Question 1

Is God hiding himself and his plans?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 29:29“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”Romans 16:25Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time.Ephesians 1:9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.Colossians 1:15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,Hebrews 1:3The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.God reveals himself through his Son, Jesus Christ, as the fulfillment of his salvation plan for all people.Psalm 119:160The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.Isaiah 45:19“I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.”Isaiah 48:6“You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.”Daniel 2:22“He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.”God knows every secret and every lie, but he only speaks the truth. He has shared many great and important truths with us. The question is, are we listening?John 18:19-21Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”Ephesians 1:9-10God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.God does not hide himself from us. In fact, he has revealed his grand plan to us. The purpose of this plan—the gospel—is to restore our relationship with him so we can live with him eternally.Deuteronomy 4:29“But from there [in exile] you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”1 Chronicles 28:9“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”Psalm 27:8My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”Matthew 7:7-8“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”God wants us to know him and uses a variety of ways to reveal himself to all who seek him. When we try to hide from God, we often blame God for the distance between us, claiming that he is the one doing the hiding. God is always trying to reveal himself to us—but do we really want to find him? To find him means facing a radical life change. Many of us are afraid of that. Sometimes, we may need to ask ourselves if we are honestly searching for God.Romans 1:20Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.God reveals himself through his creation. The evidence of an all-powerful God is all around us.John 16:13-14“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”1 Corinthians 2:10It was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.God reveals himself and his wisdom through his Spirit. When we fail to understand the Word of God, perhaps it is because we have failed to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.Ephesians 3:9I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.God reveals his messages to us through one another.Psalm 78:2I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past.Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.”Matthew 13:35This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”Luke 8:10He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’”Luke 9:45They [Jesus’ disciples] didn’t know what he [Jesus] meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.Luke 10:21At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”John 16:25-30“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”God both hides and reveals his truth through parables, teachings, and his own Word. Whether his truth is revealed or hidden lies not with the sender or the message but with the heart of the receiver.Deuteronomy 31:17-18“Then my anger will blaze forth against them. I will abandon them, hiding my face from them, and they will be devoured. Terrible trouble will come down on them, and on that day they will say, ‘These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!’ At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the evil they commit by worshiping other gods.”Job 23:1-10Then Job spoke again: “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.”Psalm 10:1O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?Psalm 27:9Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!Psalm 69:17Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!Psalm 89:46O Lord, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever?Lamentations 3:44You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you.Luke 18:1, 7One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. . . . Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?Hebrews 11:27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.There are many reasons why God may seem far away. Sometimes (such as with Israel), living lives of sin makes God unwelcome. In that case, we should repent and seek God’s forgiveness. But sin is not the only reason we may feel this way. Sometimes (such as with Job), we experience great tragedy, and God doesn’t answer our prayers when we expect him to. This may leave us feeling ignored or unloved by God—but that doesn’t mean those feelings are truly justified. Jesus tells a parable of a widow who kept begging a corrupt judge for justice. In time, the judge relented, if only to get the widow to leave him alone. Jesus says that if an unrighteous human judge would eventually give justice, how much more will God give justice to those who keep crying out to him?

Question 2

Why do I try to hide from God and others?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 3:10-11He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”Joshua 7:13, 19-21“Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. . . . Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”Job 31:33“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart?”Ephesians 5:12It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.Our sins make us want to hide from God and others. But when we try to hide our sins, we are also hiding from forgiveness, which is the only way to be free from sin.Matthew 5:15-16“No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”Sometimes, we try to hide our faith from those who might ridicule us for it. We may think that fitting in is part of our evangelism; but if we begin to compromise God’s commands to do this, we have fallen into a trap. Not only is this dangerous to our own spiritual health, but by covering the light of Christ, we hide Jesus from those who need him most.Exodus 3:10-12“Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you.”Jonah 1:1-3The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.Fear makes us want to hide from God’s call on our lives. Jesus never said following him would be safe and easy—in fact, he promised the opposite. But he also promised that he would be beside us every step of the way (Matthew 28:20; John 16:33).1 Samuel 10:22So they asked the Lord, “Where is he [Saul]?” And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.”Matthew 25:25“‘I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’”Sometimes, we become intimidated by our God-given responsibilities and try to hide from them.1 Samuel 13:6The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.Psalm 55:12It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—I could have hidden from them.The strength of our enemies may make us want to hide from them. With God leading us, though, we need not fear (Psalm 46:1–3; Mark 4:40; 1 John 4:18).Job 24:4The poor are pushed off the path; the needy must hide together for safety.Proverbs 28:12When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.Oppression from others makes us want to hide. We fear for our own safety and the safety of those we love.Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.Matthew 25:41-45“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”Sometimes, we hide from those in need because we don’t want to spend the time, money, or effort to help them. Rather than be reminded of other’s needs, we try to avoid them, hoping to escape the guilt. When we do this, we miss the heart of what Jesus taught—and miss our opportunity to serve Jesus himself.Genesis 43:30Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept.Proverbs 14:13Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.We want to hide our feelings and emotions from others because we don’t want them to see us vulnerable.

Question 3

Can I ever hide from God?

Accepted Answer

2 Chronicles 16:9“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”Psalm 44:21God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.Psalm 69:5O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you.Psalm 90:8You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all.Psalm 139:1-12O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.Proverbs 15:3The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.Proverbs 20:27The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.Jeremiah 16:17“I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me.”Jeremiah 17:10“But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”Jeremiah 23:23-24“Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.Daniel 2:22“He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.”Hebrews 4:13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.No one can ever hide from God, and nothing can ever be hidden from him. Where can we hide when God is omnipresent, everywhere? What can we hide when God is omniscient, all knowing?

Question 4

What are the consequences of hiding?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 32:3, 5When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. . . . Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.Attempting to hide our sin results in guilt, which can cause negative emotional and physical side effects. Hiding from God may be our attempt to avoid his punishment and discipline, but how can we hide from an all-knowing God? And why should we hide from an all-loving God? In the end, we’re only hiding from his forgiveness, his mercy, and a restored relationship with him.Jonah 1:10The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.The consequences of hiding are not always private and often involve others negatively. One moment of private sin may bring irreparable harm to those around us.Matthew 6:18“No one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”Matthew 10:26“Don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.”Luke 8:17“For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”Luke 12:2“The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.”Romans 2:16The day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.Ultimately, all that is hidden will be revealed, judged by God, and either condemned or rewarded.

Question 5

How can I find the courage to stop hiding?

Accepted Answer

Nahum 1:7The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.1 John 4:18Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.God loves us deeply. He is perfectly good. Though he is just and righteous, he doesn’t rejoice in punishing us—he rejoices in bringing us back to him. When we fully understand that and love God back, we will no longer feel the need to hide.Jeremiah 23:23-24“Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.We should be honest with God, realizing that we are not revealing any new information to him. Courage begins when we admit we need someone’s help, and who can help us more than God? When we go to him first, he may reveal others who can help you as well.Psalm 32:5, 7Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. . . . For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.Proverbs 28:13People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.Confessing our sins brings them out of hiding so they can be forgiven and forgotten forever by God.Psalm 19:12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.Hebrews 4:12The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.We should look to God’s Word, asking God to reveal what needs to be exposed. God’s Word shines a light on the sins lurking in the dark corners of our lives. Only when we stop hiding our sins can we be released from their power to control us.Joshua 7:13“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”1 Samuel 10:15-24So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?” And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else. Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king.”Sometimes we are forced out of hiding to face either our punishment or our reward. Sins, confessed or unconfessed, will still bring consequences. Goodness, recognized or unrecognized, will still bring blessings.

Question 6

Is hiding ever good? Where would be a safe place to hide?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 6:6“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”Luke 5:16Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.Seeking solitude to spend time with God in prayer is a healthy kind of hiding. Jesus modeled this for us well.Exodus 2:2-3The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.Joshua 6:17, 25Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. . . . So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.Jeremiah 36:26Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the Lord had hidden them.Mark 1:45The man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.The common thread in each of these “hidings” is God’s involvement. Our best example is Jesus, who by removing himself from the crowd actually became more available to the individuals willing to search for him. At times, we must remove ourselves from distractions so we can focus on essentials. At times, we must remove ourselves from daily routines so we can walk with God.Psalm 3:3You, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.Psalm 17:8Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.Psalm 27:5He will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.Psalm 31:20You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.Psalm 32:7You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.Psalm 57:1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.Psalm 94:22The Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.Psalm 119:114You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.Psalm 143:9Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.Isaiah 51:16“I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand.”Colossians 3:3You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.The safest place to hide is actually a person, not a place! God alone cam keep us truly safe from our enemies.