Daniel 10:4-14 (NKJV)
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
The following words, penned by Babbie Mason, remind us that:
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So, when you don’t understand
When you don’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His hand
Trust His heart.
There is something that is sometimes difficult about silence. No-one likes the silent treatment. Generally, we are so accustomed to noise and activity, so that silence is not readily embraced. In the silence of times, we may choose to either recall negative experiences, plot unwholesome responses, or trust that God is up to something good. Silence from God may mean that we are in an incubator and must endure the process that produces maturity.
In Daniel’s vision, he underwent seeming silence from God. He followed all the right steps: He acknowledged God as the Lord. He confessed sins and repented. He asked for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of Jerusalem. Also, he fasted with deep sorrow. There was no visible response, although Daniel’s prayers were heard and answered, in the realm of the spirit. He despaired. His distress was so deep that the heaviness of the atmosphere around him caused him to be bowed down. No prophet reached out to him, but it took an Angel to console him.
What do you tell someone who took all the steps they could think of, in petitioning God? The thing we need to understand is that perseverance is a discipline. It requires us to condition ourselves to stay the course of believing that God not only hears, but also, answers prayers. No one can do that for us. It is a personal exercise of faith when our answer is held hostage.
The Angel informed Daniel that his prayer had been heard from the first day he prayed, but for twenty-one days, the ruler of darkness hindered it (Ephesians 6: 12). So, Daniel spent three weeks wondering why there was no answer. Even in the spiritual world, this time, it took more than one Angel to wrestle with the principality that captured the answer. There was a fight taking place on Daniel’s behalf, even when God seemed silent.
In the end, when the breakthrough came, Daniel was encouraged, strengthened, given an explanation and a promise for the future. That was more than Daniel expected. Additional angels would be dispatched to help God’s people in the future. All this was revealed to Daniel, to show him what persistence in prayer accomplishes even when God seems silent. Daniel arose from the vision being assured that there was no need to worry about the future of Persia (modern day Iran) and Greece. (Both in the Middle East)
Another example of God’s work during seeming silence and inactivity, was when Mordecai got wind of a plot against the Jews.
Esther 3: 8 and 9 then 13 (NKJV)
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” 13And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
THEN Esther 4:1-12
When Mordecai learned all that had happened he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.4 So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. 7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. 9 So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” 12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
Mordecai, the Jew, did all the right things. He had influence in the personage of Esther, his niece. He was privy to first-hand information on King Ahasuerus’ orders. The Jews, worshippers of Yahweh, were all to be killed, in one day. What a great slaughter! The next right thing was for him to inform his fellow men and get them on board with his plan. He sounded an alarm!
Mordecai knew the boundaries. Inside the city gate did not accommodate outward heartfelt sorrow, so Mordecai was free to lament publicly, outside. Outside of the gates is where the elders and or witnesses would gather. Mordecai dressed appropriately to mourn and howl. When Hathach, Esther’s manservant, saw Mordecai’s distress he became the messenger between Mordecai and Esther.
At this point, Esther’s nationality was not yet exposed. When she heard about the situation from Hathach, she informed Mordecai, via Hathach, that for the past thirty days, there had been silence between her and the king. Her sorrow was deepened by all the Jews’ fasting and wailing, citywide.
What do you do when it seems like the one/One who is in authority is silent? You gather reinforcement, fast, pray, and ring the bells of heaven, with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). Esther made a bold move and entered the throne room, unsolicited.
When we have done all we can, we are told to posture ourselves for the answer. Stand on the inside of us. Stand on God’s promises. Stand with our faith shield. Stand with a renewed mind. Esther stood in the position that she held and changed her appearance to look like the queen that she was. The king’s heart softened when he saw her stance.
With the power of unity, fasting and prayer that propelled Esther, she deemed her want for her people, to be worth more than her life. Ahasuerus admitted her favorably, and promised that he would grant her request, whatever it was. Be aware that this was decided even before he heard her petition. Who does that? The Heavenly King was moving all the puzzle pieces together, in Esther’s favor, while she was unaware of it. Proverbs 21: 1, was evidenced when it seemed that the king was silent.
At Esther’s request, a table was prepared in Haman’s presence, (Psalm 23:5). Keep in mind that Haman, Mordecai’s enemy, was infamous for plotting murders. The scheme against the Jews, was exposed at the table, and Haman was hanged. Esther took a leap of faith, and that pleased God. Haman, the king’s second in command, had dug a hole for the Jews, but God orchestrated the reopening of conversation between the king and the queen.
Then the king had a restless night. We may not know why he did not communicate with Esther for a while. However, he kept a ledger of the happenings in the palace. One of the entries was that Mordecai had exposed a plot against his life, thus thwarting the conspiracy. The perpetrator, Haman, was already hanged, but Mordecai had not been rewarded.
King Ahasuerus had been busy listening to complaints against the Jews and placing his seal on laws that would destroy them. This he did, not knowing that his wife would be among the slaughtered. In the meantime, everything was working together for the Jews’ good. Mordecai was authorized to create a law that would punish anyone who showed anti-Semitism. This resulted in many conversions to Judaism. (Esther 8:17).
Although Ahasuerus and Esther had been estranged, the silence paid off, in that Haman fell prey to his own trap, and Mordecai was promoted to Haman’s vacated position. God worked behind the scenes, even when, on the surface, He seemed to have been silent.
NOW HERE IS OUR GREATEST EXAMPLE OF GOD SEEMING SILENT!
Matthew 26:36-45 (NKJV)
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Now, we find Jesus praying in Gethsemane. He asked three of His closest followers to watch and pray with Him. He made this request three times, but on each occasion that He checked on them, they were asleep. Jesus continued to pray, but the disciples were weary, not knowing that Jesus was at the point of death. God seemed silent to Jesus’s request to let the cup pass from Him.
In that silence, an Angel came and strengthened Jesus so that He could fulfill the purpose for which He had come. God did not grant Jesus’ request, because many sons and daughters would receive an open door to salvation. In the silence of God, the way was being perfected for Jesus’ surrender to God’s will.
That will: that was not willing that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9); that brings healing not only to our sin-sick soul, but also to diseased bodies. (Isaiah 53:5); that further resulted in Jesus’ resurrection and the preparation of a future abode for believers (John 14: 2, 3). That Godkind of will was manifested by Jesus during the silence of God. Now that we know the outcome, we are certainly thankful that God was silent then.
The disciples knew about God, the Father. Now it seemed like He sat silently by and allowed Jesus to agonize, be disrespected, shamed, and then eventually be crucified. With this, some of them went back to their fishing job. It was no longer about fishing for men. Some sought a hideout just in case they should also be captured. After all, the betrayer, mockers, denier, high priest, Governor, soldiers, and executioners, seemingly had won without consequence.
During that silence, one of the thieves on the cross received salvation. The centurion, one of the witnesses to Jesus’ sentencing and crucifixion, concluded that, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” At the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the temple was torn, signifying that mankind was no longer prohibited from speaking to God on their own behalf. There was an earthquake, tumbling rocks and opened graves. Many who had been dead, became alive and were seen walking in Jerusalem. Then for three more long, long days, God seemed silent.
To the fear-filled disciples, their days were dreary and tense. Then came morning. (Psalm 30:5). An Angel rolled away the stone that had sealed the tomb where Jesus was buried and sat on it. Jesus walked out of that tomb and spoke to the ones who had gone there to weep. Later, He appeared to several people throughout Jerusalem.
What is God doing when we don’t see His hand at work? Where is God when we don’t feel His presence? Why does God not answer quickly? He is working behind the scenes to give us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think and reward us openly. We are all beneficiaries of the times WHEN GOD SEEMED SILENT!
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
- Think of a time in your life when God seemed silent.
- What posture should we take when God seems silent?
- Share another example in the Scriptures when God seemed silent.