Silence as communion with God

Jacob was a man for the other world. He was not cut out for a statesman, nor did he affect to look great, but he was a plain man, dwelling in tents, an honest man that always meant well, and dealt fairly that preferred the true delights of solitude and retirement to all the pretended pleasure of busy noisy sports: he dwelt in tents, As a shepherd. He was attached to that safe and silent employment of keeping sheep, to which also he bred up his children. Or, as a student. He frequented the tents of Melchizedek, or Heber, as some understand it, to be taught by them divine things. And this was that son of I saac on whom the covenant was entailed.
Matthew Henry's commentary Genesis 25: 27 (my added color)

Comments

Ash said…
YEah Silence is awesome, I was just reading in Proverbs, Message Translation: "Even Dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise." We talk too Much!!!
May 17, 2007 at 7:27 AM
JP said…
Interesting how Matthew Henry paints Jacob in such a favorable light. It seems he was also very good at sneaking around in his quietness. Consider his interactions with Esau and Laban. Could there also be a warning here? Just being quiet doesn't mean communion with God will happen?
May 22, 2007 at 3:07 PM
Dan and Catrina said…
Great post if only that it made me re-read that passage from Genesis a few times....
I don't know where MH gets that Issac dwelt in the tents of Melchezidek? Any insights? I could't find any cross references...
And the NASB has an interesting literal translation of 25:27...Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a 'complete' man.....
It just higlights to me the depth and nuance of the individual of Issac, and Jacob and Abraham for that matter, that we gloss over hitting the highlights on our high road to Jesus. Makes you realize they have more depth than the flannelgraph of sunday school suggests....
May 22, 2007 at 10:58 PM
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