Why does God seem hidden to us today?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

God is not hidden. From the beginning, He has revealed Himself through creation, covenant, His name and character, His Law, His presence, His prophets, and His mighty acts in history. These revelations show God’s power and holiness and call His people to faithful worship and obedience. In the New Testament, God revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, God made flesh, who revealed the Father through His life, death, and resurrection. Through the cross and the resurrection, God made His justice, mercy, and love unmistakably clear. Today, God continues to reveal Himself through the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer, His Word, the proclamation of the gospel, and a redeemed people who reflect His character to the world. God may seem hidden because the Bible records historical highlights, rather than everyday moments, and because we no longer see God physically, as Israel or the apostles once did. Yet God is still powerfully present, working in the world and in individual lives—if we will seek Him by faith and train our hearts to recognize His ongoing work.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God is not hidden. He has revealed Himself in many ways from the beginning of time. For example, God has made Himself known through creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1–4; 104; Isaiah 40:26). Creation displays God’s power, wisdom, order, and glory, making His existence and majesty evident to all people. Although this revelation is universal, it is limited—it shows that God is, not how to be reconciled to Him.
• God also made Himself known by entering into covenant with Israel (Genesis 12:1–3; 17:7; Exodus 6:2–8; Deuteronomy 7:6–9).
• God revealed His name (“I AM”) and His character—merciful, gracious, faithful, just (Exodus 3:14–15; 34:5–7).
• God gave His people the Law (Torah), revealing His holiness, righteousness, and will for how His people are to live (Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Psalm 119).
• God revealed Himself through His presence among His people, such as in the tabernacle and temple (Exodus 25:8; 40:34–38; 1 Kings 8:10–13).
• God spoke directly through prophets, revealing His will, warnings, and promises (Numbers 12:6–8; Jeremiah 1:4–10; Amos 3:7).
• God also revealed Himself through mighty acts throughout history. These were acts of salvation, judgment, and deliverance (Exodus 7–14; Joshua 3–4; Judges; 1 Samuel 7:12).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus is the clearest and fullest revelation of God—God made flesh (John 1:1–14, 18; 14:9; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:1–3). God makes Himself known by entering human history, experiencing human life, suffering, and dying (Philippians 2:6–11; 1 John 1:1–3).
• At the cross, God revealed His justice, mercy, and love (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8; John 20:30–31).
• God continues to reveal Himself through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17, 26; John 16:13; Romans 8:9–16). He reveals truth, convicts of sin, and makes God known personally to believers. Rather than God's physical presence (as was often seen in the Old Testament) or Jesus physically walking the earth (as in the Gospels), believers have God's Spirit living within them to guide, direct, instruct, and comfort (John 16:8).
• God revealed His plan of salvation through the apostles and the gospel proclamation (Acts 1:8; Acts 2; Ephesians 3:4–6). The gospel once promised is now proclaimed to all nations.
• God’s Word reveals that He is not hidden. It reveals God, His will, and His purposes (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
• God continues to make Himself known to the world through a redeemed people who reflect His character (Matthew 5:14–16; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

God is not hidden; He wants to be known. Yet, there are a few reasons why God may seem hidden to us today. We must remember that the Bible largely records the highlights of how God has operated throughout ages past. In other words, rather than recording every moment of daily life, the focus is often on the works and miracles of God in order to instruct future generations. Just as a movie features the important parts of a story, the Bible often focuses on the highlights during which God worked most prominently.

We must also recognize that the Bible covers an extended period of history. The Old Testament records from the beginning of human history to approximately 400 B.C. The New Testament books cover most of the first century A.D. and includes the time in which Jesus ministered in human form on the earth, certainly a unique time period. Together, they record some of the most important ways God had worked in human history to that time. Certainly, God has continued to make Himself evident throughout history since biblical times, yet there is less history during which God has operated than during the biblical times recorded in Scripture.

Some would argue God does make Himself more evident today. Christianity is the largest religion in the world, and the Bible is the most translated and best-selling book in history. Christianity has expanded exponentially in many parts of the world over the last century. Despite intense persecution in many parts of the globe, the Christian faith thrives even in hostile environments. Today's missionaries testify of amazing acts of God taking place that offer ample evidence of God's working power today. Beyond those extraordinary acts, God also continues to work powerfully in each of our lives. This is clear by the Holy Spirit's work in the life of each Christian, growing us into Christlikeness, convicting us of sin, guiding us in truth, and empowering us to reflect Him to the world. While God may not be in flesh with us and does not reside in a building where we can go to Him, He is very much still present and revealing Himself, near to those who seek Him by faith and train their hearts to see Him.

UNDERSTAND

• God has revealed Himself clearly through creation, Scripture, and supremely through Jesus Christ.
• God may seem hidden because we no longer see Him physically and because we forget that the Bible records selective moments in history when we can clearly see Him at work.
• Still, God is present and active today.

REFLECT

• Which ways that God has revealed Himself do you tend to overlook most and why?
• How do you seek to train your heart to see God at work in your life and in the world?
• How might God be working in your life right now in quieter ways that require faith and attentiveness to see?

ENGAGE

• How does understanding the Bible as a record of God’s historical “highlights” shape how we interpret His work and presence today?
• How can we, as the people of God, better reflect God’s character, so others can see that He is not hidden?
• How does the New Testament shift our expectations of how God reveals Himself compared to the Old Testament?