Job 23:1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Even today is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
The ways, means and strategies God uses are often baffling to finite minds, and there are times when a person will have to walk by faith alone, not seeing or hearing any evidence from God which would give clarity to the matter in question.
There are times in the Christian’s experience when God may speak loud and clear, and there are other times, when, for some unknown reason, God goes silent, and what we do under such circumstances, could make or break us.
The Hebrews had the pillar of cloud and fire as they journeyed through the wilderness, but whenever it was the case that some unexplained circumstances occurred, they exhibited an uneasiness which bore fruit in doubt and murmuring.
For instance, when they saw the hosts of pharaoh coming after them with his fleet of Cadillacs, they became uneasy, and voiced their complaints about what they then anticipated; their swift defeat by the forces of Egypt.
Again, when the water ceased to flow, just before they entered Edom that was an opportunity to walk by faith, but instead, the unexplained circumstance developed the same turbulent spirit, manifested on so many different occasions.
These things are written in the Scriptures for us to learn from the experiences of those who have gone before. Especially, as we stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, should the people of God in our day seek to learn those lessons of faith, waiting, and humility, which would be greatly needed in the near future.
Even the most faithful have at times wondered at God’s silence, at times when they thought it needful to hear a word from Him. As John sat in prison, he must have wondered why Jesus wouldn’t come and look for him.
Like Job, John had been faithful to his charge and he had fearlessly rebuked sin in kings and people alike, in so much that a great movement, in favor of God’s kingdom had been set in motion, and many persons had been baptized.
Therefore, after doing his very best he wonders why Jesus would not at least visit him, to give him some explanation or encouragement. Added to this, Jesus was actually John’s cousin, so from a mere bloodline perspective, John believes that he should hear some word from God, as to the where, why and when.
But, as the questions continue to spin like a tornado in his mind and as he hears of Jesus, eating, drinking and mingling with publicans, he wonders why God seems to have gone silent, as if his faithful servant is forgotten. Thus, the questions continue to spin and to spin in John’s mind until at last he gives voice to the great turbulence he is currently experiencing. Let’s read:
Luke 7: 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
In our first passage, we find Job seeking an answer, or at least some sort of explanation for what he had recently been going through. His world was turned upside down suddenly, he had lost all of his kids, his income had been severely depleted and the workers who depended on Job for their livelihood had all but been killed, except for two or three.
Added to all this a mysterious illness has come upon him, for which there is not any rational explanation or cause, and therefore, as Job lays there licking his wounds, Job believes that he is in need of hearing a word from God, that would at least give him some explanation for his present plight.
He prays and he prays, he argues and he argues, he reasons and he reasons but for some strange reason it seems to him as if God has gone silent. Job’s utter bewilderment with God’s silence is then given voice in words that often resonate in our own experience. Let’s read:
Job 23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
There are times when the Christian believes that he or she needs to hear from God. Our world might be turning upside down, we might be seeing pharaoh’s Cadillacs in the rearview mirror, and for all intents and purposes, it may seem as if everything is about to cave in, and yet, like Job, we might be bewildered by God’s silence.
Therefore, the issue of God’s silence, whenever it might occur, has to be addressed, if our faith is to avoid severe and life-threatening shocks. Thus, the following points must be studied carefully, and after, we will read from the Bible, how we could navigate God’s silence successfully, and come out stronger on the other side.
There are times when it is expedient for God to speak and there are times when, in the best interest of His people, it is wise for Him to go silent.
This might not be an easy pill for the Christian to swallow, but if we were to drill down further in retrospect, we will see the valid reasons why. For instance, if we were to observe carefully in the narrative pertaining to Job, we will see that God only answered Job beginning in chapter 38, only after his questions had swirled, and against all odds, Job decided to be faithful.
But even then, we will observe that God never gave Job an explanation as to why the terrible calamities, and misfortunes had overtaken him. God goes deep into science, creation, and occurrences that baffle mortal minds in the natural world, but God does not touch or address the root cause of Job’s dilemma. Let’s read:
Job 38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
And we could go down and read the entire chapter, and all those chapters that come after, but for some unknown reason God deliberately does not answer that most pressing question, as to why all of these sudden calamities happened to Job. So, let’s ask the question directly: Why did God not reveal to Job the root causes of his problems, and why did He not give him any explanations?
There are times when as Christians we might crave answers and explanations as to why such and such is happening to us or to our loved ones. And we may feel as if some answer, or explanation would help us or strengthen us to bear the adverse circumstances.
While this may be true in some instances, this is not necessarily the case in every situation, for in the history of Job, God teaches us that there are times when it is best for Him to remain silent in certain circumstances which to the finite mind may demand immediate answers.
Jesus’ knowledge of what was to befall Him during His incarnation, did not make the brutal experience any easier to bear. In fact, as the knowledge of His fate loomed ever larger on the horizon, He uttered those words, that echo and reecho in the lives of a number of Christians, who may be now staring into an abyss of despair. Let’s read:
Matthew 26: 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: never-the-less not as I will, but as thou will.
The knowledge of what is to befall true Christians during the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, does not necessarily make the ordeal any easier to bear. We have been given many explanations and reasons up front, but according to the Scripture, many will still buckle under the heavy load.
That’s because a host of reasons and explanations do not always strengthen persons to bear trial, and it is for this reason, why in certain circumstances, it is prudent and wise for God to go silent. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 30: 5 For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it
is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
[Spirit of Prophecy Bk 4 pp 427] The Lord's servants have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to his word alone. They have not consulted their temporal interests, or sought to preserve their reputation or their lives. Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, they are overwhelmed with consternation; and some are ready to exclaim, “Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace.”
Now, if God were to go the opposite route of giving Job the answers, He would have to explain why the devil was permitted to come to the gates of heaven in the first place. In other words, since God knows the end from the beginning, Job would most likely be questioning why God permitted satan to come.
Then God would have to explain to Job that satan had accused God of pay to play, or, of bribing Job to serve him, and this was done in the public square, in the presence of the other intelligences of heaven.
Then, in response to the devil’s claims, to set the record straight, God would have to explain to Job that he had granted satan the permission to prove his point, if it were indeed true, and that this is the reason why everything in Job’s life, came tumbling down.
So now, added to the tremendous pressure Job was already going through, he will now have to struggle with the question of why God gave satan permission and then, this would undoubtedly trigger a new set of other questions as to why Job’s children, and his cattle, and workers got caught up in the whole mix.
The finite mind would find it extremely difficult to reconcile the concepts of collateral damage, even to those of us who have been given numerous Biblical explanations, and therefore, rather than saddle Job with more questions and revelations than he could possibly handle, God goes silent.
Another question that puzzles the minds of persons is why The Lord did not in this instance, give Job a heads up of what was to ensue. In the Bible, there are very many instances where God gave his people a heads up of looming calamity, and they were able to navigate and escape.
But in this instance, God chose not to do so, and it is one of those points which perplexes the minds of some persons. It is not always God’s will that folks who believe in Him should escape the trial of faith, which may include adversity.
There are times when God will see fit to make a way of escape, and there are other instances when it is His will that we hang in there by His grace, until the adverse situation be past.
If God were to warn Job in advance of this particular situation, the natural thing to do would be to take all the necessary steps to avoid it. And since Job had the financial resources to do so, he very well might have gone that route.
If a billionaire like Elon Musk was given a heads up of some looming tragedy, he would then engage his resources to stave off the danger. And if it were the Sabeans and Chaldeans coming after him, it is most likely that he would beef up his security, with many bazookas and he would engage his star-link network to do 24/7 monitoring of the Chaldeans.
Furthermore, if God gave him advance warning of a tornado that would take out his kids, he most likely would again use his resources to build a doomsday bunker, so that his children could ride out the storm safely, in the bowels of the earth.
But in this particular instance, it was God’s will for Job to go through the trial, with all of the difficulties and sadness that would occur as byproducts. Some way somehow, it was in the depths of despair that Job confirmed his decision to follow God no matter what, and as a direct result, the issue of pay to play was forever settled. Let’s read:
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him.
The Bible teaches us, that as Christians living in an evil world, that is becoming more and more hostile to righteousness, the true believer in Christ will at times suffer collateral damage, as a direct result of satan’s incursions into Christ’s kingdom.
The knowledge of this fact does not make the trials any easier to bear, but God, in this instance, chooses to give to us a heads up in the prophecies pointing to the last days, so that persons will manage their expectations prudently. At times, the forays of devils against the saints may get other family members involved, as was the case with Job, even though they may not be the specific target in question. It is just the nature of the beast we are dealing with. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The knowledge that we would be tempted does not necessarily make the temptations any easier to bear for even now, that God has given us this revelation, we often balk at the prospect of God granting satan permission to tempt us.
The explanations have been given, but yet, we still often cringe at the very thought. That is because it isn’t any fun to be tempted. Yet, it is a part of the purifying process to not only stabilize the believer in Christ, but also to cement his, or decision to go the full distance with God. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10:13 There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
It is not in every instance that we will find it God’s will that we be delivered, and dodge the bullet. In some instances, deliverance is not His will, a fact that Peter was hard pressed to reconcile to. Then, there will be the issue of our attitude in perplexity, if and when this may be the case.
The attitude and outlook we cultivate during trials can go a long way in triggering resilience, and even if the fury of the storm does not abate immediately the eye of faith would be enabled to grasp unseen realities, to look beyond the here and now, to the great hereafter. Let’s read:
1st Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Romans 12: 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
These are just some of the issues which John also struggled with, as he sat in that dungeon, confined. He just couldn’t understand why God went silent as to the reasons, and explanations why he was lately cut off from his busy schedule, in serving faithfully as the forerunner of Christ.
Like Job, John longed to hear a word from Christ, especially since he had been faithful to truth and duty in preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. But for some unknown reason to John, God goes silent, and John scratches his head day by day, searching for an answer or an explanation, but for a period of time, not a single word is spoken. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages. Pp 216] To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the long-hoped-for Deliverer had not yet appeared?
But again, in this instance, it was prudent that Jesus not visit John, for doing so would no doubt trigger a plethora of suspicions in the minds of Herod and his vile paramour, and then Jesus would make Himself the target of many premature assaults, even before His time had fully come.
Thus, rather than volunteer to put a target on His back, and cut His ministry short before His allotted time, God ordained that Jesus should stay clear of John in prison, and the fallout from that providence would be mitigated by God, for He never gives to us, more than He knows we can bear successfully.
And there were other valid reasons why God chose to go that route with John, for it is disclosed by the servant of The Lord, that Judas had planned that the forerunner must be delivered, the suggestion being offered up by devils through the human agent, and thus, under no circumstances would God be found obeying His arch enemy. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 224] Jesus did not interpose to deliver His servant. He knew that John would bear the test. Gladly would the Savior have come to John, to brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission.
[The Desire of Ages pp 718] Christ's oft-repeated statement that His kingdom was not of this world offended Judas. He had marked out a line upon which he expected Christ to work. He had planned that John the Baptist should be delivered from prison.
Jesus, instead of asserting His royal right and avenging the death of John retired with His disciples into a country place. Judas wanted more aggressive warfare. He thought that if Jesus would not prevent the disciples from carrying out their schemes, the work would be more successful.
The death of John to Judas would be a debilitating blow to his ambitions, for if the forerunner of Christ was permitted to suffer such an untimely demise, what then might be the lot of all those accountants who were following Christ?
Therefore, what God did and what He permitted the devil to do was strategic on several levels, which to the finite mind may not have made sense up front. True Christians in our day will experience their share of troubles, disappointments, adversities and griefs, but in all and through it all, God’s good purposes are being worked out.
We may not always agree with the ways, means and methods God chooses, but if we were able to see the end from the beginning, we will understand that it was the best productive path in the bigger picture. God does not call us to agree with Him, but to obey.
For instance, when Jesus was experiencing His own bout of depression in the garden of Gethsemane, He was shown what would be the end result of the trials before Him, and even though the heat of the furnace did not abate, Jesus saw that end result will benefit not only humanity, but the entire universe. Let’s read:
Isaiah 53: 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
[The Desire of Ages pp 693>694] The angel came not to take the cup from Christ's hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father's love. He pointed Him to the open heavens, telling Him of the souls that would be saved as the result of His sufferings. He assured Him that His Father is greater and more powerful than Satan, that His death would result in the utter discomfiture of Satan, and that the kingdom of this world would be given to the saints of the Most-High.
He told Him that He would see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied, for He would see a multitude of the human race saved, eternally saved. Christ's agony did not cease, but His depression and discouragement left Him. The storm had in nowise abated, but He who was its object was strengthened to meet its fury. He came forth calm and serene. A heavenly peace rested upon His bloodstained face.
Now, although we do not like to sound like a broken record, we should be reminded that in our day, the same antagonistic forces that came after Job, Jesus, John, David, Daniel, and every follower of Christ, in ages past, will again try to discourage, harass, tempt and destroy, if and when permitted to do so.
Yet, God has given us the assurance that the enemy is not left to run loose without restraint. Temptation and its byproducts, are carefully monitored by The God of heaven, so that if the Christian in question were to hang in there by faith, the adversity would not destroy, but would strengthen faith and resolve. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
In other words, if one is currently going through the wringer, the guarantee is given that such a person is enabled to bear it, just as Job, Jesus, and John were enabled to bear their share of tribulation.
Thus, because the heat of the furnace is scheduled to be ratcheted up several notches in our day, as we approach the close of earth’s history, it will become even more urgent and important that we study the experiences of those who have gone before, so that we wouldn’t be shaken out by the turbulence that’s scheduled to take the world by storm. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 622] The “time of trouble such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many are too indolent to obtain.
It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, “as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.”
Thus, as we close off our discourse, let the followers of Christ be encouraged, knowing that if and when a trial of our faith takes place, we wouldn’t have been the only ones sailing in the boat.
Trials and temptations will intensify greatly, and we will be tempted to let go our hold on God, if we may not get reasons and explanations, but if we stay the course with Christ, He will bring us through as gold tried in the fire.
Therefore, buckle up your shoes, shake off the blues and let the good news of Christ’s coming kingdom cheer our hearts, as the dawn of eternity looms on the horizon. In harmony with this sentiment, we will end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to hold fast the profession of our faith. Let’s read:
Hebrews 10: 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
God Bless!