The The Silence of the Lamb

Personal matters

Why does God sometimes not reply to our requests? This issue was raised for us by Jesus’ rebuttal to a man who sought personal justice; ““who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14). But a request denied is not the same as no answer from God at all. When Jesus requested of the Father in Gethsemane that “the cup” be taken away he knew his plea was refused; he did not have to endure silence (Mark 14:36). A “No” from God is a definite revelation which communicates something of his character. Paul’s appeal for the “thorn in the flesh” to be removed was likewise denied by a concrete reply (2 Cor 12:8-9). How are we though to respond to situations of no manifest divine presence of any sort? The silence of God today seems at times to verge on cruelty. I believe however that despite all appearances he is up to something great, and Jesus will tell us about it if we ask him (Am 3:7; Matt 27:42). To know such things we must respect the whole counsel of God in scripture.

A God who Hides

God’s intentional absence from Eden opened up the possibility of sin, and Isaiah blatantly testifies; “Truly, you are a God who hides himself,” (45:15). This prophet was commissioned, “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”” (Isa 6:10). The ministry of prophecy to idolaters acts as a judgement to conceal; “They (idols) have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear….Those who make them become like them,” (Pss 135:16-18). Jesus applied Isaiah’s words about blinding eyes and deafening ears to the power of his parables to judge, “everything is in parables…lest they turn and be healed” (Mark 4:10-12). In Jesus final dispute with the Pharisees Isaiah’s threatening words are applied once again, and we are told, “he (Jesus) departed and hid himself from them.” (John 12:36; 40). The Lord also hides things from the redeemed (2 Ki 4:27). The revelation of the cross was hidden from the disciples even when Jesus was prophesying. ““The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.” (Luke 9:44-45 cf. 24:16). This is scary stuff for idolaters, saved or lost. As long as the Church keeps on manufacturing religious experiences as substitutes for the presence of God we will never be able to discern just how hidden he is. None of this needs to happen; whilst “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ” our lives likewise are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 2:3; 3:3). We live in the place where things are obscured from others. But why this game of “hide and seek”?

He Who has a Pure Heart (Ps 24:3-4)

Jesus’ promise that God will be found by those who “ask…seek…knock” surely means that those with “a pure heart” know the Lord (Matt 5:8; Luke 11:9-13). Yet no one, especially the impure, can accurately check the purity of their own heart (Tit 1:15)! , “LORD…you alone know the each human heart” (2 Chron 6:30). The state of the heart of the Church in the West is presently being hidden from itself. Many sins are not being openly confessed to God and one another, but far more seriously the Lord is hiding from us the revelation of our impure hearts (1 John 1:8-10). Behind our moral and spiritual confusion is a failure to understand the gospel of reconciliation. Consider James’ warning in the light of the materialism and consumption he forbids, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (4:1-3, 4). How can the mass of Australian Christians live like enemies of the Lord when “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” (Rom 5:10)? Our hearts need purification through a renewed vision of the cross. Christ cries, ““why have you forsaken me?”” when he is immersed in the experience of an absolute idolater for whom God is deaf, blind and dumb (Mark 15:34). Jesus endures a sort of reverse testimony/prophecy about his own cries and groans and the blood he sees streaming from his flesh. To us these testify love and forgiveness, to Jesus they testify of the absolute absence of God (cf. Ezek 18:32). For the crucified one there is no manifest presence of God; there is no “No” or “Yes” or “Wait”. God seems dead to his Son in our place so that we might never have to manufacture anything in His place (2 Cor 5:21)!

Hearing God Today

Given the morally and spiritually bankrupt condition of Australian Christianity people of honest conscience will witness that God is fully justified in not answering our requests. But the gospel is much greater than my conscience and has nothing to do with our morality or spirituality. Equally, Christ crucified and risen eliminates the need for any religious acts and attitudes we conjure up to convince ourselves that God does have reasons for answering our prayers. The one reason why God will answer my requests is “the blood of Christ” that cleanses an “evil conscience” proclaiming forgiveness and releasing it from any testimony of personal good or evil (Heb 10:19-23; 12:24). The heart of God is infinitely greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20). Listen to what the blood says about the heart of your Father! The blood of the cross cleanses the eyes of our hearts and restores our blinded minds so that we can see and hear in fellowship Jesus (1 John 1:7).

Conclusion

God wants to restore a quality of prophetic witness to the Church today so that we might know for sure when he is not answering us, and why. Only in this way will we stop trying to manufacture his presence by religious means. It is time to stop hiding from the power of the blood of Christ. After all, who wouldn’t want to listen to a someone who has been raised from the dead, the testimony of the pure heart of Jesus is true. This testimony is one of love, peace and perfect reconciliation. Hallelujah. A prayer: “Please Lord Stop Hiding the Power of Your Blood so that The Silence of The Lamb might come to an end.” If you have prayed this prayer and desire an end to idolatry anticipate greater presence of God, but be prepared materially or metaphorically to mix your blood with the blood of the cross (Rom 6:7; 1 Pet 4:1-2; Rev 12:11). It is worth it.