Holding Our Peace (01/15/24)
The Israelites, in despair of their deliverance, cried out to the Lord. They complained of the bitterness of their lot.
The state of the church in its beginning is symbolized by this natural state of the Israelites. This is the beginning of spiritual life in the [awakening] person. The state is one of fear
because of the power of evil, or the [perceived] power of the world against the church and against spiritual things.
The world seems so strong, and the church seems so weak. In its fear approaching despair, the church (in us) becomes conscious of the power of the world. The presence of Divine power is for a time not seen. In the presence of the Divine, the world and all hell are as nothing. Since this is not now seen, the fear of the might of the world is stronger than faith in the power of the Lord.
It is this state that is addressed in the words of Moses: "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. . . . The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." That is, silence
yourself, cease complaint, get back to your work, do your duty. Do as the Lord tells you: “Why do you cry to me? Speak unto the Children of Israel, that they go forward. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud, which went before the face, stood behind them." And the Lord manifested His mighty power to rescue, to protect and to save. There was actually no reason to fear.
In this complaint and despair, however, there is an acknowledgment that is of great value. Fear [of this kind] is distrust, and complaint gives
expression to this distrust. It is a distrust in Providence which can invade the mind of the spiritual person at this time. But there is also in this despair the practical acknowledgment that all merely human power is vanity against the power of the world and of hell. And since, in former states, we had acknowledged the power of the Lord, that we [of ourselves] are capable of nothing [but evil], and therefore can [of ourselves] do nothing against evil…this acknowledgment is implanted in
mostly in a person.
The Lord is still with us and in us,
ready to manifest Divine Power. And though the acknowledgment of the hopelessness of resistance by our own effort is initially negative, causing fear to invade and complaints to rise up, even this acknowledgment is of value. For the Lord is soon able to stir [stored up states] of a former spiritual acknowledgment, and inspire us to active cooperation, stilling our fear and distress. Silencing our complaints. Removing our distrust of Providence and the ways of Providence. We now
have an active perception of the truth involved in the words of the text, " The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
“You shall hold your peace." To the Children of Israel this was a command to cease complaining, and to go forward in obedience to the words of the Lord; for He was now about to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians. With the spiritual person it marks the ceasing of distrust in Providence, and the resolve to no longer complain at the ways of the Lord, but to go forward in active obedience to the truth of the Word, in active loyalty to that
truth. In active cooperation with the Lord in that truth. "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you this day. . . . The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." (WF Pendleton, NCL 1932, edited)
