Though He Created all things and Does many Things, God is a God who Hides Himself

God is a God who hides Himself – He is a hidden God, doing so many things for His people and in His people yet hiding Himself and not being visibly manifested.

This is clearly revealed in the book of Esther, on which we will focus this week in our morning revival.

The title for this last week in our crystallization study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, we will focus on the matter of, A God who Hides Himself – the Hidden God.

Yes, our God is so enjoyable, and yes, He is so real and near to us; however, at the same time, He is a God who hides Himself.

And as such a God, many times He is misunderstood and not apprehended by man.

It takes faith to know God, for whoever comes to God must believe that he is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

As the One who is God yet in a hidden, concealed way, God is not visibly seen with our eyes nor can we tangibly touch Him or sense Him with our physical senses.

Even as believers in Christ, those who have received mercy from God to believe in the unseen One and be brought into an organic union with a God who hides Himself, we need to live by faith, for our God is Spirit, and it’s only in spirit that we can touch, know, receive, and enjoy Him.

Because God is hidden and concealed, many declare that He does not exist.

The truth is that they themselves do not exist, but God was, is, and will be, for man is here today and gone tomorrow, but God is still there.

As men made in the image of God, we grope and seek to find God, going to great lengths to somehow understand Him, apprehend Him, touch Him, and be in fellowship with Him.

We were created in such a way that there’s a seeking deep within our being for God, and though we do not see Him with our physical eyes nor can we touch Him with our hands, yet we believe that He is and we grope to find Him.

From ancient times to today man has sought after God, but because He is One who hides Himself, it was not easy to find Him.

Thank the Lord for the Bible, the word of God, the unique divine revelation, which unveils to us what God is, who He is, and what He desires.

Though the Bible is the complete and only divine revelation, the God revealed in the Bible is a God who hides Himself.

He is not ostentatious nor does He want to impress man by doing great things so that man would bow down to Him and be amazed, in awe.

God hides Himself, yet He also reveals Himself to the ones who diligently seek Him.

May we be those who continually seek after God, being open to Him to know Him, enjoy Him, and partake of Him, so that He may reveal Himself in us, be infused into us, live in us, fill us with Himself, transform us into His image, and make us the same as He is – all this in a hidden, concealed, mysterious, yet wonderful way.

The Bible speaks of God as a God who Hides Himself

The Bible speaks of God as a God who hides Himself; Isa. 45:15 is Isaiah’s conclusion after looking at the situation, the facts, and the acts of God with His people.

He simply said, Surely You are a God who hides Himself, o God of Israel, the Savior.

There are many titles of God in the Bible, and we as believers in Christ may really like to know and enjoy the Lord as our Savior, our Shepherd, our Friend, our Master, our Bridegroom, and our life and life supply.

But there’s a special title of God in the Bible that has been neglected by us and by many children.

The Bible speaks of God as a God who hides Himself. Hardly any of God’s children know this.

We may know God that He is the righteous God, the almighty God, the ever-existing and self-existing God, the Creator of all things, and the God who is full of grace and lovingkindness.

But who knows God as a God who hides Himself?

Isaiah made an emphatic statement not out of his own imagination or inspiration; he looked at the situation, and the facts, and arrived at a certain conclusion.

He looked at the history of Israel, the things that were happening, and what God spoke to His people, and he concluded that God is surely One who hides Himself.

He beheld what God’s people experienced; he observed what the Israelites went through under the hand of God, and he could only acknowledge that God is a God who hides Himself.

God wants us to know Him, He does things for us and around us, yet He hides Himself.

We certainly are not hidden from Him, but He wants us to know that He is a God who hides Himself.

On one hand, the Lord Jesus said in Matt. 28 that He is with us to the consummation of the age; He is Emmanuel, God with us.

And we can tell Him gladly every morning, Good morning, dear Lord Jesus!

But at the same time, though He is with us, He is hidden.

Yes, Christ lives in us, He dwells in our spirit, and He is spreading from our spirit into all the parts of our inner being, but He is hidden.

He remains hidden for a long time, and this is for our benefit.

Why does He do this? We may know God as the mighty God, the righteous God, and the God who is full of grace and lovingkindness; however, we may not know God as the God who hides Himself (Luke 1:49; 1 Pet. 5:6; Rev. 15:3; Eph. 2:7; Psa. 17:7).

It is so mysterious. Our God is a God who hides Himself. He wants us to know Him, He does many things to show that He is there, but He conceals Himself and does not openly reveal Himself to us.

We need to know God in His hiddenness.

Although our God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and full of forgiveness, He is also the hiding God, as the book of Esther indicates (Esther 4:14).

The name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but we surely see the God who hides Himself at work in this book.

This book is a historical account of what the hidden God was doing; He arranged many things to happen, He raised people and lowered others, so that He would hiddenly and lovingly care for His people.

He knew there was a need for Esther to become queen, for there was someone who wanted to destroy and eradicate the Jewish people, and He worked secretly in many ways to arrange things for the good of His people.

Yet in all these things, which apparently happened in a normal way, God hid Himself.

God is omnipresent and omnipotent, yet He doesn’t display this so that all would know. He is full of forgiveness, but we need to seek Him in order to know Him as such a One.

May we not be ignorant of God being a God who hides Himself but may we know Him as such a One.

Lord, grant us to know You not only as the omnipotent and omnipresent One but also as the God who hides Himself. We open to You, Lord, and we want to know You and experience You as the One who hides Himself. Thank You for being with us, even in us, until the consummation of the age. Thank You for doing many things in us, around us, and for us, yet being a God who hides Himself. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us as the mighty God, the righteous God, and the God who is full of grace and lovingkindness. May we know Him as the hiding God, the God who conceals Himself and is not openly seen, physically apprehended, or touched with our body and our soul. Amen, Lord, we acknowledge that You are a God who hides Himself. We worship You as such a One!

God Created all things and Does many Things, yet He Conceals Himself, for He is a Hidden God

God created the universe and then Hid Himself within it until we do not know where to find Him (Job 23:3).

If we carefully examine the history of the universe and the history of mankind we cannot but admit that God is there, but He is hidden.

If we are honest with ourselves and not biased in our thinking, our consideration and examination of the history of the universe and the history of mankind will simply result in us exclaiming,

There is a God, but He’s definitely hidden!

The universe in all its vastness, beauty, majesty, ever-expanding capacity, and splendour was created by God, and the heavens are the work of His hands.

The earth is His product; He created the earth, the animals, the plants, and all things on earth, including man.

Even man, wow, look at man: the highest being on earth, the most intelligent being, having ambitions, aspirations, desires, abilities, and capacities, yet not being satisfied until he finds God.

We surely are made in the image and likeness of God, and we’re not complete, satisfied, and fulfilled until we find God and know God.

If we read the Bible and consider the history in the Old Testament and the history of the New Testament we will come to the same conclusion: God is there, He does many things, and He is intimately involved in so many aspects of the life and work of His people, but He is a God who hides Himself.

In John 1:18 we are told that no one has ever seen God in the Old Testament times; no one has ever seen God, but He was there, present with the people of Israel throughout their history and journey.

In the New Testament we see that God became a man; the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father, came to declare God, express God, and manifest God.

Yet even such a One was hidden, not openly revealed in a majestic, glorious, and kingly way.

God came to the earth to be with man, yet He came in a hidden way; He hid Himself inside a man who was limited in space and time.

Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, was not handsome or glorious in His outward appearance; His visage and form were marred, having no attracting form nor beautiful appearance (Isa. 53:2).

He grew up in a small town, Nazareth, in an insignificant and quite despised province, Galilee, and He was not recognized or appreciated by His countrymen. Wow.

God was incarnated to be a man, yet He hid Himself in Jesus Christ, and those around Him did not see that God was there with man and among man.

God was hidden within Jesus Christ, and He was pleased to conceal Himself in a man who had an unattractive appearance but who embodied Him.

This is truly amazing. God hid Himself from man for four thousand years, from Genesis until the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Then, when He came in the New Testament to manifest Himself so that man would know Him, He still hid Himself inside a man.

He appeared, then hid Himself again; He hid Himself so secretly that no one could recognize Him.

On the mount of transfiguration, He unveiled a little of His glory, but then He hid Himself again.

He did many things in the midst of the children of Israel and He does many things in us and around us, but He always conceals Himself.

May we know Him as such a One and may we appreciate the hidden nature of His being.

May we allow Him to reveal Himself in us yet not seek to have Him manifest Himself outwardly but know Him personally, in the depths of our being.

We praise You, God, for creating all things according to Your wisdom and by Your power. How wondrous is the universe, the heavens, the earth, and all things in them! Praise You for Your wonderful creation. May we know You as the One who created all things and then hides Himself within His creation. May we really know You as the God who hides Himself. Thank You for doing so many things around us, for us, and in us in a secret, concealed, and hidden way. Thank You for coming to be a man to manifest God, express God, and declare God. May we appreciate the hidden nature of Your being. May we know You as the God who hides Himself. May we know You in an intimate, hidden, personal, private, and loving way day by day. We worship You, oh God, for being One who is hidden, concealed, yet always present and real to us!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by Ron Kangas in the message for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, vol. 3, pp. 15-35, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (2022 winter training), week 12, entitled, A God who Hides Himself – the Hidden God.
• Further reading on this topic:
  – The mystery of God being hidden in the God who created all things, a portion via, The Path of Our Growth in Life, Chapter 6, by Witness Lee.
  – The Central Work of God, article by Ron Kangas in, Affirmation and Critique.
  – Three desires concerning God – the first desire: “Your name be sanctified”, a portion via, The Prayer Ministry of the Church, Chapter 2, by Watchman Nee.
  – Nicodemus and the Pharisees, a portion from Finding Christ by the Living Star, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee.
  – Remembrances of Brother Lee, and an appreciation for, A God who Hides Himself, via, The Church in Anaheim.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform: / He plants His footsteps in the sea, / And rides upon the storm. / Deep in unfathomable mines / Of never-failing skill, / He treasures up His bright designs, / And works His sovereign will. (Hymns #675 stanzas 1-2)
  – I know not what awaits me, / God kindly veils my eyes, / And o’er each step of my onward way / He makes new scenes to rise; / And every joy He sends me comes / A sweet and glad surprise. / Where He may lead I’ll follow, / My trust in Him repose; / And every hour in perfect peace, / I’ll sing, “He knows, He knows”; / And every hour in perfect peace, / I’ll sing, “He knows, He knows.” (Hymns #711 stanza 1 and chorus)
  – Immortal, invisible, God only wise, / In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, / Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, / Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. / Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, / Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; / Thy justice like mountains high soaring above / Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love. (Hymns #14 stanzas 1-2)