Hiding from God

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. Jeremiah 23:24

The people of Israel had been lulled into a false security by false prophets, even as the Babylonians were marching toward Jerusalem. These prophets said, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace…no evil shall come upon you (Jeremiah 23:17). Their sin was so great that Jeremiah likened them to Sodom and Gomorrah (23:14).

Question: Why are people so foolish to believe that they can hide from God, perhaps even we at times? The word of the Lord in Ezekiel 28:3 is so clear: There is no secret that they can hide from Thee.

Can you remember singing this chorus as a child? “O be careful little hands what you do… O be careful little feet where you go… O be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love.” There is nothing God does not see.

In the period of Great Tribulation, many people will cry out to the mountains and rocks — Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16). It would seem to make more sense that those who were under the judgment of God would cry out for mercy. They were so hardened by their sin that they would rather face death than God’s grace and mercy. There are people today who commit suicide foolishly ignoring the fact that they will stand before God in judgment.

Despite every effort on the part of mankind to hide from God, there is no way anyone can do anything in secret. In the day of God’s wrath, many will try to hide from God, but there are no secret sins. We can hide our sins from friends and family members but never from God.

1. The psalmist prayed, O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee (Psalm 69:5). David tried, but God knew his foolishness.
2. God told the prophet Hosea, Israel is not hid from Me (Hosea 5:3).
3. For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes (Jeremiah 16:17).
4. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God (1 Corinthians 4:5).
5. Considering that God’s judgment was against Judah and Jerusalem, how can anyone in our country think we can avoid the judgment of God upon our nation? The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves (Isaiah 3:9).
6. So much sin is committed in the dark, many think the darkness will hide their sin.
7. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee (Psalm 139:12).
8. God is omnipresent and omniscient revealing that He is everywhere present, totally inescapable (Psalm 139:7-10). Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13).

Certainly, there have been times when reading the Word of God that we have suddenly felt exposed. Perhaps you have had the experience of sitting in church during a sermon and you were certain the preacher knew something about you and was preaching right at you. It is the Spirit of God that does that work and it is far better for us to keep short accounts with God now (I John 1:9) than to suffer the consequences of sin. God’s words to Cain should have been convicting, very pointed for certain. The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground (Genesis 4:10).

In the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Pharisees were very upset that Jesus should be so publicly honored and demanded that Jesus would rebuke them. Christ’s answer should have caused some serious thinking on their part. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (Luke 19:40).

Have you ever said something or done something or even thought something that you have said to yourself – “No one else will ever find out about this?” We need to be reminded that our Creator God knows all and sees ALL THINGS. This should have some impact on how we think, what we say and what we do.

Praise God for 1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God with what He says about us, that His omniscience exposes us for what we are, even when we think we have hidden something from Him. We must call sin and see sin the way God does. We must get away from thinking our sin is merely a mistake, a bad habit, or merely the result of bad upbringing.

It brings both joy and relief when we know we are totally forgiven and to know the cleansing power that comes to us when we see ourselves as He sees us. Is there anything that you need to agree with God about today?

Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself as you see me!

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The late George Stiekes served in several churches through his ministry. In his later years, he published a daily newsletter he called Reverent Reflections. We draw from his stock of devotions for occasional articles here on Proclaim & Defend.