The Silence of God

The silence of God is something we all must endure, but we must never misinterpret it. Sometimes, God seems distant, and prayers appear unanswered, but that does not mean he is absent or abandoned his people. It is where our faith is to be exercised, as he always has more magnificent plans in motion than we can imagine.

It had been 400 years since the Lord had spoken through the prophet Malachi. Four centuries, yet He was about to speak again.

The Gospel of Luke begins the narrative with, “In the days of Herod, king of Judah…” The Jews lacked a king; instead, they had an imposter ruler—a malevolent Pagan usurper.

God remained silent; they endured evil rulers, and a righteous husband and wife from the lineage of Levi faced barrenness beyond childbearing years. In our culture, we may never fathom the reproach of an Eastern woman unable to bear children, but it was intense.

A silent God, malevolent rulers, and a barren womb; this couple must have prayed for a child for years, yet God stayed silent. They likely had given up on praying for a child as they aged. However, their faithfulness to God persisted.

The husband, a priest under the old covenant, was chosen by lot to burn incense in the holy place in the temple. On this day, fulfilling his duty, an angel appeared beside the altar of incense, near the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies.

After calming the man’s fearful heart, the angel declared, “Your prayer has been heard. You will bear a son.” Yet, his prayer as he served in the temple would have likely been for Israel and the promised Messiah, not for a son. We should keep three vital truths in mind as we consider the silence of God.

1. God eventually broke His silence. He does not forget His people or promises; He remains faithful even when we wonder where He is.

2. God answers every prayer. Rarely does He do it on our timeline, but if it’s not a “yes” or “no,” then it is “wait.” Old prayers do not vanish into the ether; God hears each one and remembers prayers from long ago.

3. The couple’s years of suffering were not in vain. This child was to be John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah. This was no ordinary child, and God would confirm his significance through a miraculous birth. Their suffering through barrenness was necessary for them to receive a greater blessing. In this one answered prayer, God gave them the child they desired and set things in motion for the promised Savior.

You might be in a situation like Zechariah and Elizabeth, observing evil rulers and feeling God’s silence. Know this: He hears your prayers, your trial is not in vain, and he has not forgotten you. Our suffering works for us an eternal weight of glory we cannot yet comprehend. Most importantly, our reproach has already been removed because Zachariah’s prayers for the coming Messiah were answered. The next announcement by the angel Gabriel would be to a young virgin named Mary.

-D. Eaton