Wednesday, September 8: Silence of the Lamb!

Novelists, politicians, defense attorneys and those in public relations spend their careers spinning stories. Though the best stories have ties to truth, most are not written or spoken with complete honesty. Part of the problem is perspective, as none of us see the absolute truth. Only God has the proper point of view.


When Jesus was on trial the night before His crucifixion, He completely understood each person’s perspective. Yet, we see prophetically in the words of Isaiah what Jesus had to say on that night:


He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
Isaiah 53:7


Certainly, Jesus did not need a defense attorney to represent Him with the truth on that night, as John 14:6 reminds us that Jesus is the Truth. Being God, Jesus had the power and knowledge to extricate Himself from the situation, but steadfastly remained, for He desired to be there.


And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Isaiah 53:9


At times in our lives, we can find ourselves in precarious positions, and can feel the need to extricate ourselves with some verbal, fancy footwork. As difficult as it might be, have you ever tried silence as a strategy? There are times when God leads us into the battle, just as He went before the Israelites with the Ark of the Tabernacle. He certainly led David to pick up five, smooth stones and face a giant. Typically, the Biblical stories involving God’s people in battle involved odds tipping strongly in favor of the enemies! That is how God reveals His power, just as He had Gideon pare down his army from 32,000 to only 300.


Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”
Judges 7:7


With that small army, Gideon’s men were part of a miracle, whereas if 32,000 men would have won the battle, we would be pointing to their power, rather than the power of God. In similar fashion, we will be soldiers in the Lord’s army at Armageddon, though God will fight the battle without any of us lifting a hand!


You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.’
Deuteronomy 3:22

If you feel backed into a corner, or have a major battle on your hand, remember that God has the ability and the power to take care of you. If the odds are strongly against you, He might have you face your enemies. Yet just as easily, He might decide the battle while you are sleeping. Never forget that there are also times when we dig the hole deeper by opening our mouths. If there is any deceit in your mouth, stick some duct tape over it! If your silence is of the Lord, that silence is golden!


But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
Matthew 26:63