The God Who Hides Himself: Isaiah 45:15
Pastor Brad Abley: Biblical Educator
Pastor’s Corner
Why would God “Hide Himself?”
Isaiah 45:15
Truly, You are a God who hides Himself /
Oh God of Israel, Savior. /
Isaiah 45:15 /
Truly, You are a God who hides Himself / Oh God of Israel, Savior. / Isaiah 45:15 /
Why does God “hide” Himself?
Why would He “hide” His truth from others?
Matthew 11:25-26 At that time Jesus said,
“I praise You, Father. Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things for the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”
Isaiah 45:15
“Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, Oh God of Israel, Savior.”
Pastor Brad writes:
The purpose of Jesus’ parables is to reveal God’s truth and hide His truth from the disinterested.
The concept of God “hiding” Himself is surely and anthropomorphism (a figure of speech in human terms); it is a Jewish figure of speech to warn people that He is not to be presumed upon; He must not be boxed in” by finite human beings.
Moreover, He will not reveal Himself to the casual seeker or to the proud - and this holds true and believers an non-believers alike!!
Mt 6:2-6; 11:25-27
Job 13:24
Ps 13:1; 27:9; 30:7; 32:6; 44:24; 88:14
Ps 104:29; 143:29
Isa 1:15, 8:17; 45:15; 55:6 59:2
Jer 29:12-14
Rev 6:15-17
Clearly, for the survey of verses above, it is an aberration for God to “hide” Himself; instead, He prefers the opposite: To make His face to shine upon us. Num 6:24-26
Ps 4:6; 44:3; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15 (foot note 1)
Thus, if or when God hides Himself or His truth from others, it is a sure sign of urgency to recognize one’s pride or need to repent of sin an d return to Him - immediately. The choice is ours - whether we prefer the He hide from us or reveal himself to us.
He will be sought on His terms - never our terms. In fact, He looks for the spiritually desperate - the spiritual “beggar” (Mt 5:3). But this flies in the face of the self-assured.
1 With the possible exception of Mt 6:2-6, though Jesus if making a distinction between His followers and the religious leaders, from whom the Father was hiding Himself.
Pastor’s Corner - The God who Hides Himself
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