Being a Silent Witness

#6 – Biblical Convictions are a Silent Witness

Holding to moral or ethical convictions based on God’s Word can be a powerful silent witness to point others to God. An individual life of conviction cannot be ignored when it stands in sharp contrast to a world of humanistic relativism. It might be argued against, rejected, or hated, but it will persist as a beacon of light in a dark world.

Daniel the prophet, and his three friends exiled to Babylon, changed the direction of a nation and its king because they held to convictions of conscience based on Scripture. Three such instances come to mind:

(1) Daniel was a man who lived according to his convictions such that when he spoke about his God the king listened. As a young man of royal Jewish blood, he and his three friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) chose to obey God and not sin against their consciences regarding the Law of Moses. They made it clear to their Babylonian captors that trusting God in dietary matters was so important that they were willingly to put themselves at risk of death rather than disobey their God. (Daniel 1:11-13) When Daniel and his friends thrived on the diet prescribed by God they had opportunity to demonstrate their wisdom and thus found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 1:15-20) Later, Daniel stood out from all the pagan advisors and revealed the king’s dream. The king acknowledged that “your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings”. (Daniel 2:47)

(2) King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden image some time later and required everyone in the kingdom to worship the image. (Daniel 3:10-11) Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (by then called by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego) had no problem respectfully standing as citizens before a national symbol. However, they refused to fall down and worship an idol. (Daniel 3:12) Their conviction was that they could not disobey their God. (Daniel 3:16-18) When they emerged unscathed from the fiery furnace it was their conviction and miraculous deliverance that prompted Nebuchadnezzar to call them "servants of the Most High God," proclaiming “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-ego.” He rightly concluded, “there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.” (Daniel 3:28-29) He then promoted them to government posts in the province! (Daniel 3:30)

(3) Many years later, Daniel’s testimony (the same Hebrew word as “witness”) was so strong in the then Medo-Persian empire that his jealous detractors could find nothing about which to accuse him; he was esteemed by everyone to be faithful to his king and lived a life without error or fault. (Daniel 6:4) Daniel’s opponents crafted a law requiring all petitions to be directed to the king and forbade anyone from praying directly to their god. (Daniel 6:7-9) They knew Daniel to be a man of godly principal and conviction so they reasoned that he would be executed when he held to his faith. Otherwise, he and his God would be discredited if he hypocritically obeyed the law. Either way they would rid the Empire of Daniel! Knowing this was a trap aimed specifically at him, he still chose to continue his daily prayers of thanksgiving and petitions to God rather than obey the king’s law forbidding it. (Daniel 6:10) Like his three friends years earlier, His simple obedience to God resulted in arrest and condemnation to death. As we know, God protected him (Daniel 6:22) and King Darius issued this proclamation: “…that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God…and His kingdom …shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:26-27)

Sometimes there is a price for holding fast to Biblical convictions. The choices we make are sometimes especially far-reaching when serving in a foreign country. What is a “cultural difference” requiring flexibility and adaptation for the sake of the Gospel? What is a matter of conscience requiring steadfast conviction? God’s wisdom, based on Scripture, is needed to make the right choices. Each of us will eventually come face-to-face with situations when we must chose between obeying Scripture or men’s rules. In the examples of Daniel and his friends their convictions resulted in persecution then led to a verbal witness. In each case they didn’t know what the outcome would be. But they still held to their convictions.

When we silently obey God we open an opportunity to point others toward “the Most High God.” More people notice this than we may ever know. Our choice to not offend our conscience before God in a seemingly inconsequential matter could cause someone observing us to think about who God is. Our choice in a matter of worship speaks to others of our concept of who God is. Even a silent prayer – bowing to thank God for a meal in a restaurant – could cause another to think about God and change the direction of their life.

A silent witness of moral and ethical conviction in public is certainly powerful. Our silent witness among families and friends who know us might be more persuasive. More on that in our next installment.

Being a Silent Witness

#5 – Good Works are a Silent Witness

A silent witness – one who points another person to the Savior – can be any Christian who lives a life to honor God without saying a word. Our Lord came as the Light to the World (John 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46) and likened His followers to “lights” in the world. (Matthew 5:14) He explained what He meant by that light: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) An individual believer’s “light” in the darkness of an everyday world is what God considers “good works” or fruit that brings glory to Himself.

I was recently reminded of the power of good works in the testimony of a young missionary woman who sometimes became discouraged on the field seeing little evidence of numbers of souls saved or believers growing in grace. Ministry was difficult when friends suddenly rejected her and believers walked away from the Lord. But as this missionary continued her daily interaction with shopkeepers, neighbors, and unsaved friends she came to understand that God’s larger purpose is to make Himself known in a culture that never thinks about God or even acknowledges that He exists. She came to see that it was her “ordinary” godly life that grabbed people’s attention and pointed them to God. By quietly showing honesty, kindness, faithfulness, care, and love to those around her she was a living light for God in their midst! (Philippians 2:15) That God is glorified by an individual’s faithful light is a great comfort and encouragement in the face of rejection and heartache. The One who was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3) knows our frailty (Hebrews 2:18) and ever lives to intercede on our behalf. (Hebrews 7:25)

Good works as a silent witness have a fundamental place in our lives. Good works are His purpose for us and a reflection of the Master Craftsman who saved us:

• For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
  
  
• That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)
  
  
• [May God] Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:21)
  
  
• The Scriptures were given so we might be, …perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (II Timothy 3:17b)
  

What kind of silent witness are you? Is your life among friends, coworkers, and neighbors a light in darkness? Do you get discouraged if they reject efforts to tell them about Jesus Christ?

Having your conversation [manner of life] honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:12)

Friends, continue in good works and trust that they will speak quietly to others to point them to the One who loves them and died for them. (I John 4:9-10)

In future articles on Being a Silent Witness we will look at two examples of witnesses who silently pointed to God by actions in their lives: Daniel and his three friends; and a believer living among family.

Being a Silent Witness

#4 – All Creation is a Silent Witness

We are surrounded with innumerable silent witnesses pointing to God and showing what He is like – and yet we go about our everyday lives hardly giving them notice. The sun, moon, and stars move overhead in quiet precision to remind us of God’s infinite power and majesty. We need only open our eyes to things around us and notice that He is a very personal and caring God.

The Psalms (36:5-6; 90:2; 104:1-35; 114:4,6; 148:1-14) and Job Chapter 38 (see also Job 12:9-10) rehearse the wonders of God’s creation that remind us of His handiwork, whether in mountains, animals, insects, trees, flowers, rain or snow. They all “speak” about their Creator. We are surrounded with divinely-designed object lessons:

- Great mountains show us God’s enduring judgment and righteousness

- The lilies of the field and tiny birds demonstrate His care for the smallest details of life

- The complexity of the human body illustrates God’s purpose and marvelous workmanship

- The simple but unique, life-giving qualities of water speak of God’s sustaining care

- The unending variety of clouds in the sky are examples of His infinite wisdom

The invisible witness of creation speaks in a language that God designed especially to draw every human being who ever lived to Himself. Unregenerated mankind cannot honestly claim that God does not exist or that His hand in the world cannot be known. (Romans 1:20-21) God uses unique, and sometimes dramatic, characteristics of mountains, animals, trees, flowers, clouds, and the human body, to grab an individual's attention. If the individual responds then God gives him more truth of who He is. God’s desire is for all mankind to agree with the most basic truths of creation and to want more. Mankind’s hunger for more truth about the Creator will result in revelation of more spiritual truth.

Another daily witness is the providential cycle created by God to nourish and energize our bodies.[1] The wonderful self-sustaining cycle of life begins with the sun’s energy which plants miraculously combine with water and the earth’s minerals to reproduce and give edible fruit. Our human bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) so the same plants and their fruit are used in a complex metabolic system for the life-giving energy to sustain life. God created this providential cycle as a witness to His loving care for all mankind. The simple act of eating a meal should remind us of our dependency on Him.

Those who are born-again children of God are moved by the witness of creation to give glory to the beauty, majesty, and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Creator and Sustainer (Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2) of all we need in this physical life. His daily provision now is but a foretaste of the “pure river of water of life” and fruit of the “tree of life” that will nourish us for all eternity in His presence. (Revelation 22:1-2)

Take time each day to “see” and “listen” to God’s silent witnesses that surround us. They are a persistent witness pointing to our loving God!

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[1] Johnson, J.J.S., Our Daily Bread: How Food Proves God’s Providence, Acts & Facts, 40 (4):8-9, April 2011, Institute for Creation Research↩

Being a Silent Witness

#3 – The Heavens are a Silent Witness

Previous studies on what it means to be a silent witness showed that a witness may be a person or a thing that “confirms a fact which may be in doubt” or “reminds or points to another thing or truth.” A biblical witness is “a person or thing that points others to God.” God’s vast celestial realm is just such a witness.

God’s work on the fourth day of His good Creation is a silent witness on several levels of truth. The heavens (sun, moon, stars) were created for the specific purpose of being sources of light on the earth. (Genesis 1:15-18) But the Immutable and Eternal God also made them to function as reliable chronometers, marking the passage of time in seasons, days, and years so His creatures could live their temporal lives on earth. (Genesis 1:14) The same verse says that the celestial objects were also given to us for signs.

The word sign in this context means a representation of something else which cannot be seen. An object that is a silent witness points to a truth, in this case about God, that cannot be seen directly. What do the sun, moon, and stars say about God as witnesses to truth?

A universal truth about God is given eloquently by David in Psalm 19:1-3:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.

Day unto day uttereth speech,

and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

The vast, complex, and enduring precision of the heavens are a silent witness to God’s manifold characteristics which are summed up by the psalmist in the word glory. God’s heavenly creation “speaks” in a language understood by all mankind about who God is and what He is like. (Romans 1:20)

Besides His glory, what are some other characteristics we can learn about God by observing the heavens? God uses the heavens as object lessons to show what He is like:

- God is infinite because the One who created the stars, which appear innumerable to us, has numbered and named each of them. (Psalm 147:4)

- For His reliability and faithfulness, God pointed to the stars in the heavens as His witnesses when He made his covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4; Exodus 32:13) He repeated this illustration for the Davidic covenant by calling the sun and the moon as His witnesses. (Psalm 89:34-37)

- Not only is God faithful to perform what He has said, He also has the power to make good on His promises no matter what circumstances or difficulties develop on earth. This was evident when He changed the course of the heavens. (Joshua 10:13; Isaiah 38:7-8)

- God promised that the heavens would be witnesses to His judgment if Israel did not obey Him. (Deuteronomy 4:26) He would further demonstrate His wrath in the heavens in the latter days when the sun, moon, and stars would be darkened at His command. (Isaiah 13:9-10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:31, 3:15; Habakkuk 3:11)

- Similarly, God will use the brightness of the sun and moon as instruments of His graciousness when His people turn to Him. (Isaiah 30:26, 60:19-20)

In the New Testament we discover that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all the heavens and their continued existence and motion is sustained by His power. (Colossians 1:16; John 1:1, 2, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Ephesians 3:9; Romans 11:36)

We stand in awe and admiration of the sun, moon, and stars – created by God, controlled by God, and pointing to God – as a universal example of a silent witness to God and His attributes. They are truly witnesses to His glory!

Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light.

Psalm 148:3

Dental Evangelism in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Testimony from Pastor Manuel Acedo


God is faithful! We give thanks to God for the marvelous things He does. God is pleased to use human instruments to accomplish His work. Among those is Dr. Mitchell, his wife, and a fine team he has to assist him. Thank the Lord for the past five years that the Lord has used them among us. We see the enthusiasm the have in serving the Lord. THEY SERVE THE KING OF KINGS: JESUS CHRIST!!

In those years we have seen people come to the feet of Jesus Christ. Now, our duty is to follow up with them so those souls become true followers of Christ.

In this past month of February [during a GDMMissons dental evangelism clinic] we saw approximately 26 souls saved. Pray that this is fruit that lasts! Please!

Thanks for each one of the participants in this group. They were very enthusiastic. May the Lord continue using them greatly among us, but first that God continues sending them to us each year in the month of February so that…God continues saving souls, and so His name is glorified!

The Living Hope Fundamental Baptist Church (formerly San Bosco) is supremely thankful for your help. Continue forward! Your labor “in the Lord is not in vain.” Many thanks!!

Sincerely,

Pastor Manuel Acedo and Family
Psalm 39:7 - And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee.

Being a Silent Witness

#2 – A Misunderstood Witness

A “witness” was defined in our last study as

“…one who has a personal knowledge of God, one who strengthens and confirms God’s testimony of Himself, who draws attention to the Lord.”

This definition is equally applicable to inanimate objects and helps us learn something more about a silent witness.

The Old Testament is replete with examples of inanimate objects intended to be silent witnesses to a truth. God used objects to represent or symbolize something that pointed to Himself or some intrinsic truth.

One example was a large stone to remind the people of Israel about God’s Word. After the tribes of Israel occupied the land of Canaan, Joshua rehearsed the Law of Moses by reading it aloud before them. He then used a large rock as an object lesson in the event people ever forgot the Law or someday denied that it was God’s Word. The large rock was meant to be an unchangeable silent witness to the truth; it would endure as a never-changing reminder even if the people changed. (Joshua 24:27)

Four times the tabernacle in the wilderness, which was designed by God and constructed by Israel for worship, (Exodus 25:9) is called the “tabernacle of witness.” (Numbers 17:7, 8; 18:2; 2 Chronicles 24:6) Its presence as the dwelling place of Jehovah God (Exodus 29:45-46) and place of God-ordained worship was a silent witness to Israel and the surrounding nations that Jehovah had chosen to dwell in the midst of a peculiar people.

Another example of a silent witness in the Old Testament is the stone altar described in Joshua chapter 22. When the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh chose land on the eastern side of the Jordan River for their inheritance, they promised Joshua and the other tribes that they would leave their families and land to fight side-by-side with their brethren and claim the Promised Land on the western side. They swore to fight as long as it took to subdue the inhabitants of the land. (Joshua 1:12-18) When the war was over and Joshua granted the nation rest they were honorably released from their promise and sent back to their families. (Joshua 22:1-9) When they reached the western shore of the Jordan River they built a large stone altar as a monument before they crossed over the river. (Joshua 22:10) Shortly thereafter, the other tribes in Israel heard that Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar on the edge of the Jordan and, thinking they had broken their promise to worship only Jehovah and had defected to pagan worship, the other tribes amassed an army to go to war with the two and a half tribes. (Joshua 22:11-20) Before civil war ensued the two and a half tribes explained their reasoning for the stone altar and assured their brethren they had not forsaken the Law of Moses. They repeated their dedication to the God of Israel and their unity with the other tribes. With the purpose of the stone altar finally made clear, a catastrophic civil war was averted, and everyone parted in peace. (Joshua 22:21-34)

The intended purpose of the stone altar was to be a silent witness to their commitment to the other tribes, their promise to never forsake the Law of Moses, and their bond to Jehovah the God of Israel. But this was not obvious by simply seeing the stone altar itself. Their commendable purpose – “…it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God” – could not be discerned by seeing the altar of stones alone. An explanation was needed.

Inanimate objects, whether a single large stone, written tablets of stone, a tent, or a pile of stones, can be misunderstood or not understood at all. A lesson for us as we consider what it means to be a silent witness is that a silent witness, whether a person or an inanimate object, can only make a partial or incomplete statement. A silent witness may be intended to point to God but it might be misinterpreted as something entirely different. Our best intentions and purest motives may need further elaboration before they can point the observer to truth about God.

Rather than discourage us from being silent witnesses, this should motivate us more to pray for an opportunity to explain why we do what we do (1 Peter 3:15) and how those who see our silent witness can come to know the One who is “…the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

To be continued…

Sowing by Grace - Winter 2011

Winter 2011 Issue Available Now
The latest issue of Sowing by Grace is available now by clicking on the title above. Two articles on Asia highlight how God used dental teams in India and a Southeast Asian country during 2010. Also, our newest Associate Missionary - Katrina Caturan, RN - shares her testimony and burden for medical missions. We've received great comments on the format and content of our quarterly newsletter and would like to hear from you. Send an e-mail to office @gdmmissions.org and tell us what you think!

Being a Silent Witness

#1 – A “Witness” Points to Truth

This series of short articles on “Being a Silent Witness” begins with some definitions of what the word “witness” means and develops a working usage for understanding how things (inanimate objects) and individuals mentioned in the Old and New Testaments were silent witnesses to the God of Truth and truth about God.

The reader is encouraged to do their own study of the word “witness” using a concordance to discover how words in the original Hebrew and Greek text were used of things and individuals in the Bible. Forms of the Greek word (as nouns and verbs) are particularly interesting as they are translated using other words in English than just the word “witness.”

The word “witness” in the Old Testament is very straightforward in its legal and covenant sense. A good witness is one who tells the truth and a false witness is one who tells a lie. The negative commandment to not bear false witness could not be more clear. (Exodus 20:16) One or more individuals gave their witness to a legal or covenant document to validate its truthfulness. (Ruth 4:9-11) Even an object was given great significance as a solemn testimony to the truth of God’s Word. (Joshua 24:27)

We will look at some New Testament usages of the word “witness” in another study, but even a cursory examination is enough to develop the following general definitions: [1]

“A witness is one who has a personal knowledge of something (or someone) and can therefore accurately communicate his knowledge to another.“

“A witness is one who confirms a fact which may be in doubt.”

“A witness is one thing which reminds or points to another thing or truth.”

“A witness draws attention to something [or someone] else.”

Beyond the word’s usage in a legal or covenant context, a witness was also one who saw or heard truth from God and by his testimony held others accountable when they too had seen or heard God’s truth. The prophet Isaiah, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reminded Israel that they had seen, heard, and experienced truth about God and would be held accountable as witnesses of this truth. (Isaiah 43:11,15; 44:6,8) God’s Word itself is called a “testimony” 23 times in Psalm 119; this is the same Hebrew word translated “witness” elsewhere.

Therefore, in a biblical sense,

“A witness is…one who has a personal knowledge of God, one who strengthens and confirms God’s testimony of Himself, who draws attention to the Lord...” [1]

In a very practical sense,

“A witness is a person who lives in such a way that those about him are forced to think about God.” [Pastor Carlton Helgerson quoted] [1]

What then, is a “silent witness”? How is it possible for a witness to truth to be “silent”? How is it that a person (or thing) can point to the God of Truth and truth about God without speaking or making a sound?

To be continued…

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[1] Bible Study notes, (undated), The Church – God’s Testimony to Men and Angels, Middletown Bible Church; http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/churchsdt/church02.pdf



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