The Not Said
According to the book of Ecclesiastes, there is time for everything under the sun. The older I get, the more the word time seems to mean. Solomon said, in summary, all that should be said, all that is important to life and living. He left nothing out that needed to be said. He was not attempting to orchestrate by omission, but to emphasize by being concise. For the subject he is addressing, there is no “not said”. What he said was the conclusion of the issue altogether (“all has been said” - “let us hear the conclusion of the matter").
There was nothing "not said".
Often times in our lives we are injured and injure others by that which is not said. Many times what is not said is much more important that what is said. Sometimes information is deliberately withheld (the “not said”) that would severely alter that which is “said”. More often information is not said simply because there is not considered to be need for something to be said. At other times, something is forgotten, or there is nothing known that can be said. Still other times, information is withheld deliberately that would otherwise change the entire impression the hearers would receive if they were not kept in the dark. Sometimes the deliberate withholding of information is done out of an honest belief that doing so is in the best interests of the hearers, and done out of a sincere heart.
However, many times that which is not said simply misleads to the detriment of the hearers. That which is not said can be much more important and needful than everything that is said. Years ago my wife and I were discussing an address we had just heard. Toward the end of our discussion, I remember that the final comment I could honestly make was that it was what was not said that disturbed me the most.
There are times when everything that is known should not be brought out into the open - information that would defame or hurt the life or reputation of another, even if the information is true. This can be true love for others that “covers a multitude of sins”. Not everything in this world needs or should be known. Many things that could be said should not be said. And God’s Word has “said” much about that which should not be said (Titus 3:2; 2 Peter 2:10; James 1:19). Some things are too shameful to even be mentioned - ever (Ephesians 2:12).
Other information may not be relevant, and would only confuse the true issue. It is interesting that in a court of law a witness is sworn to reveal “the whole truth”, but also “nothing but the truth”. In most instances this serves justice well, but in some instances “whole truth” muddies the real issue. Jesus used a not said for the ultimate good of all of mankind: “So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.”- Acts 1:6-7 Here we see Jesus rightly us a “not said”. He would not say, because it was for their good for Him not say. And besides, He did not Himself what they wanted Him to say.
The easiest way to mislead is by not saying something. Simply because there is no way for the non-hearers to estimate that which is not said. A not said is impossible to directly investigate. If something has been said, it exists, it is there, and it can be questioned directly. What is said can be handled and processed in some way - but how can one deal with a not said? For all practical purposes, not said does not exist. All of this along with the problem that Jesus warned about concerning the Pharisees who said, but did not do what they said (Matthew 23:3).
As one can see, something not said can have many ramifications. There can be a world of hurt - spiritually and physically - in something that is not said. The Apostle Paul asked for prayers that he would say that which ought to be said, and not leave out what must be said (Colossians 4:3-4), knowing that he must answer for what he did not say, as well as for what he said. Where and how can there be a defense against a "not said"?
A not said is most often a missing part of a truth - that is, a “half-truth”. With a half-truth, we have both a truth and a lie. Half-truths are perhaps the most insidious and damaging of the not said. The not said converts a truth in a lie. This is one of Satan’s most clever tactics - blending a “said” with a “not said”. This was his tactic with Eve. And we should not forget that what Eve said to Satan was also part lie, which she should not have said. According to the record, God did not prohibit touching the tree, even though the difference may be trivial. Not only was the problem with Satan what he said, but also his not said.
In later times, the watchmen God set in place to warn His people of their sins, were in danger of becoming victims of “not said”. God knew that they could not repent in response to a “not said”. We live in a world of duplicity, half-truths, and bombarded with that which should not be said constantly. We must be careful what we hear. At the same time, the most destructive may be that which hides behind that which is said - the not said.
The “roaring lion” may be the most dangerous when he does not roar at all (1 Peter 5:8).
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me. If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you do not give him warning or speak to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered yourself.” - Ezekiel 3:17-19 (AB)