BY WHAT AUTHORITY ARE YOU DOING THESE THINGS? (9)
When God Says Nothing (2)
If God does not specifically command or prohibit something, does that give us the freedom to do whatever we want in that matter? There are many today whose sole authorization for their actions is the silence of God on the matter. In our last article we noted that such reasoning is NOT acceptable to God. We noted a number of passages that speak of respecting what God has not said including 1 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Peter 4:11, Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, 29:29, Isaiah 55:8-9 and Galatians 1:6-9. Please read these passages to refresh your mind as to the exactness of what God says. And there is much more to be said about this as we study God’s word.
Let us now consider some examples in the Bible that help us understand this subject. We begin with the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. Numbers 9 records the Lord commanding Israel to keep the Passover (the 2nd Passover). They were told when to do it and what to do (2-4). Verse 5 says they kept the feast. But in verse 6 we read of some who were unable to keep the feast because they were unclean. They go to Moses because they desire to keep this feast (7). Moses answers them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.” (8) Notice that Moses did NOT reason that since God didn’t forbid some observing it at another time that such must be acceptable. Instead he noted that BEFORE he could do anything he needed authority from God. In this we have a CLEAR example of respecting God’s silence. Moses asks the Lord and received an answer (9-13). But what if Moses had not received an answer? Then he would NOT have had authority to establish a 2nd day for those unable to participate the first day. All he could do was to determine an answer based upon God’s commands. The fact that God specified the day when the feast was to be observed would have to have been sufficient. When we are specifically told how or when to do something by God’s word, we cannot change that simply because God did not specifically forbid something else.
Another example we might consider is Leviticus 10:1-2 where we read of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron and priests, were burned to death because they offered to God, “profane fire”. They were offering incense to God (as commanded in Exodus 30:1-3). But the fire they offered was not authorized by God. In fact the text tells us, they “offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (10:2). In this we see that God did not have to specify what they could not do. When God gives instructions, it prohibits everything else. Much of our disagreements in the religious world today are over things that God did NOT say.
Consider also Matthew 15 where the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him, “Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread” (15:2). Jesus responded by saying that in implementing their traditions they had transgressed the commandment of God with their own traditions. In the Law of Moses nowhere did it command the washing of hands before eating, but it did not forbid it either. But God did establish standards for His people to follow and when one added to or took away from those standards, it was considered a transgression which means “to go beyond” or “to go aside” (Vine). The point is that what God said is what He meant. The fact that He is silent about something does NOT give consent. Instead it prohibits.
Hebrews 7:14 is another interesting passage to examine. In this chapter the Hebrew writer is presenting an argument for the need of a new priesthood if Christ is to be our High Priest. The reason is given, “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.” Notice the reasoning here. God specified that priests had to come from the tribe of Levi. When He said that He did not have to say, “And a priest cannot come from Reuben or Manasseh or Judah”, etc. When God specified, that excluded everything He did NOT say.
Let us make an application to this. In Colossians 3:16 we are told, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Notice how Paul tells us to “teach and admonish one another” – through singing. This is something that is fulfilled when we assemble together to worship God. Not only are we told what to do (teach and admonish), we are told HOW to do it (sing). Notice how God did NOT say “and play instruments of music”. Yet many today, ADD to singing various types of mechanical instruments, some including whole bands or orchestras. Every example of scripture we have concerning this in the New Testament mention only singing (cf. Ephesians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Hebrews 13:15, etc.). Yet many will argue, “But God didn’t say we cannot use instruments of music.” While that is a true statement, when we understand the silence of God, we realize that we must stay with that which He specified. To add to what He has commanded is to transgress His laws and to challenge their sufficiency. And that is dangerous ground to tread upon. Our eternal destiny is far too valuable to tamper with by basing it on, “But God didn’t say I couldn’t do that!” Think about it.
Thus we can see God’s silence is NOT consent. Remember our goal in this study is to determine a standard of authority that all can respect, both God and man, which will produce the unity He demands. And that demands strict adherence to His word. By what authority are doing what you do? In our next study we will notice specific and generic instructions.