God Said - - Enough
As the Israelites came into the promised land. God commanded, Take heed. . . that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? that I also may do likewise. What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deut. l2:29-32 see footnote, A.S.V.
There were some things they did not need to know — were better off not knowing, if their curiosity was coupled with a desire to imitate. God had given them sufficient information concerning true worship — to look elsewhere was to deny His authority. And isnt this the Old Testament equivalent of Speak Where the Bible Speaks, Be Silent Where the Bible is Silent?
Paul wrote, that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written. (1 Cor. 4:6) And John wrote, whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God; he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. (2 Jn. 9)
One has not erased this principle by applying 2 Jn. 9 to a particular error concerning Christ; nor by citing cases where some have sought to bind or loose expedient methods of operation by misuse of the principle. Human organizations are not methods of either go teach or care: and one does not sing with a piano, one sings with ones voice. If we deny the validity of silent where God is silent we bury the first part (speak where God speaks) beneath the rubbish of human invention.
Habakkuk said. The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him. (2:20) And we sing this sometime as though it meant be quiet in the church building. It says, in our vernacular, SHUT YOUR BIG MOUTH, AND LISTEN TO GOD.
If we would spend more time reading and studying Cods word. and learning to be content therewith. we just might learn that God has adequately provided for us, all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.