And Then, There was Silence
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord…In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” — (Malachi 4:5-6, ESV, Matthew 3:1, NKJV)
For the past three weeks, I have been without email access.
For me, this has been like leaving home without my cell phone. For you see, my email is my primary means of communication with the world. And not only that, the world’s way of communicating with me.
I have tried resetting my password, reloading my email account onto my computer, and even calling my email provider to see if they could help me resolve the issue. But to no avail, nothing has worked.
Any possible noise from the outside world that would make its way to my eye gates has been silenced.
Advertisements, gimmicks, and spam have all been muted.
Yes, there are things that I need to see that I’m not able to see because of this malfunction but for the most part, it’s all clutter.
And Then There was Silence.
When I think about our journey with Christ, can you imagine not hearing God’s voice? — not having that still small voice whisper words of comfort into your inner ear.
And yet, there was an era when Israel experienced a time like this. The period I’m referring to is called the 400 Years of Silence.
The 400 years of silence refers to the time between the Old Testament and New Testament, during which, so far as we know, God did not speak—no Scripture was written. The 400 years of silence began with the warning that closed the Old Testament and ended with the coming of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner.[1]
For some of us today, having an experience like this would be like two people sitting in a room without one saying a word.
How awkward would that be? A situation like this would probably drive an extrovert crazy. However, an introvert would find silence to be pure bliss.
Yet, our spirits long to hear the Father’s voice. We find peace, joy, love, and consolation in His voice. God’s voice gives us a sense of being and direction for the plans and purpose He has set for our lives. It’s in His voice where we receive the reassurance that everything will be all right.
Not having my email has shown me how dependent I am upon it.
Now, I’m not saying that I am going through 400 Years of Silence like Israel, but it could be possible that God is trying to get my ear’s attention.
So, I ask you. When have you last heard the voice of God?
In these unprecedented times, the Father has much to say concerning you, the world, and where He’s moving.
This week, my challenge for you is to steal away to your secret place and lend God your ear. He has much to say.
And then, there was silence.
Join me next week for more Coffee on The Couch.
[1] “What were the 400 tears of silence,” Got Questions Ministries, accessed September 19, 2022, https://www.gotquestions.org/400-years-of-silence.html