For us today, each day brings its struggles. Each month brings its struggles. Each year brings its struggles.
In the context of this verse, the people of God struggled under slavery for 400 years. God revealed himself to Moses and said, “I have seen, I have seen, the affliction of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries
of pain at the hands of their enslavers. I deeply and intrinsically know their suffering.” (Exodus 3:7). The LORD takes them out of this state after doing many miracles. And now, when they were about to finally be free, their worst nightmare was staring them in the eyes. They were pinned up against the sea, and were about to be massacred by the most powerful and merciless army in the world. They were sitting ducks. Horrible panic struck them. Pandemonium broke out. There was a stampede. They waited for rape and bloodshed. They had no hope. They loudly lamented a horrible end.
This is when the LORD said, “Cheresh.” It is a word which is used for handicapped people- deaf and mute people (Psalm 38:13; Isaiah 42:19). These are helpless people, who need the help of those around. It is a state of being which can, on the one hand, create community, precisely because of that dependence on God, and dependence on each other.
Sadly, in the history of humanity, human beings have taken gross advantage of these kinds of people- people with handicaps.
Yet, if society pauses and thinks, we can learn so much from people with handicaps. So, the LORD says, “Be like them. Be deaf. Be silent!”
Silence produces hope because it cause faith in God.
Silence produces community, because it causes faith in fellow-humanity, which is the product of dependence on fellow-human beings.
Silence produces a life of faith, because the dependence is not on my ability, but on God and community.
So God says, “Learn from your handicapped sisters and brothers, a life of faith, which transcends your abilities.”
“Be silent!”
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