Many of us are familiar with the saying "silence is golden."
This morning, I would like to explore the concept of silence and
its significance. We have all encountered situations where we
approach someone to request something, only to be met with
silence—an indication that our request will not be granted.
Silence often carries a specific meaning in our everyday lives.
Consider a classic scenario: you order a refrigerator from Sears
and request delivery. When the delivery van arrives, the
delivery person unloads the refrigerator and brings it into your
home, which makes you quite pleased since you ordered one.
However, they then head back to the van and re-emerge with a
dishwasher, placing it in your home as well. Now you're
beginning to wonder if you've forgotten that you ordered a
dishwasher. To your surprise, they return yet again, this time
bringing in a new range. At this point, you're thoroughly
confused, so you ask the delivery team about it. You mention
that you only ordered a refrigerator, and they respond, "You
didn’t specify not to bring the dishwasher or the range, so we
brought them anyway."
We recognize how foolish it can be to ignore the reality of
silence in our lives. Silence carries meaning. If you've been
married for a while, perhaps you've experienced your spouse
giving you the silent treatment, and you understand that silence
has significance—it's important. Silence also holds great
significance in the realm of religion. I consider myself
somewhat of a student of the Restoration Movement, particularly
in America. One of its mottos, which dates back over a century,
is: "Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is
silent, we are silent." This motto is powerful because it's
rooted in Scripture. It underscores the principle that silence
carries meaning in the Bible; silence truly has significance
within its pages.
There are numerous examples in the Bible highlighting the
significance of silence, one of which may cause confusion or
lead to questions about its purpose. This particular example can
be found in 1 Chronicles chapter 13, which I invite you to turn
to now. We'll be reading quite a bit from God's word today,
starting in verse one of this chapter. You will likely recognize
the account that this text refers to:
"Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and
hundreds, and with every leader. David said to all the assembly
of Israel, 'If it seems good to you and if it is of the Lord our
God, let us send out messengers to our brethren everywhere, who
are left in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and
Levites in their cities and common lands, that they may gather
together to us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for
we have not inquired of it since the days of Saul.'"
It's important to remember the context: David is now the leader
of the entire nation of Israel. The previous leadership has
passed, and during this time, they had not sought the presence
of the ark of the covenant for quite some time. The ark, which
symbolizes God's presence, is where He communicated from between
the cherubim on the mercy seat. David recognized it was
essential to retrieve the ark of the covenant and bring it back
to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, as the capital and chief city of the nation of
Israel, is central to this narrative. David declares that they
need to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant. In verse 4, the entire
assembly agrees, recognizing that this action is right in the
eyes of all the people. David then gathers all of Israel, from
Shihor in Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, with the purpose of
bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-Jearim, which is located
about 8 to 10 miles west of Jerusalem. Thus, they have a
significant task ahead: transporting the Ark about 10 miles into
the heart of Jerusalem.
For us, it wouldn’t have been a significant event, but for them,
it was much more difficult. David and all of Israel went up to
retrieve the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which
belonged to Judah. They sought to bring it up from there, for
the Lord who dwells between the cherubim—where His name is
proclaimed. As they transported it, David and all of Israel
played music before God with all their might, singing on harps,
stringed instruments, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. They
were filled with joy and enthusiasm.
However, when they reached the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah
reached out his hand to steady the Ark, for the oxen had
stumbled. The cart, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, began to
tilt, and Uzzah instinctively reached out to prevent it from
falling. But the Lord's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and He
struck him dead for touching the Ark. David became angry over
the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah, and that place has been
called Perez-Uzzah to this day.
That day, David was filled with fear regarding God, asking
himself how he could bring the Ark of God to him. Because of his
fear, he decided not to move the Ark into the City of David, but
instead took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
This event has caused people across generations to question
whether God was fair or just in His actions. Was it truly just
for Him to strike down Uzzah for merely reaching out to steady
the ark? That act did not seem significant given the importance
of the ark of the covenant. In a parallel account in 2 Samuel
chapter 6, we see that David had sent over 30,000 men to
accompany the ark of the covenant for the 8 to 10-mile journey
back to Jerusalem. This event was evidently very important, with
David and his men surrounding the ark. However, David did not
understand what had happened. He became angry with God, and it’s
clear he recognized that Uzzah had no chance to repent; it all
ended so abruptly for him. Thus, David's anger was quite natural
given the circumstances.
David simply sits down and declares, "I'm not doing anything
else. I will not take the ark any further." This raises an
important question: have people really questioned God? Of
course, they have—it's a common occurrence. Why did God act in
this way? What was the reasoning behind His actions? God never
acts without purpose; there is always a reason behind everything
He does. So why did He do this? Was God just? Was He fair? Did
He make a mistake? Did He respond inappropriately? The answer to
these perplexing questions can be found in God's word,
particularly in its silence. Prior to this moment, God had
already provided clear instructions on two critical points: how
the ark was to be carried and who was responsible for carrying
it.
Let’s go back a few pages in our Bible to Exodus chapter 25,
beginning with verse 10. Remember, the book of Exodus primarily
tells the story of God's people as they leave Egypt and journey
toward the Promised Land. In chapter 25, we find the
instructions regarding the Ark of the Covenant.
Verse 10 states that they are to make the Ark from acacia wood,
measuring 2 1/2 cubits in length, 1 1/2 cubits in width, and 1
1/2 cubits in height. It is to be overlaid with pure gold, both
inside and out, and a gold molding is to be crafted all around
it. They should cast four rings of gold for the Ark, placing two
rings on one side and two on the other. Additionally, they are
to make poles of acacia wood, which should also be overlaid with
gold.
This construction results in a rectangular chest, with gold
rings on each corner. The poles are to be inserted into the
rings on the sides so that the Ark can be carried by them, as it
is intended to be moved by these poles.
and beginning in exodus chapter 25 you go all the way through
the Old Testament you will never see the Bible is silent about
any other way to carry the ark of the covenant that was it you
were to carry it using the polls very explicit as I knew that
David knew that all the priests and levites knew that was the
way the ark of the covenant was to be carried and God gave no
authority for any other way to carry that ark that was it.
Let's clarify who was designated to carry the Ark of the
Covenant. First, we can turn to Deuteronomy, specifically
chapter 10. Deuteronomy 10:8 states, "At that time the Lord
separated the tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant of
the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to minister to Him, and to
bless in His name, to this day." So, it is the tribe of Levi
that was chosen to carry the Ark. Throughout the Old Testament,
we see that no other tribe was granted the permission or
authority to carry it—only Levi.
Furthermore, the Bible specifies that within the tribe of Levi,
only certain families were permitted to carry the Ark. Among the
sons of Levi, some were assigned specific duties in the
Tabernacle and the Temple, while others had different
responsibilities.
Let’s turn to Numbers chapter 4, beginning at verse 1. In this
passage, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, instructing them to
take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of
Levi. Kohath was one of Levi's sons, and the census was to be
conducted by their families and by their father’s house. The
individuals included in this census were those aged 30 to 50,
all of whom were entering the service to perform the work of the
Tabernacle of Meeting. It’s important to note that Kohath was
not only one of Levi's sons but also the grandfather of both
Aaron and Moses, which emphasizes his significance in this
lineage.
We skipped ahead to verse 15. The remainder of Numbers chapter 4
describes the various articles within the Tabernacle, such as
the golden lampstand, the altar, and the Ark of the Covenant.
These are the items that Aaron and his sons are responsible for
setting up and taking down whenever the Tabernacle is relocated.
Verse 15 states that once Aaron and his sons have finished
covering the sanctuary and all its furnishings, and the camp is
prepared to move, the sons of Kohath will come to carry them.
This includes the Ark of the Covenant, but they must not touch
any holy items, lest they die. These are the items in the
Tabernacle of Meeting that the sons of Kohath are designated to
carry. It’s important to note that not just anyone from the
tribe of Levi could carry the Ark; only the descendants of
Kohath, who was a son of Levi, were permitted to do so.
However, there's more to the story. In Chapter 7, beginning with
verse one, we need to read these verses to grasp the full
context of why Nadab and Abihu died and why their death came
without any opportunity for repentance. Numbers Chapter 7, verse
one states, "Now it came to pass when Moses had finished setting
up the Tabernacle that he anointed and consecrated it, along
with all its furnishings and utensils." Following this, the
leaders of Israel, the heads of their father's houses who
represented the tribes and those who were counted, made an
offering to the Lord. They presented six covered carts and
twelve oxen—one cart for every two leaders—and they brought
these offerings to the Tabernacle. Then the Lord spoke to Moses,
instructing him to accept these offerings so they could be used
in the work of the Tabernacle of Meeting and to give them to the
Levites, assigning them according to their service.
Consequently, Moses took the carts and distributed them to the
Levites: he gave two carts and four oxen to the sons of Gershon,
one of Levi's sons, according to their service, and four carts
and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, another son of Levi, under
the authority of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. However,
to the sons of Kohath, he gave none.
Kohath did not receive a single cart because their service
involved carrying the holy items on their shoulders. They were
never allowed to transport the Ark of the Covenant on a
cart—this was strictly forbidden. Despite this, David, the
Levites, the priests, and all those accompanying them, including
Ohio and the 30,000 men, were aware of this prohibition yet
chose to proceed anyway. It is no wonder that God was angry;
given the clear instructions they disregarded, their actions
were in direct violation. The Ark was meant to be carried on the
shoulders of the sons of Kohath, and that was the only
acceptable method prescribed. The Bible does not mention any
alternative that God approved for transporting the Ark of the
Covenant—there simply were none. It must never have been placed
on a cart.
It’s no surprise that God was so angry. The parallel accounts in
2 Samuel chapter 6 indicate that Uzzah died because of his
error; the New King James Version uses the term "error," while
other translations refer to it as "irreverence." Uzzah failed to
show proper reverence to what was outlined in Scripture.
Additionally, he wasn't even supposed to be driving the cart in
the first place, as it was meant to be carried. Only the sons of
Levi were explicitly instructed to carry the Ark, which means
Uzzah’s actions were contrary to God's will from start to
finish. David, Uzzah, and the other men involved did not respect
the silence of the Bible, and as a result, God was angry,
leading to Uzzah's immediate death.
The instructions clearly stated that they were not to touch any
holy object, specifically the ark of the covenant, which was
sacred. Touching it was deemed disrespectful to God's will, and
as a consequence, one man died immediately. David became angry
at first, but eventually came to realize that, as king and
leader, he had to take responsibility for the incident. He was
aware of how the ark was to be transported and knew the
guidelines established for the sons of Kohath, so ultimately,
the fault lay with him.
This realization began to dawn on David later, as noted in 1
Chronicles 15, just a few pages further. In verses one and two,
David starts to gain some insight. In verse one, it says that
David built houses for himself in the city of David and prepared
a place for the ark of God, pitching a tent for it. He then
declared that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God,
for the Lord had chosen them to handle it and to minister before
Him forever.
Take note of the mistakes David made. If we skip down to verse
12 of the same chapter, he tells them, “You are the heads of the
fathers' houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and
your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God
of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.” He explains that
because they did not follow the proper procedure the first time,
the Lord our God broke out against them, as they failed to
consult Him regarding the correct order of things. David came to
realize that they did not move the ark in the way that God had
commanded. The individuals responsible for transporting it did
not adhere to the prescribed method. David acknowledged that
they had not sought God's guidance on how to proceed; instead,
they acted based on their own understanding, believing that God
would approve of their approach. Ultimately, they were mistaken.
As we delve a bit deeper, we see that the priests and the
Levites sanctified themselves in order to carry up the Ark of
the Lord God of Israel. The sons of the Levites bore the Ark of
God on their shoulders using its poles, as Moses had commanded,
following the word of the Lord. They carried the Ark exactly as
it was meant to be carried, and they did so joyfully.
Then, David spoke to the leaders of the Levites, instructing
them to appoint their brethren as singers, accompanied by
musical instruments such as stringed instruments, harps, and
cymbals, to raise their voices with resounding joy.
Moving down to verse 25, we find that David, along with the
elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, went to bring
up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom
with great joy. They rejoiced because they were following God's
instructions properly.
Today, many men struggle with respecting the silence of God's
word. What do I mean by this? Let me provide a few key
applications. First, one must obey the gospel in order to attain
salvation. This means believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and that He rose from the dead. Additionally, one must
repent—an inward change that compels a person to turn away from
their own desires and toward God, following Jesus. It is
essential to profess faith in His name before others and to be
baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The New Testament is
silent regarding any other means of salvation. Thus, if someone
claims there is another way to be saved, they are disregarding
the silence of scripture. Any alternative means of salvation
must originate from human interpretation, not from God.
The New Testament emphasizes that Jesus established only one
church, as discussed in Matthew 16:18. He is the savior of only
one body; Ephesians 5:23 states that He is the head of the
church and the savior of this body. Therefore, if we honor the
silence of the scriptures, we can conclude that there is only
one church that God approves of and that is ordained for
salvation. Consequently, any other churches must, by
implication, originate from human efforts.
Lastly, the New Testament endorses vocal singing that originates
from the heart, as evidenced in Ephesians 5:19 and several other
passages. As we diligently explore the pages of the New
Testament, it becomes clear that there is no mention of any
other approved methods of making music in our worship. In other
words, the Bible does not support any alternative means of
creating music in a worship setting. Therefore, there is simply
no authority for it.
The world may overlook the significance of the silence of
Scripture, but we, more than anyone else, should embrace it in
all our actions. When the Bible instructs us specifically, we
can be confident that we are following God's will. If we cannot
find authorization for a practice in the New Testament—the new
covenant by which we live—we ought to respect the silence of
Scripture and refrain from acting on it. Let us remember that
Uzzah should serve as a reminder for God's people.
The Bible clearly affirms that there is only one way to obtain
salvation: to believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. This is
the only path to salvation as stated in Scripture. If you have
not followed this process, it is important to recognize that you
may not be saved. Additionally, the Bible provides specific
guidance regarding those who have been baptized for the
forgiveness of sins and those who have strayed from their faith.
It outlines how an individual can return to a right relationship
with God, emphasizing the need to repent, pray, and seek
forgiveness.
Let us remember the importance of the silence of Scripture—these
are concepts and phrases that we all need to keep in mind.
The
church of Christ
