A GOD WHO HIDES—several Old Testament writers use the term. And obviously it is a great theme in Job as well (13:24). The writers of the Psalms, the prophet Isaiah … it is the common experience of God’s people ever since the Garden of Eden, where we hid ourselves from God. At the risk of sounding irreverent, perhaps God is simply returning the favor.
“Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.” (Isaiah 45:15) Other more modern translations bring in the connotation of mystery. And everyone loves the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” (presumably patterned after William Cowper’s hymn whose first stanza reads, “God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform”).
In my other blog, “Metaphors of Majesty“, I speak of how God does reveal himself through metaphors. But these revelations are on a more general level, to the world as a whole. On a personal level, he does at times hide or, rather, reveals himself only as and when he wills—not always the way we would wish.
Since God is omnipresent (the theological word from being everywhere at the same time) his “hiding himself” is, of course, only an impression. At times, he chooses to stop revealing himself, either in great signs and wonders, through the inspired words of prophets, or into the deep recesses of men’s dreams. The 400-year, interTestamental period is one long example.
We must admit that many times we think he’s hiding, whereas if the truth be known, he is still making the world go ’round, making the winds blow, making our hearts beat, our lungs breathe, our stomachs digest. He is still making food to grow and the seas to roll. He is simply not telling us what we want to hear or giving us what we want to have. Do we perhaps expect God to be a play-by-play sports commentator?
Even Christ himself, on the cross, cried out to God in the words of the Psalmist, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalms 22:1, Mark 15:34)
Sometimes God’s supposed silence is because of our sin and rebellion, either on a national or a personal level. Sometimes his silence is for the purpose of teaching us to be persistent in prayer, as in Jesus’ parable of the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8.
The timeless mystery of the Book (and life) of Job is that neither of these appears to be the case. In fact, from biblical examples such as this, I’m convinced that there is not always a ‘lesson to be learned’ in everything that happens to us. Sometimes, things just happen and we are simply expected to be faithful and obedient—as Job was. After all, the only person God is obligated to is … God. He will seek his own glory.
My sister once sent me a saying which helped me through a particularly trying time I was going through. The quote was something to the effect that, during a test, the teacher is always silent. This image from school days comforted me in the knowledge that the great teacher, though silent, was still present, still watching, whatever I was going through. To quote another hymn, I was only “to trust and obey.”
Psalm 13:1—How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
Psalm 44:24—Why do You hide Your face and forget our misery and oppression?
Psalm 88:14—Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
Isaiah 8:17—I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.