In the biblical narrative, prophets served as God's mouthpieces, delivering His messages to the people of Israel and beyond. However, there are instances where prophets were left without divine communication, often due to specific reasons related to the spiritual state of the people or the prophets themselves.

Disobedience and Sin

One of the primary reasons prophets were left without divine communication was the disobedience and sin of the people. When Israel turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and other sins, God often withheld His word as a form of judgment. In 1 Samuel 3:1 , it is noted, "Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce." This scarcity of divine communication was indicative of the spiritual decline during the time of the judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

Rejection of God's Prophets

Another reason for the absence of divine communication was the rejection of God's prophets by the people. When the messages of the prophets were consistently ignored or scorned, God sometimes chose to withhold further revelation. In Amos 8:11-12 , the Lord declares, "Behold, the days are coming...when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." This passage highlights the consequence of disregarding God's messengers.

Testing and Preparation

At times, prophets experienced periods without divine communication as a means of testing or preparation. These silent periods were opportunities for the prophets to grow in faith and reliance on God. Elijah, for example, experienced such a period when he fled to the wilderness and was sustained by God in solitude (1 Kings 19:4-8). This time of silence preceded a profound encounter with God on Mount Horeb, where Elijah received further instructions (1 Kings 19:11-18).

Divine Sovereignty

Ultimately, the withholding of divine communication underscores God's sovereignty. He chooses when and how to reveal His word, and His silence can serve multiple purposes, including judgment, correction, or preparation. The prophet Habakkuk, for instance, questioned God's silence in the face of injustice, yet ultimately affirmed, "The LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20). This acknowledgment of divine sovereignty reminds believers that God's timing and purposes are perfect, even when His voice seems absent.

Summary

The absence of divine communication to prophets in the Bible is often linked to the spiritual condition of the people, their rejection of God's messengers, or as a period of testing and preparation for the prophets themselves. These instances serve as reminders of the importance of obedience, receptivity to God's word, and trust in His sovereign timing.1 Samuel 28:6
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Lamentations 2:9
Her gates are sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 7:26
Mischief shall come on mischief, and rumor shall be on rumor; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Conversion of Cornelius.
... of Cornelius, who was not a heathen, left to the ... the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit
were frequently bestowed upon ... unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xiii the conversion of.htm

Boniface, Apostle of the Germans.
... But as is so frequently the case, this disposition of mind ... old age; for such a
manuscript of the prophets as I ... were the only saving religion, have left men for ...
/.../neander/light in the dark places/boniface apostle of the germans.htm

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
... whole people of the Lord shall be prophets, not against ... extinction of these is, in
Scripture, frequently the forerunner ... And the camp which has been left is for ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/exposition of chap iii ii.htm

Report of Mr. George Borrow
... of most of the writings of the prophets, as far ... is unfortunately the case, the
ex-Jesuit left behind him ... to see; but as it has been frequently described, and ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/report of mr george borrow.htm

The Main Current of the Reformation
... In Luther's earlier writings we come frequently upon passages ... as, in his contests
with Zwickau "Prophets," "Anabaptists," and ... to take the place left vacant by ...
/.../chapter i the main current.htm

The Romance of M. Renan. By Napoleon Roussel.
... but the triumphant and frequently brutal entrance into Asia ... we shall take, among
all these prophets, only him ... hypocrites and cowards, and he has left every man ...
/.../the romance of m renan and the christ of the gospels/the romance of m renan.htm

Thoughts Upon the Mystery of the Trinity.
... Saviour was to go to Heaven, he left Orders with ... For which Cause they frequently
say they are People ... Apostles, the goodly Fellowship of the Prophets; the noble ...
/.../private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon the mystery of.htm

The Gospel of John
... be insisted upon too strongly or too frequently that the ... then leave again, as with
the prophets of old ... required two "witnesses" at least; but none were left. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/why four gospels/the gospel of john.htm

The Uproar in Ephesus.
... were silenced by the gospel; the Prophets of idolatry ... Different motives are frequently
so blended together, that ... Ephesians." They seem to have left the house ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxiii the uproar in.htm

An Examination of the Treatise of William Perkins Concerning the ...
... say: though many of the fathers frequently seem to ... power and artifices of false Christ's,
and false prophets. ... even after baptism, is given without a repetition ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 3/an examination of the treatise.htm

What is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? | GotQuestions.org

What was a prophet in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

What is a prophet in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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