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When God Hasn't Said Anything About It
Having focused extensively in previous lessons on the nature of God's specific and generic instructions, we turn our attention more fully to the other end of the spectrum. What about those innumerable instances when God hasn't said anything? How should we treat the silence of God? Is it permissive or prohibitive? When God hasn't specifically addressed something in either positive or negative terms, may we faithfully interpret his silence as license to proceed in whatever direction we choose?
Granted, we don't read anything in God's revelation to mankind about the yearly observance of Easter, but what's the big deal if we're remembering Jesus? The use of guitars, keyboards and drums in our corporate gatherings of worship can't be specifically authorized using the New Testament, but what's wrong with using them if our praise is enthusiastically directed toward God? May we build whatever we would like to build, fund whatever we would like to fund, solicit in whatever way we would like to solicit, as long as some justifiable good comes as a result of our efforts?
As human beings, we can formulate an endless amount of "good reasons." Given enough time and wiggle room, we can justify nearly anything. We can appeal to emotions and reason from past experiences and motivate with inspiring rhetoric, but we are not the ultimate standard of authority. The bedrock principles delivered in Isaiah 55.6-11 continue to resonate throughout the created order:
"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."