By Augustus Henry (PhD)
Mark 15: 17 – And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 19. And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 23, and they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
John 19: 34, But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. Mark 15:34, and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? English interpretation: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Essentially, this scripture reveals that in the midst of all that suffering and pain, Jesus stopped hearing from his father. He felt forsaken, and in such a state, one feels lost.
Questions with no answers
I have felt that way on occasion. After an evangelistic program here at my church, an individual asked me, why didn’t more people get baptized, or why some of the people who came did not stay. Some have proposed that since the church grew daily after Pentecost, why is our church not growing in the same way? My answer is always the same: I have asked God about it, he never told me, I do not know. For one thing, Jesus had 12 disciples and by the time he died, he was left with 11. I have only one question when I don’t know: Am I doing what God is asking of me? Am I heeding his word?
God does not have to explain
We want to understand everything, and we want to know why. You don’t get answers just because you want them. God don’t always have to explain himself. After all the complex things he created in nature, why must he explain? He does not have that responsibility even though you may be in a bad situation.
There are some things doctors will not explain to you. Have you ever seen a clinician trying to explain to a mad person that he is mad during a state of insanity; or have you ever heard of a surgeon who tries to explain surgery to the patient on the table? Mothers don’t have to explain to babies the reason for the painful immunization injections. The bigger responsibility is your well-being, not your intellectual satisfaction.
Trust God when he is silent
In the same way, God sometimes choses to be silent. However, the question becomes can you trust God when he is silent, especially amid trials. I have experience God’s silence before, so I know.
Some years ago, I went through a period of intense professional and personal pressure, and, God went silent on me for three of those years. During that time, I had just recovered from a deep emotional wound. That happened concurrently within five years of an excruciatingly stressed-filled job; at the same time, undertaking a fulltime PhD. The whole time without the support of my family because we operated in two different states, Georgia and Florida. In 2015, I gave up my job to be permanently here with my family and to complete my doctoral dissertation. After that I went Job searching for four years, hitting the pavement, filling out hundreds of applications, but nothing. For three of those years I prayed, fasted and sought God in every way I knew how, but there was a deafening silence.
The question remains. When God is silent, could I have trusted him? There are biblical characters that could be consulted on that question: God was silent while Elijah was running from Jezebel; but at the end, he sent an angel. He was silent for a time with Job; but Job’s end was mightier than his beginning. He was silent for a time with Jesus on the cross, but it was the same Jesus that El Shaddai called from the grave.
After his ordeal, did Job trust God? That was an emphatic yes. Job said “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”? Did Jesus trust God in his pain? The answer is also yes, because Jesus exclaimed, “Father not my will but thine.” Do I trust God after my hurt and pain? The response is also an ecstatic yes, because he restored me; and has blessed me professionally and economically.
Obey God when he is silent even in suffering
It may be futile or even dangerous to seek answers while you are suffering. It is like trying to diagnose a storm in the middle of a tsunami (Jakes). We sometimes try to review the storm in the middle of the storm. The frustration in reasoning can become a tornado within the storm that you are already experiencing. Because what difference does it make why? If you were diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, at the time of the diagnosis, why would knowing the cause matter? Sometimes you have to settle for walking in the dark (Jakes), because we walk by faith and not by sight. There are situations where we walk through an emotional storm and our heart is broken. And in that emotional forest, we try to reason with God – have an intellectual discussion. You must understand that sometimes God is not interested in your intellect, he is focused on your obedience, and ultimately on your salvation. The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law (Deut. 29:29). In a feat of suffering, remember the commands that he has already given.
When God is silent, it is time to obey
Ask Saul and he will tell you “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Ask Jonah, and he will say, “obedience is better than understanding.” Ask Samson, he will confirm that “obedience is better than might and physical strength. Ask Hezekiah and he will say “obedience is better than life itself.” And it is through obedience that we learn to trust God. Elijah obeyed when God was silent; Job obeyed when God spoke no words; And Jesus obeyed even when he was forsaken. Our responsibility is to obey when God is not audible. The Christian who claims the promises of God must obey the commands of God. The most fitting response for God’s undeserved mercy, healing, grace, and kindness is unreserved obedience. God conceals his purposes so we can live on his promises (Mentz). When God is silent, it is time to obey.