I was on the phone with a friend the other day, and after asking him a challenging question, I heard silence.
I thought, “Wow, he’s not answering right away. I must have stumped him.” As the silence continued, my thoughts evolved to “Is he sad or mad or confused?” I thought about jumping in and filling the silence with an apology or clarification of what I asked.
As I was about to speak, another call came in. It was him! I switched to his call, and he said, “I don’t know what happened. You asked me that question, and I was answering, but I don’t think you could hear me.”
We had a good laugh as I told him that I was sitting in silence, not realizing he was talking!
Have you had something similar happen to you? Phone calls? Dropped calls? Bad cell service? I think this happens to a lot of us. And as I thought about this some more, I think it also happens in our relationship with God.
Have you ever been praying or talking to God and wondered: “Are you listening, God?”
When we go through difficult times, it’s hard to “hear from God.” When we are facing a job loss, depression, changes in our health, or even going through a tough season in our culture, not only can God’s voice seem unclear, but there are so many other voices competing for our attention!
But what may appear like God’s silence doesn’t mean God is not at work in our lives. During these times, we may grow the most in our spiritual lives. Let me put it another way: Even when God seems silent, we can still experience profound spiritual growth.
As we finish 2024, our church is at a very meaningful point in our Bible reading. We have been going through what we’re calling The Story Project – reading about 100 stories from the Bible. Some of these stories are very famous, and others are brand new.
We’ve been seeing how God has been at work in the lives of different people through different eras – during both good times and unpleasant times. The Bible starts with God speaking the world into existence, and God has not been silent since.
But as we move from the Old Testament to the New Testament, there is a time jump in which we have no Scripture recording events. Between the message of Malachi and the beginning of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) is about 400 years.
This “intertestamental” period is popularly called the 400 Years of Silence. But that’s a misnomer. Just because we have no book of the Bible explaining what happened during that time doesn’t mean God was not active, and it certainly doesn’t mean God was silent.
Let me share a couple of ways to have a deeper relationship with God when God seems silent. And I’ll show you how each relates directly to significant events between the Old and New Testaments.
First, when God seems silent, Revisit What God Has Already Said.
There’s a classic 1960s folk song by Bob Dylan called ‘The Times They Are A-Changin.’ That’s a good way to describe the “intertestamental” period. God was at work behind changing world governments.
Alexander the Great ruled during this time, and Greek culture spread across the biblical world through his influence. And with it came one of the most profound changes in the religious world – the Old Testament translated into Greek!
Jewish tradition says that about seventy rabbis met separately to translate the Old Testament from its original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. When these scholars regathered, they had produced identical translations. We’re not sure how true this is, but the number 70 stuck, so the Greek Translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint (which means 70) and is abbreviated with the Roman numerals LXX.
This Greek translation kept people in God’s Word when new languages became the majority, so Jesus could confidently say this about the intertestamental period: “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the prophets’ messages were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.” Luke 16:16
What does this have to do with growing in our faith when God seems silent?
When the Bible was translated into Greek, it opened the door for people to read it in a fresh new way. It also allowed people to read the Bible in their own language. And not just the religious elites. The Septuagint (LXX) isn’t written in classical Greek, like the stately pieces of Greek literature. It was translated into koine Greek, the everyday language of the people!
In those 400 years of supposed silence between the Old and New Testament, God spoke through the Bible in a new language to new people. This allowed people to see what God had been doing for thousands of years!
When God seems silent in your life, revisit what God has already said.
Here’s an Action Step: Open up the Bible and read something new.
Check out the great stories of the Old Testament. Read how God created the world, spoke to ancient people, led his people from slavery to freedom, helped fight battles, placed people in positions of authority for just the right moment, revealed himself in dreams and visions, and gave his people hope for the future.
Check out the great stories of the New Testament. Read how Jesus arrived to fulfill prophecy, teach about God’s forgiveness, heal the sick, fight injustice. See how the early church lived, prayed, dealt with hardship, and shared their faith. And read all the letters written to first century churches to guide them and us to walk with God.
You might want to read a Bible translation you’ve never read before, like the English Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, or a paraphrased version like The Message.
Even when God seems silent, we can still experience profound spiritual growth. The first way is by revisiting what God has already said. Here’s one more way:
Keep following God despite obstacles.
The time between the Old and New Testaments was filled with conflict and confusion. World governments were changing. Jewish people were splintering into groups (later to become the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes). But one of the biggest obstacles God’s people faced was an attack.
In 168 BC, a king named Antiochus Epiphanes (seen as an “anti-Christ” figure) launched a campaign to repress the Jewish Faith, including desecrating the Jewish Temple. God’s people, led by the Maccabean family, fought back in what is known as the Maccabean Revolt. This Jewish revolt led to the rededication of the Temple and is the source of the holiday of Hannukah, which Jesus recognized and connected to following God.
We read in the New Testament, “… Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade.” As he was there, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.” John 10:22-29
Just as God’s people faced obstacles during the intertestamental period, we will face obstacles in our lives. Governments change, people split into groups, and we may even face attacks on our faith. Jesus says, “Listen to my voice and follow me.”
Here’s one more ACTION STEP: Make plans for your future obstacles.
What obstacles do you anticipate in 2025 – your health, job, relationships, money? What can you do to better prepare for these obstacles? Do you have trusted Christian friends who can encourage and challenge you? Could you create new rhythms of prayer in your schedule? Is this the year to begin giving a percentage of your income to God’s work through the church? Maybe a physical check-up or visit to a Christian counselor would be a great way to plan.
I’m in this interesting spot in my life. In 2025, I’ll have been serving as Lead Pastor for 10 years. I’ve experienced a lot of spiritual growth, and I’m sensing some new growth areas to come. I’ve decided to meet with a spiritual coach to help me with some spiritual goal planning for 2025.
What changes do you anticipate, and how can you prepare?
In closing, you may never have heard of the Intertestamental Period before, but it was an amazing time in history.
One Bible scholar put it this way: “The time between the close of Old Testament history and the beginning of the New Testament period has often been called “the four hundred silent years.” To the historian, however, these centuries were anything but silent, and they seem to become more vocal with each passing decade.” Charles Pfeiffer, Old Testament History.
It’s an essential time in the history of God’s people because it reminds us that:
Even when God seems silent, we can still experience profound spiritual growth. How?
- Revisit what God has already said. Get into the Bible. As we read what God has done over the centuries, we will find God speaking through his Word.
- Keep following God despite obstacles. God may speak powerfully through the obstacles you will overcome with God’s help.
Gracious God, thank you for never being silent. We may have a hard time hearing your voice, but you are always directing our lives. Thank you for all the stories written in the Bible that can remind us of who you are and how you work. And thank you for the strength and wisdom you give us to face any obstacle that comes our way. Help us to remember that you are always with us, and no one can snatch us from your loving hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen