the silent times

We are reading through the Bible and looking for truths that we can absorb and apply in our lives.  We have just finished Genesis and are transitioning to Exodus.  In Genesis God establishes a special relationship with one man, Abraham, and his descendants.  He protects them, provides for them, and promises them a place that will be their own.  Along the way these people go through difficult times, which cause them to grow in their knowledge and trust in God.  By the end of Genesis the one man has multiplied into twelve households and they are now living in Egypt to survive a famine in their homeland.  There is a gap of 400 years from the end of Genesis to the start of Exodus.  During this time the twelve households have grown to a few million people, who all could trace their heritage to Abraham.  The people have become enslaved by Pharaoh, king of Egypt, because he feels threatened by their numbers and they are of a different culture.  There is no Bible book that speaks to this time period...this 400 year period which is about the same length of time since Jamestown was first settled to the present day in our own country.  What if we hadn't heard from God for such a long time?  Would we still believe His promises?  I think there are times in our own lives when we may think God has left us...there may be "silent times".  But God has purposes even in these silent times.  In fact, it is during the silent times that we especially need to cherish the promises of God.  Just as God had purpose in allowing the Hebrews to endure hardship and multiply for such a long time, so He always has purpose across time, even when He seems silent.  It is in the silence that the promises speak loudest.  And when God breaks the silence with action and intervention the promises are confirmed and the faith which has carried us is increased and forges character and commitment to Him.

Job 32:16 

Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent?
    Must I also remain silent?

Job 35:14 

You say you can't see him,
    but he will bring justice if you will only wait.

blessings,

Rob Smith