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A Theology of Divine Silence
Text: Psalm 13
The Problem of Silence (vss 1-2)
- How long? is asked four times.
- God is choosing to forget my situation.
- God is ignoring my problems.
- I am left alone talking to myself.
- The wicked are becoming more emboldened in their victories.
- The LORD doesn’t seem distant, He is distant. That means He is not directly addressing the situation. David is not in crisis because he doesn’t have enough faith. He’s not in crisis because he doesn’t believe enough. He’s in crisis because he’s not getting any help for his situation. This is not a Buddhist rendition of suffering that says suffering is an illustion.
- Why is this wise?
- Delayed gratification, longsuffering, and hope is fruit that’s necessary to our current circumstances because time is the judge. As they say, Time will tell.
- The other lesson in this is that God’s presence means something.
- “God is with me” is not a mantra when you feel bad.
- “God is with me” is an empty statement when we want things to get better.
The Petition to be Heard (vss 3-4)
- David prays and I love David’s theology. He is not entitled to God’s ear.
- David also believes that the presence of God means life.
The Praise of Hope (vss 5-6)
- David trusts in the LORD. This is the encouraging theme for these first 41 psalms.
- Three things come from God’s wisdom and David’s faith
- Perseverance is a result of trusting God’s mercy
- Perspective is a result of trusting God’s mercy
- Praise is a result of trusting God’s mercy (sing about the things that minister to you. You enjoy the music makes you feel good)
A Theology of Divine Silence
