Articles
Silence of the Scriptures
SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THOSE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS SAID MUST BE ONE OF OBEDIENCE. JOHN RECORDED BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY MAY HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY. REV 22:14 WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS WE MUST DO. BUT, WHAT SHOULD OUR ATTITUDE BE TOWARD THOSE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS SAID NOTHING ABOUT? IS GOD’S SILENCE PERMISSIVE? DOES IT GRANT US PERMISSION TO DO AS WE PLEASE? OR IS GOD’S SILENCE PROHIBITIVE? DOES IT FORBID US TO ACT ACCORDING TO OUR OWN WILL? THESE QUESTIONS ARE EXTREMLY IMPORTANT WHICH WILL HAVE A PROFOUND INFLUENCE UPON OUR FAITH AND PRACTICE. LET US TAKE NOTE OF SOME LESSONS FROM GOD’S SILENCE, AND MAKE SOME PRESENT-DAY APPLICATIONS
- NADAB AND ABIHU (LEV. 10:1) OFFERED STRANGE FIRE BEFORE THE LORD WHICH HE HAD COMMANDED THEM NOT. DID GOD’S SILENCE PERMIT THE USE OF OTHER INCENSE OR DID IT FORBID IT? THERE WENT OUT FIRE FROM THE LORD AND DEVOURED THEM AND THEY DIED BEFORE THE LORD
NO DOUBT IF NADAB AND ABIHU COULD SPEAK TO US TODAY, THEY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT GOD’S SILENCE BEING PROHIBITIVE AND THE NEED TO RESPECT IT!!!
- THE 20th CHAPTER OF NUMBERS FINDS THE LORD’S WANDERING PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIRST. THE LORD TOLD MOSES SPEAK UNTO THE ROCK BEFORE THEIR EYES AND IT SHALL BRING FORTH HIS WATER. THE LORD SPECIFIED SPEAKING TO THE ROCK AND WAS SILENT ABOUT OTHER MEANS
MOSES LIFTED UP HIS HAND, AND WITH HIS ROD HE SMOTE THE ROCK TWICE, GOD TOLD MOSES BECAUSE YOU DID NOT BELIEVE ME, TO SANCTIFY IN THE EYES OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL, THEREFORE YOU SHALL NOT BRING THIS CONGREGATION INTO THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN THEM. MOSES LEARNED THAT GOD MEANS WHAT HE SAYS AND SAYS WHAT HE MEANS. AS A RESULT OF DISRESPECT MOSES WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND OF GOD (DEUT 34:1-6)
- THERE WAS A CONTROVERSY IN ACTS 15 OVER KEEPING THE LAW OF MOSES AND CIRCUMCISION, ACTS 15:24 SAYS, FOR WE HAVE HEARD CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO WENT OUT FROM AMONG US HAVE TROUBLED YOU WITH WORDS, SUBVERTING YOUR SOULS SAYING YOU MUST BE CIRCUMCISED AND KEEP THE LAW, TO WHOM WE GAVE NO SUCH COMMANDMENT, WHICH SETTLED THE ISSUE.
- SILENCE ABOUT PRIESTS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (HEB 7:14 ,8:4) LEVI WAS THE TRIBE SET APART FOR THE PRIESTHOOD (DEUT 21:5)
- WHEN GOD COMMANDED NOAH TO MAKE AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD (GEN 6:14) THE COMMANDMENT TO USE GOPHER WOOD EXCLUDED ALL OTHER WOODS.
- IN EXODUS 12 WHEN THE LORD SPECIFIED THE ANIMAL TO BE USED IN OBSERVANCE OF THE PASSOVER, HE SAID, YOUR LAMB SHALL BE WITHOUT BLEMISH, A MALE OF THE FIRST YEAR (EXOD.12:5) THE COMMANDMENT TO USE A LAMB EXCLUDED ALL OTHER ANIMALS, WITHOUT BLEMISH EXCLUDED DEFORMED OR ILL-FAVORED LAMBS “A MALE” EXCLUDED THE FEMALE. OF THE FIRST YEAR EXCLUDED LAMBS OF ANY OTHER AGE. WHEN THE LORD GOD SAID WHAT TO DO, THIS EXCLUDED THE DOING OF OTHERS.
- PRESUMPTUOUSNESS IS CONDEMNED. (NUM 15:30-31) SAYS THE PERSON WHO DOES ANYTHING PRESUMTUOUSLY, THAT PERSON SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE HE HAS BLASPHEMED THE WORD OF THE LORD AND HIS SIN SHALL BE UPON HIM.(DEUT 18:22) WE LEARN WHEN A PROPHET SPEAKS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, IF THE THING DOESN’T COME TRUE, THAT IS THE THING WHICH THE LORD HAS NOT SPOKEN. SO HE SPOKE IN THE REALM GOD’S SILENCE, LOOK AT KING UZZIAH WENT INTO THE TEMPLE TO BURN INCENSE AND THE LORD SMOTE HIM WITH LEPROSY, SO THE SILENCE OF GOD DOES NOT GIVE ONE THE RIGHT TO ASSUME!!!(2CHRON 26:16) THE SONS OF AARON WERE ALLOWED ONLY!!
PRESENT-DAY APPLICATIONS OF SILENCE
- THE LORD’S SUPPER OBSERVANCE IN ACTS 20:7 THE DISCIPLES COMING TOGETHER UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK AND SPEAKS OF 2 ELEMENTS UNLEAVENED BREAD AND FRUIT OF THE VINE (MATT 26:26) TO OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER ON ANOTHER DAY OR WITH OTHER ELEMENTS IS TO FAIL TO RESPECT THE SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES.
THE MUSIC TO BE USED IN WORSHIP IS SINGING ACCORDING TO EPH.5:19
AND COL 3:16 NOT A WORD IS MENTIONED ABOUT MECHANICAL INSTR.
THE MEANS OF OFFERING TO THE LORD 1COR. 16:1-2 INSTRUCTS US TO TAKE UP A COLLECTION ON THE 1st DAY OF THE WEEK AND SAYS NOTHING ABOUT OTHER MEANS OR OTHER DAYS TO COLLECT
THE WORK OF THE CHURCH, EVANGELIZE, EDIFICATION, AND BENEVOLENCE AS THE WORK TO BE DONE AND EXCLUDES SECULAR EDUCATION, SOCIAL WORK, RECREATION, WORLD RELIEF ARE EXCLUDED
THE PATTERN OF WORSHIP INVOLVES TEACHING, PRAYING, SINGING, GIVING AND OBSERVING THE LORD’S SUPPER, THE SCRIPTURES ARE SILENT ABOUT ANY OTHER ITEMS OF WORSHIP. BURNING INCENSE OR THE ROSARY, WORSHIPPING IDOLS IS TO DESPISE THE WORD OF THE LORD
BAPTISM. THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK OF BAPTISM AS A BURIAL AND ARE SILENT ABOUT ANY OTHER MEANS OF BAPTISM LIKE SPRINKLING ECT.
MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE. SCRIPTURE ONLY MENTIONS 3 PARTIES WHO HAVE A RIGHT TO MARRY:ONE NEVER MARRIED (1COR 7:1) ONE INNOCENT OF FORNICATION WHO PUTS AWAY HIS FORNICATING MATE (MATT 19:9) AND ONE WHO’S MATE IS DEAD (ROM 7:3-4) THE SCRIPTURES ARE SILENT ABOUT ANY OTHER GROUNDS FOR M.D.R.
PETER DECLARED IF ANY MAN SPEAKS LET HIM SPEAK AS THE ORACLES OF GOD (1 PET 4:11) FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT THE SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO EVERY INNOVATION OF MAN
COL. 3:17 NEEDS TO BE STAMPED ON OUR HEARTS.
IF THERE IS NO BOOK, CHAPTER, AND VERSE FOR A THING, THEN WE MUST LEAVE IT OFF. SO WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD BIBLE AUTHORITY AND THE SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES?
