary conclusions from that evidence.  That process is not optional.  Even though many brethren are now denying the process, there is still the obligation to “prove what is acceptable” to the Lord (Rom.12:1-3; Eph.5:11). You simply cannot use silence AGAINST something to prove that it IS acceptable to the Lord.  Human desire and imagination is not proof that God accepts something. 

So, when God is silent, we must not act. We must act with caution, and seek to prove what is acceptable to the Lord before we get others on board to do something with us that has not gone through the proving process.   Beware of those who are not so inclined to be cautious with regard to the authority of God’s word! – Terry W. Benton