The “Thin Silence” of a Whisper

You’re probably aware of this important command from our God in Psalm 46:10a which tells us to do something we could ALL use a lot of grace and practice to put into effect. He tells us to “Be STILL and know that I am God.” And I’m pretty sure you’ve heard this comforting truth before. Psalm 23:2 promises those whom He calls and has made His true sons and daughters, “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside STILL waters.” We see that word, “still,” twice. And Exodus 14:14 says it a third time, “The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be STILL.” There are actually two Hebrew words, but there is not a distinguishable difference that anyone in my research has been able to articulate to me. The first is HARPU and this, to me, must have significance because it is only used once in the entire Bible. The other is RAPHAH. Altogether, they mean “to become helpless, to drop, to fall limp, to be feeble, to let go, to depend on God, to cease, to be still, to cease striving, a resting place, comforting, place of rest, quiet, permanent, to be silent, to be dumb, speechless or deaf, to cease, to cease speaking, to pay nothing, to keep or to remain silent.” I tell you this so that you can have a thorough understanding as we go into today’s words from our amazing Lord and Savior!

A passage many of us will not be aware of is found in a book written by King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived and ever will live, according to God’s very own words. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 and 7 reads this way. Pay attention, please. “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To DRAW NEAR TO LISTEN is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. BE NOT RASH WITH YOUR MOUTH, NOR LET YOUR HEART BE HASTY TO UTTER A WORD BEFORE GOD, for God is in Heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW. For a dream comes with much busyness, and a fool’s voice with many words…for when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity.”

To get even more inside the nitty-gritty of what The Lord of Hosts is telling us, we need to delve into 1 Kings 19:11-13. It draws us in with these words, “And He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.” And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a low whisper’ (a thin silence). And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’”

And to show everyone that the Word of God is true, consistent and its principles, statutes and decrees are threaded throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testaments as a testimony to His unchanging nature, let’s take a look at the words of Jesus Christ Himself from Luke 10:38-42, “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who SAT AT THE LORD’S FEET AND LISTENED to His teaching, but Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but (only) one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”

Question:  Have you ever noticed when there are noises and voices all around you, that you don’t pay much attention and you just kind of disregard it all—but when someone whispers (when you HEAR A WHISPER), you immediately take notice and want to hear what is being said?

Our Savior Jesus told Martha not to get distracted by the busyness (the many sounds and voices) all around us. He praised Mary for listening. Similarly, Elijah found when the Lord passed by the mouth of the cave, Almighty God’s voice was not in the strong wind, the earthquake or the fire. But the prophet was able to hear Him in the whisper; in the thin silence. The Word implies Martha was restless and worried by the distractions, but the Psalms tell us to BE STILL and to be led by the Spirit to STILL waters. When I am at work and am doing a task that is repetitive and doesn’t require much effort or thinking (no distractions, I am still) many, many, many in these times is when Holy Spirit speaks to me, gives me a word of knowledge and gives me wisdom or revelation! Many times! My phone notes are full of them!

Question:  Since the Lord of Hosts speaks to us in the thin silence of a whisper, why do we fill our times of quietness with the noise of wind, earthquake and fire where we can’t hear His voice? We should be drawn to and seek out and welcome the “entrances to the caves” in our lives in order to hear His voice. We should embrace and cherish the quiet spaces and places in our lives, even create some caves for ourselves intentionally. Remember, John 10:3-4 says, “…the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name (like Elijah) and leads them out (like to the mouth of the cave). When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them (like when He said to go out and stand on the mount before the Lord, and there the Lord passed by), AND THE SHEEP FOLLOW HIM, FOR THEY KNOW HIS VOICE.”

Question:  Are there any times and places in our lives which are perfect, quiet and still opportunities for us to spend time LISTENING (or more time listening than we currently do) to the Lord that are filling (or that we fill) with noises like the wind, an earthquake or a fire when we now know that “the Lord is not in the wind,” that “the Lord is not in the earthquake,” and “the Lord is not in the fire.”? Let’s seek out the mouths of the caves and listen to God’s voice in the whispers and moments of thin silence. Only then will we truly hear from Him and be able to follow Him.

If we back up just a little and read the account of Elijah and the 450 prophets of the false god in 1 Kings chapter 18, look at what is written for us to implant on our hearts.

18:11 points out concerning Baal, “…but there was NO VOICE.”

18:29 purposefully reiterates, “…but there was NO VOICE; NO ONE ANSWERED; NO ONE PAID ATTENTION.”

And it should be observed and highlighted in our hearts and minds how the opposite is true of our God, the One True God, and how it has been juxtaposed in the very next chapter for emphasis.

19:5 writes, “…an angel (messenger of God) touched him and SAID to him…”

19:7 also says, “…and the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and SAID…”

19:9, “…the word of the Lord came to him, and he SAID to him…”

19:11, “…and he SAID…”

19:12, “…the SOUND of a low whisper…”

19:13, “…And behold, there came a VOICE to him and SAID…”

19:15, “…and the Lord SAID to him…”

 

The Lord of Hosts WILL and DOES speak to those who KNOW Him and SEEK Him and QUIET themselves before His majesty. But when we search for answers from false gods, idols, wind, an earthquake, a fire or anything that is not Him or is where He is not found, there will be NO VOICE, NO ANSWER. This next verse may or may not apply to you. If it does, it may very well explain a whole lot! John 9:31 tells us something we may not want to hear, but it is simply truth. Whether you are willing to receive it and act upon it can change everything. It says, “We know that God does not listen to sinners (the unsaved, unrepentant), but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him.” 1 Kings 18:21 speaks directly and pointedly to many from the lips of Elijah, “How long will you go on limping between two different opinions (living for yourself in the world and living for Jesus in His kingdom)? If the Lord is God, follow Him: But if Baal, then follow him.” And again from the lips of Joshua, the one to whom Moses passed the baton. Joshua 24:14 proclaims, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in SINCERITY and in FAITHFULNESS. Put away the gods that your fathers served…if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served (the Baals)…or the gods of the Amorites (the Baals) in whose land you dwell, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Jesus Christ).”

Baal does not and cannot speak. Molech does not and cannot speak. Chemosh does not and cannot speak. Dagon does not and cannot speak… The LORD OF HOSTS CAN AND DOES SPEAK! Listen to Him! Follow Him! Obey Him! And YOU WILL LIVE! Listening for– and not hearing from– anything else, and YOU WILL DIE. Prioritize time with God. Seek His face. Be still before Him. Be quick to hear and slow to speak. Listen to Him. Hear from Him. Follow and obey Him. He is saying, “When you still yourself and come to Me, you will hear Me and I will lead you.”

 

Almighty God bless you and feed you and whisper to you.