When Silence Speaks

Have you ever heard the expression, "Silence is deafening" or something like it?  In our culture we do not like silence.  In our lives and relationships we don't like silence.  We don't like it when people won't answer us; we want to be able to know what they are thinking.  In an argument we usually can't wait until it is our turn to talk, because then we get to defend our position and prove our side.  Having to sit in silence in the middle of an argument is difficult.  Here is a story of Jesus where I think His silence speaks volumes.

Matthew 27:11-23

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.  15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Things to think about:

• Why didn't Jesus speak up?  They were lying about Him.  They were bringing false accusations about Him.  Jesus is Truth!  Don't you think He would want to clear up the Truth?
• When Pilate was giving the people a choice between Barabbas and Jesus why didn't Jesus make His case?  Why not speak to the crowd and convince them to choose Him instead of Barabbas?  
• Notice that Barabbas was also silent.  What would you have said; what could any of us say if Jesus stood innocently condemned to die while we are set free knowing our guilt?
• I think I am like Pilate and stand back "greatly amazed" by the silence of Jesus.  He is right, He is innocent, and He says nothing!  Silence that speaks volumes - and here is what I think it says, "I love you!  I am willing to be falsely accused, I am willing to take your shame, willing to take your sins, willing to pay your price.  This is not right, this is not just, but this is what is necessary for me to save you, so I will sit in silence and let them accuse and abuse me until I give up everything...because I love you."  Who knew silence could say so much?

Run and Hide or Stay and Trust

Have you ever felt like just giving up and running away?  Drop everything and just go!  Sometimes we get that feeling that everything would just be better if we went off into the world and left all of our problems behind.  Maybe some of you have tried it.  I would suspect that you would find your problems tend to follow you wherever you end up going.  But, that doesn’t change the hopeless feelings that seem to overwhelm us at times.  King David wrote a Psalm that I think captures these feelings.  Let’s read it and see how he responded when he felt like just running away.

Psalm 55

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
² Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³ because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
⁶ And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
⁷ yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
⁸ I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
¹¹     ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

¹² For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
¹³ But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.
¹⁵ Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

¹⁶ But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹ God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

²⁰ My companion^[b] stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
²¹ His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

²³ But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

Things to think about:

Notice verses six and seven where he prays that he would have wings like a dove so that he could fly away and be at rest…how many times do we pray for that?  Pray for peace?  Pray for rest?  Pray for a break from all of this life “stuff” that we seem to deal with every day? 

Have you ever been betrayed?  It seems like David was lamenting the fact that someone he trusted had just betrayed him.  That makes it all the more painful.  But, what does he conclude?  God will never betray him.  David trusts in the Lord!  Do you?

Read verse 22 again – do you believe that?  Does that seem true in real life?  How does God sustain us?  How does he prevent the righteous from being moved?  Moved from where?

However you answer those questions my prayer is that you would end your prayers and conclude the matter the way David did.  “But I will trust in you.”

May we forever trust in the one who is forever trustworthy!

God Has Not Left Us

            Have you ever read the Bible and just started laughing?  I love those passages that just catch you off guard and you can’t help but chuckle a little.  Yesterday, I had one of those experiences so I thought I should share it with you.  The passage also has some great promises and insights as well.

Background:

            God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah.  At this point in history the northern kingdom of Israel has been destroyed by the Assyrians and Judah has been attacked and nearly destroyed by the Babylonians.  All of the nobles and wealthy have been taken as slaves, the city of Jerusalem was ransacked and nearly destroyed.  Now, the people must pay tribute to the Babylonians and they are about to rebel and be completely destroyed including the walls, houses, and even the Temple.  God was telling the people that he was judging them for all of the idolatry and sin that they had been committing for hundreds of years.  But, there is hope!  So, read this passage and hear the emotion in Jeremiah’s voice – but enjoy the word-picture he creates for added affect.  (you just might chuckle)

Jeremiah 30:4-11

⁴ These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

⁵ “Thus says the Lord:
We have heard a cry of panic,
    of terror, and no peace.
⁶ Ask now, and see,
    can a man bear a child?
Why then do I see every man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?
    Why has every face turned pale?
⁷ Alas! That day is so great
    there is none like it;
it is a time of distress for Jacob;
    yet he shall be saved out of it.

⁸ “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him.^[a] 9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,
    nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
    and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
    and none shall make him afraid.
¹¹ For I am with you to save you,
declares the Lord;
I will make a full end of all the nations
    among whom I scattered you,
    but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
    and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

Things to think about:

Did you catch it?  Can a man have a baby?  I think of all people God should know the answer to that question!  He did create us after all.  I love it when God asks silly questions to get our attention.  It’s like he is saying, “seriously – can a man have a baby – can a man go into labor – no???  well, then why is everyone grabbing their stomach’s as if they are in labor?  What is going on here?  Why does Jerusalem look like a maternity ward from the Twilight Zone with a bunch of pregnant men?  I love God’s word-pictures.

It may be funny to us, but I guarantee it was not funny to them.  The point that God was making was that there will be such distress, such disaster, such pain, everyone will walk around in agony, weeping, and wailing so uncontrollably it appears as if they are in labor.  That is not a good day!

It may be a horrible day, but what are the promises?  Read through the text again and find the hope…All is not lost!

Let us remember that today.  All is not lost!  It may seem like the worst day of your life, it may seem like there is nothing but distress, pain, and sorrow.  But, alas!  The Lord did not leave His people then, and He has not left you today!  “For I am with you to save you…”  He is here to save us from our sins, to save us from our pain, to save us from this life, to save us for eternity!  Trust in Him today and rest in that place where you can “have quiet and ease; and none shall make you afraid…”

Stupid is as stupid does

Dear everyone,

Have you ever been called stupid?  I know it isn't a nice word and if I was in Pre-school I would have to sit in time-out.  It doesn't feel good to be called names and I do not condone that kind of behavior…but, what if God called you stupid?  How would that make you feel?  I don’t think God is using it as a bad word or trying to name call, but perhaps he is just speaking the truth!  Why would God think that you and I are stupid?  Well, let’s read the following passage from the book of Jeremiah:

Background:

Jeremiah is a prophet to the nation of Judah (the southern nation after Israel split into two countries).  The people had been worshiping false gods and doing all kinds of evil.  The Lord is about to judge the people and have them completely destroyed by the Babylonians.  At this point in Jeremiah’s book God is warning the people and explaining why he is about to do what He is going to do…

Jeremiah 10:5-16

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
    and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
    for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
    for they cannot do evil,
    neither is it in them to do good.”

⁶ There is none like you, O Lord;
    you are great, and your name is great in might.
⁷ Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
    For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms
    there is none like you.
⁸ They are both stupid and foolish;
    the instruction of idols is but wood!
⁹ Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
    and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
    their clothing is violet and purple;
    they are all the work of skilled men.
¹⁰ But the Lord is the true God;
    he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
    and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

¹¹ Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

¹² It is he who made the earth by his power,
    who established the world by his wisdom,
    and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
¹³ When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
¹⁴ Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
    and there is no breath in them.
¹⁵ They are worthless, a work of delusion;
    at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
¹⁶ Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,
    for he is the one who formed all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
    the Lord of hosts is his name.

Things to think about:

God calls us stupid twice in this passage.  Once because we worship things that are not god.  Whether you make them out of wood, metal or anything else it doesn't matter you are stupid if you worship anything that is not the real and true God!  I think we are all guilty sometimes of worshiping something other than God.  Ourselves, others, money, popularity, stuff, etc.  All these are forms of idols in our lives.

God also calls us stupid when he is describing himself and all of His wisdom.  Compared to God what do you know?  Nothing!  Mathematically there is a term for that – negligible. It means that one side is so big and the other is so small it doesn't even matter…to compare them would be silly.  The difference between your wisdom and God’s is not even worth comparing – it is negligible!  So, I think God has the right to call us “stupid.”  What is amazing is that God would still love us stupid people and be willing to die in our place so that we can know Him and enjoy His wisdom for all of eternity!