The silence of God is a rich source for poets, authors, apologists and preachers. For an atheist it is a no brainer. God is silent because there is no God. Simple! His silence is to them all the proof required to close the mouths of those who say that there is a living God. For Christians who believe in a God that their eyes have never seen, ears have never heard, or hands have never handled, God's silence can be perplexing and never more so than when circumstances point to a world out of control and God's people, or plans, in seeming disarray.
Listen to the anguish of David: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent" (Ps 22.1-2). Job prayed, "I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not" (Job 30.20). In the depths of their suffering they shouted to God and it seemed as if He never responded.
Who would point the finger disapprovingly at Job or David and "tut" with self-righteous indignation? Who has never been there? As you trudge into work to face that atmosphere of intimidation and an impossibly difficult day; as you lie in bed with your mind fuzzy and body aching staring at bottles of pills by the bed; as you stare with disbelieve at the phone as the call ends and the news sinks in; as you shake your head watching the news and see the horrific evidence of yet another atrocity; as you waken in the night and wonder how you can be right and so many wrong just about everything upon which you have built your life, have you never prayed and cried to God for a sign, for something, for anything to help?
Habakkuk lived in desperate days. Israel had turned away from God and gone after idols in a big way. The consequences of their departure were seen in the "every day" lives of the people. Violence (1.2), strife, contention (1.3), and injustice (1.4) were everywhere in society and Habakkuk was struggling to understand how God could allow this to continue among His people.
The character of society in Habakkuk's day is no different from that of many countries and communities in 2015. Violence is endemic in the world, and even if there is an absence of violence there is certainly the presence of injustice, strife, contention, idolatry and vice of one sort or another. Israel has a special place in God's purpose and a unique relationship with God. However, as we look at our society we may be asking the same questions that left Habakkuk's lips: "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!" (1.2). On the other hand it may be that our thoughts rarely rise above and away from our own personal circumstances and we utter the same plaintiff cry to the Lord from time to time: "Where are you, why do you all allow this, why me, when will you do something…?". If you have been there then you have probably regretted the words and the sentiments they expressed, but if you are honest you actually meant them.
God answered Habakkuk. He had been shouting to God for deliverance and then complaining when God did not do what he wanted. The shocking answer was that God was going to act completely opposite to Habakkuk's stated desire. If he was frustrated by God's silence, he must have been terrified by God's answer.
To us who are limited in time and knowledge there is a mystery to God's ways. His silence seems inexplicable. Why did God allow Israel to deteriorate at all? Why didn't God maintain the purity of Israel? If God is really God, why doesn't He bring our country to its knees? Why does God allow terrible circumstances in my life?
Habakkuk thought he knew what Israel needed: "They need a great revival, oh God, and they'll turn to you and everything will be great". If God's silence was inexplicable then His answer was unexpected. God was going to raise up pagan nations to bring His discipline upon His people. Things were not going to get better; they were going to get far worse.
John Newton said that he felt that he wanted something better in his spiritual life, at one time, so he cried out to God for a deeper knowledge of God. He expected some wonderful vision of God, or he expected some dramatic blessing from heaven. Instead he had an experience in which for months God seemed a million miles away and appeared to have abandoned him to Satan. He was tempted and he was tried beyond his comprehension, the exact opposite of what he prayed for. God had allowed Newton to go into the depths of suffering to teach him to depend entirely on Him. Habakkuk had to learn that God is not some benign greater being who exists to bless our answers to our problems.
Another big lesson for Habakkuk was that God's methods can be puzzling. The Chaldeans were absolutely pagan and godless, how could He use them to do His will? In fact God has used all kinds of strange instruments to bring His purposes to pass. Cyrus was an ungodly man whom God used as His servant and even spoke of him as His shepherd and anointed: "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut"(Is 44.28-45.1). In a coming day of tribulation God will use the Kings of the North to accomplish His purpose. "And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords" (Ezek 38.4).
Despite being surprised by God's answers and puzzled at His methods Habakkuk learned to rest upon the fact that God is in control. The ultimate glorification of God and setting up of His Kingdom is the end of all history, and God's ways are always right. God can do no wrong because He is God. That is the absolute upon which we rest in the face of silence or perplexing turns of events. God exerts a divine superintending power over the history of His world and the lives of His people.
Habakkuk came to rest upon what he knew of God rather than what he knew of circumstances. "Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction" (1.12). God is eternal and is the creator and controller of all things. He is in control and will deal with sin. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" (1.13).
And so he waited upon the God that he knew. "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved" (2.1).
Does God seem silent? Are His ways not working as you hoped? Are you perplexed at what God is doing in your life? Does the overwhelming sin of our nation grieve you? Let us do what Habakkuk did and wait upon the God that we know and rest in the sure knowledge of who He is.
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Is 40.28-31).
To be continued.
