THUS SAITH GOD, “BE QUIET GRANDPA!”      By Gale Maiden Quieting Of The Soul During the latter part of July, 2010, Psalm 131 was brought to my attention by the Holy Spirit. This Psalm is one of fifteen Psalms which are called the “Psalms of Ascent.” These psalms were to be sung when the children of Israel came to Jerusalem and ascended to the top of Mount Zion three times a year, where they would hold a feast before the Lord. Psalms 120 through 134 make up the “Psalms of Ascent.” These Psalms are a type or picture of believer’s spiritual ascent into the now available eternal glory and presence of God…the New Jerusalem. The first Psalm of Ascent, Psalm 120, begins, "In my distress I called out to Jehovah." This is a picture of man’s need and cry for covenantal relationship and regeneration. The last Psalm of Ascent, Psalm 134, begins, "Bless Jehovah now, all you servants of Jehovah who stand by night in the house of Jehovah." This is a picture of those who have ascended to a place of covenant fulfillment and are fully capable of standing as God’s light in a time of darkness. The name of God used throughout Psalm 131 is Jehovah. This is most significant because God’s name Jehovah is clearly related to God’s covenant relationship to His children. For example we have Jehovah-Shalom our God of peace; we have Jehovah-Rapha our God of healing etc. This three verse Psalm describes a most important aspect of how we are to address our covenant God Jehovah in order to ascend to Mount Zion, the place or temple of the true Spiritual Church. I was pointed to this Psalm 131 during a brief period of “arguing” with God. I have heard that the Puritans say that prayer is a holy argument with God; not to convince God but to allow God to convince each of us. Most of the time God is convinced; it is we who are in need of convincing. BEING “DUMB” When I say I was “arguing” with God I was actually crying out to God seeking understanding concerning certain matters in my life. The unfortunate aspect of this “dialogue” with God was that I was doing most of the talking. I heard clearly the Spirit say, “Be quiet.” The Hebrew word translated quieted in this Psalm 131 is damam (daw-man') which literally means to be dumb, mute, silent or quiet. The word dumb may be offensive to some but here no offence intended. Dumb does not mean stupid but simply means to be mute, silent or quiet. The truth of the matter is that true prayer or petition with God requires often a silencing of the soul which literally means that we are to be quiet. As you will see in Psalm 131, the author King David declares his position of silence and the resulting hope in Jehovah God. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and QUIETED MY SOUL; like a weaned child {rests} against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD (JEHOVAH) from this time forth and forever. (Psalm 131:1-3, NAS) David is saying that he no longer will exalt his heart, eyes or soul to a place of involvement in matters too difficult for himself. The irony of being asked by God to “shut our mouths” is that we are also commanded to make verbal declarations concerning the things of the Lord. David understood that in order to ascend to his destined place with Jehovah that there were seasons in which he must be totally silent and thus weaned. Wean means to detach from a source of dependence. Dependence in our own ability to ascend to the temple of God on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will always find us at a level below the purposed height and pinnacle of the temple. CONFIRMATION FROM THE MOUTH OF A BABE During this time of God asking me to be quiet, my wife Kay and I got a visit from our 3 year young granddaughter. On at least one occasion she looked at me and said, “Grandpa be quiet!” On another occasion she said, “I need peace of quiet grandpa!” Truly out of the mouth of babes is praise perfected! HOW IMPORTANT ARE THOSE GOD CHOSEN TIMES OF QUIETNESS? In a Biblical search for the Hebrew word translated quieted I encountered life changing revelation on the importance of believers heeding God’s seasons of “being dumb”. ZACHARIUS -As Bible students we are all in the know concerning the making dumb of John the Baptist’s Father Zacharias. In order for John the Baptist to be miraculously conceived and birthed in the womb of Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, God caused Zacharias to “shut his mouth” of unbelief (Luke 1:20-25). This happened so that by the faith of God, John the Baptist could enter the earth to fulfill his major role in the introduction of Jesus the Messiah. How important was this “making dumb” occasion? Jesus later said to John the Baptist that He and John were to fulfill all righteousness! Had Zacharias not been silenced there would not have been our John the Baptist. JESUS – It is amazing when we see that ever Jesus was ushered by His Father into a season of silence in order to fulfill the amazing plan of salvation for all of mankind.  In the Prophet Isaiah’s prophecy of the vicarious and redemptive work of Jesus on the cross it was written, “He (Jesus) was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, NAS) THE SUN – From the writings of Moses we find scribed an instance of the Sun being told by Joshua to be quiet. Can we imagine a man telling the Sun to shut its mouth for a season? Please note the following scripture: So the sun stood still (was quieted, became dumb), and the moon stopped, until the nation (Israel) avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go {down} for about a whole day. (Joshua 10:13, NAS) I find it quite amazing that Joshua had the God authority to stop the voice of the Sun for a day. Two things are so encouraging. The fact that the Sun apparently has a voice and despite its eternal purpose to declare its role as the non-moving center of our solar system, despite its righteous obedience to its continual role as the authority over our solar system, God asked the Sun to relinquish its declaration (to become dumb); Only when the Sun stopped talking resulting in the earth and moon stopping their rotation producing almost 24 hours of daylight could vengeance or justice be wrought on the enemies of Israel. COULD WE BE IN A SEASON OF “SHUTTING OUR MOUTH”? Do not be surprised if you find yourselves unable to speak. This is of course not literal. We understand that if our voices are not in agreement with the plans of God we are considered mute, dumb and silent. Zacharius, Jesus and the Sun were not doing anything unrighteous. Joshua was given the authority to stop the Sun’s mouth for the more immediate and urgent needs of Israel.   Just as God hushed the righteous Sun so that daylight would allow the defeat of Israel’s enemies He may have you silenced so that justice and freedom might prevail in your life and the life of others. Thus says God, “Be quiet grandpa!”