Beech Tree News Network

We have learned in recent weeks about the Old Testament’s teaching concerning the silence of the Scripture. We saw that in the Old Testament, when God was silent, then this meant that the people could not act. God’s silence was restrictive! Just as the Old Testament teaches us that we cannot act when God is silent, so also the New Testament teaches us the same thing. For instance, we know that no angel is God’s son. We know this because the Hebrew writer asks, “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, ‘Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?’ And again, ‘I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?’ And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, ‘And let all the angels of God worship him’. And of the angels he saith, ‘Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire’.” The answer to the question is in the text! “But unto the Son he saith, ‘Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom’” (Heb. 1:8-14). In other words, no angel is God’s Son because God only said the above things to His Son! He didn’t say these things to Christ and then state, “Now, I am not talking about any angelic beings.” God was silent in saying these things to angels. Thus, the angels were restricted from being considered God’s firstborn, or having a scepter, or having a kingdom. It was not because God specifically told the angels “No,” but because He was silent toward them in this matter. Hebrews one shows us that God’s silence restricts!

             In Hebrews 7:12-14, we learn that without a change of the law, Christ could not be a priest. Why? “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.”  God specifically named the Levitical tribe as the priestly tribe (Num. 18:1-24). In so doing, He did not then go on to name all the other tribes and say, “Not you!” By His silence, those tribes were restricted or prohibited from being priests. Since God was silent about authorizing priests from the tribe of Judah, the Hebrew writer makes it plain that Christ could not be a priest on earth. It demanded a change of the law for this to take place. Therefore, the law has changed, and we today are under the New Testament, the New Covenant, and not the Old, and Christ is a “high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:10, 6:20, 7:17, 21).

             Last, when the Jews disputed over whether Gentiles could be saved without physical circumcision, it was God’s silence that settled the matter once and for all (Acts 15:7-15, 24). The fact that God’s silence prohibits man’s actions is made clear throughout the Scripture. Shame on anyone who says otherwise.

 -- You are invited to visit with the Caneyville church of Christ. Times of services: Sun.: 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 5:00 pm; Wed.: 7:00 pm. Website: http://caneyvillechurchofchrist.com Tune in to our radio program 101.5 FM at 5:30 am, Mon-Fri. Questions? Call: (270) 589-4167