The Silence of God

When is God speaking and when is He silent? Or is God speaking and I am ignoring what He is saying; turning a deaf ear to Him? Of what benefit, to have a speaker but no listener? Is it possible that men may speak and God will (choose) not to hear? How many times has a Jonah or Elijah, in their frustrations, prayed foolishly unto God?” ( And I must include myself in that company!) The Psalmist must have had such thoughts amidst his fleeing from before King Saul and others who would think to betray him. If our own seeming complacency were replaced by consternation, we might cry out even as David.

“Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle” Psalm 28:1,2.

“On Christ the solid rock I stand: all other ground is sinking sand. . .” If the old hymn had been written in David’s day, he surely would have sung it. . .but then, he wrote his own songs, numerous times, as psalms! “Unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock!” This might well be taken as my Lord my rock! Herein is both identification and proclamation. If He be acknowledged as Lord, then David must render himself a willing and obedient servant. If He be proclaimed my rock, then I have no “grounds” for standing elsewhere. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” I Cor. 3:11. For David, there are no options! He dare not seek the weak and uncertain arm of the flesh.

“Be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.” It might appear that David is saying, Lord, do not refrain or avoid speaking to me: “talk to me!” But a careful word-study reveals a slightly different slant. It is charash, to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf. Also we are given cheresh, from charash, the root word; the meaning beingdeaf, (whether literal or spiritual.): deaf. Elsewhere throughout the Old Testament, the word is rendereddeaf in every instance! Want to look them up? They are: Ex. 4:11, Lev. 19:14, Psalm 38:13, 58:4, Isa. 29:18, 35:5, 42:18-19, 43:8, Mic. 7:16. “Lord, be not silent to me.” We might say, “Lord, don’t refuse to hear my cry; don’t turn a “deaf ear” to me.”

"lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit."

“Pit, the rendering of several Hebrew and two Greek words, and used in the sense of a deep dug hole, in the first instance, for a well or cistern. When these were without water they were used as (1) a place of burial (Psalm 28:1, 30:3); (2) a prison Isa.24:22, Jer. 37:16); as a place of destruction (Zech. 9:11). Figurative: To “go down into the pit” (Psalm 28:1; 30:3,9, etc.), a phrase of frequent occurrence; is employed to denote dying without hope, but commonly a simple going to the place of the dead.”

Unger’s Bible Dictionary, page 868

David would compare himself as though he is one who is dead: he can neither speak nor hear. But this he would cry: “Lord, be not silent, charesh [don’t turn a deaf ear] to me!” “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.” “Lord, be not silent to me [don‘t turn a deaf ear], but hear the voice of my supplications.” Hearing, is, of course, in direct contrast to “turning the deaf ear!” (Next is the word “voice” qol, which simply means to call aloud.) Theholy oracle, Debir, it is the shrine or innermost part of the sanctuary. David, is it your endeavor then, to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, the we [you] may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”?

“Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications” vs.6. (Not only David, but every child of God may be assured that his Father will hear his voice when he calls upon Him.) It would appear that David experienced what Paul penned at a much later date: “the spirit also helpeth our infirmities. . .the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Rom. 8:26-27. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose!” vs. 28. The word “And” used at the beginning of the verse should tell us that it is a continuation of the verses just preceding it. Let’s backtrack. According to His purpose we are called; according to His purpose we love Him; according to His purpose all things work together for good; according to the will of God, He [Christ] maketh intercession for the saints; according to the will of God, He [Christ] searcheth the hearts, He knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit; according to the will of God the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, according to the will of God, the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Remember the account of the Pharisee and the publican? The Pharisee stood and prayed thus within himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. . . “And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:11,13. Did God hear the cry of the publican? Most assuredly! He went home Justified! But God “turned a deaf ear” to the “prayer” of the Pharisee! Actually the prayer was not addressed to God. He “prayed within himself, God!” He was talking to himself, not to the heavenly Father! He was deaf, in that he would not hear the Truth. He was mute - not with his mouth, but in his heart: “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” Matt. 15:7,8. “Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous” Psalm 31:18.

There is a time to be silent; even as Jesus, when being questioned by Herod “answered him nothing.” “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my soul was stirred” Psalm 39:1,2. How often is the cause of Christ made to suffer when some believer lashes out against the wicked in an untimely fashion? The work of condemnation is best left to the Lord; ours is to “speak the Truth in love.” Did our Lord come that He might inflict wounds upon the sinner? “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” Psalm 47:3.

How may our tongues be used for the glory of God? Speaking to the sinner about the Lord; speaking to the Lord about the sinner! Or of an erring brother? Speaking to the brother about his Lord; speaking to the Lord [and not another] about the brother.

“Oh Lord! Give us wisdom to know when to speak - and what to speak - and when to “keep our mouths with a bridle” to “hold our peace,“ to be “dumb with silence.”