When God Is Silent And Hidden
Throughout history, there were many periods when God hid His
face, and was silent.
One important duration of His prolonged silence was known as the
intertestamental period spanning between the Old Testament and the
New Testament. From the ministry of Malachi in approximately 420 BC
to the appearance of John the Baptist in approximately AD 30, it
spanned roughly four centuries. During those 400 silent years, no
prophets spoke for God as the Lord had revealed nothing new to His
people.
Another important period was in the days of Queen Esther. From the
beginning to the end of the Book of Esther, we would not find God or
any mention of His name. This is the only book in the Bible that the
name of God is not being named even once.
Nevertheless, His invisible presence is visibly felt as He
orchestrated, and turned a day of destruction of the Israelites into
a day of great deliverance for them! Thereafter, the people of
Israel celebrate the Feast of Purim.
Esther 9:26-28
26 So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur.
Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, what they had
seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them,
27 the
Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their
descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they
should celebrate these two days every year, according to the
written instructions and according to
the prescribed time,
28 that these days should be remembered and
kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and
every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be
observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not
perish among their descendants.
Though God was silent and hidden, He was lovingly and invisibly
working to deliver His beloved people from their enemies. Nothing
was given to chance or coincidence. All was done according to His
perfect plan and timing! And the people of Israel remembered! Their
memories didn't fade away! They celebrate Purim annually for 2 days
in memory of what God had done for them!
One of the customs of Purim is masquerading in costumes, and wearing
masks. This idea of concealment is found in the very name of the
heroine of the book. The name Esther is derived from the Hebraic
root str, which means "hidden."
Deuteronomy 31:18
And I will surely hide My face in that day because
of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to
other gods.
As the people of God had turned to other gods and done evil in
His sight, the Lord had turned away from them, and hidden His face
from them. The Lord had hidden Himself during the time of Esther.
When God is silent and hidden, we cannot use His name in vain. We
cannot prophesy on His behalf. We cannot declare and decree without
His approval. And we cannot presumptuously enter into the Holy of
Holies, trying to meet Him face to face.
Esther 4:11
“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.”
In all the palaces in the world, nobody cannot see the king
without his permission and approval. All the royal officers and
people know this. No man or woman may go to the king in the inner
courtyard without being called. Even the queen has to observe this
law! Anyone who enters without approval will be put to death. But if
the king holds out his golden scepter, that person may live. And Queen
Esther had not been called to go to the king for 30 days. And the
waiting period was both essential and worthwhile!
Our Lord is the King of Kings! Waiting on the Lord requires patience
and perseverance. We cannot rush and hurry Him!
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has
put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the
work that God does from beginning to end.
Even though we may be anxious, having a desire to know the
future, and what to do next, we must learn how to trust and obey
God. God surely does everything at just the right time. Waiting on
the Lord is essential and necessary! From beginning to end, we can
never completely understand and comprehend what He is doing. The
Invisible controls the visible, and the Unseen is more powerful than
the seen.
When God hides His face from us, His hand is always here with us. He
is always with us through each single day and night. He has
something great in store for us even though we may not see Him or
comprehend what He is doing.
One day, everything hidden will be unveiled. Every riddle and
mystery will be solved. God is now working behind the scenes to
bring forth the salvation of Israel, and all the nations of the
earth. When He unmasks Himself, all of us will see Him face to face.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Meanwhile, we will wait upon the Lord, and He will renew our
strength!
Written on 4 March 2022