Silence and Stuffed Roti!
It all began with communing. The supposedly quintessential therapeutic technique of ‘talking it out,’ invariable became the very reason for the ultimate fall from glory. “Did God really say..” was how he began. Subtle. Deceitful. Satanic! It wasn’t late to walk away, but clarification and addition to God’s word made the way. “Not all the tress..but just that one..no touching or eating..” False assurance, lies and manipulation were invited and received. Fall and the whole debacle that follows, bear the consequences even till date!
Genesis 3 is titled “The Fall” in my Holman’s Study Bible. The beauty and awe of God’s handiwork, the magnificence of fellowship and friendship between Man and Nature so wonderfully witnessed in the first two chapters come to a crashing halt in the third. Every single time I read that Chapter, I could not help but think of visualizing the scenario and then, ardently wish for rewinding and reversing it. A broken silence has consequences that follow till now and even until the Lord comes back.
Society todays places paramount emphasis on communication. Therapy, ‘talking it out,’ ‘Expressing your feelings,’ ‘letting it out,’ are phrases that swarm the social media. Hashtags to rant and vent are the proposed prescriptions for a peaceful, liberated life. And it is amidst this background noise of what seems to be inadvertently, the right thing to do, we need to pause and think and brood upon what the scriptures say.
A Dream of Secret Revelation or a Matter to Brag About?
Divine dreams of assurance and guidance were, I believe, something to be held in his own heart and cherished. The signs of HIS dear approval and elevation are more for our own comfort and consolation rather than tooting and gloating. While I have no clear clue that pride was the basis for Joseph to share his dreams, I have no clear clue about his intentions either. What I do know is what the Scriptures say – “.. So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Gen.37:8) Envy over father’s special attention, graduated to hatred over God’s special love and eventually culminated into the thought of the execution of heinous of all crimes – murder. But God has HIS perfect ways – despite our untamed tongues.
Obedience Over Proclamation.
The miracle worker himself sought no credit. Credit wasn’t the purpose. Love and compassion were the sole reason and faith the sole goal. Healing was implored and healing granted. One command – to be silent about it. The all-knowing, magnificent, wonderful healer should and would have a reason so divine and so unfathomable that all we need to do was to obey. One command was given – to obey and that was denied. The now healed, renewed leper, who was asked to go through the motion of ritual, testifying to the law of Moses and be quiet about the miracle, went and proclaimed his healing. The result – the very embodiment of salvation, the very maker of heaven and earth could not bless the city with HIS presence but had to loiter in the outskirts. ( Mark 1:40-44)
“..God is Not Mocked!”
Righteousness became a foreign concept. Sin, in the literal sense of deliberate defiance became the norm. Prophets arose with admonishment, detailing their aberrations and the consequences thereof! The prophet, appointed as the ‘watchman’ symbolized the punishment in the most descriptive forms, eating unique bread, lying only on one side for three hundred and ninety days, and placing an iron griddle symbolic to a wall between him and the city. And to this prophet comes the most unfortunate of all messages by the Almighty Himself – “..I will not be enquired of you(the elders of Israel)..” The law was given, reiterated, reminded, God’s very presence was manifested and direction shown is numerous ways. They had it as frontlets. But they choose to swerve and they would like to know what God thinks – “as a nation that did righteousness..”(Is. 52:2) For a people who knew and did not do, the silence of God comes as the answer.
When people make a choice not to follow the word of God, using manipulation as the tool for self justification, silence should be our answer as well. Silence towards them and prayer towards heaven. This recently learnt lesson was the basis for the thoughts on this post. On the other side of the coin, lies the discipline of constant introspection to check if we are the ‘silencers.’
Does this mean silence is the sole path to take when struck in a spiritual dilemma or are so full of grief that hope seems a distant dream? Do we treat counsel, therapy and freeing tools of all kinds as sham and unbiblical? That is certainly not the intent of this post. Since speaking out, sharing, airing out your laundry has gained so much traction in the recent years, I believe it is best to pause and go to the source of the need for abreaction than just going with the flow.
Are we going for counsel to someone with immense spiritual discretion like Nathan, who did not sugar coat God’s wrath and judgement even for the King or to Ahithophel, who has had a facade of giving godly counsel (2 Sam.16:23) but counsels so contrary to the word of God(2Sam.16:21).