“Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour..."
"But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”
(Isaiah 45:15 & 17)
"Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." That statement caught my attention this morning. It seems like an almost contradictory statement. If he is God, all-powerful, ever-present, creator, how could he be hidden? And what type of Saviour hides himself from his people in their hour of need? Of course, this is not a contradictory statement, but it shows us the reality of the people of God. We know he is always there and that he never leaves us nor forsakes us, but in our experience here on earth, many days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years are spent wondering where is our God, the Saviour. It seems that he has hidden himself.
In the context of this verse, Israel was being taken captive by the nation of Assyria, and Isaiah was already prophesying the fall of the southern Kingdom to the nation of Babylon that would take place in the century to come. Israel had played their sinful games and was now winning their sinful prizes. God's hand of love couldn't be sensed; his smile had been replaced with a frown, and his providential blessings were exchanged for his providential chastisement. He was just as active as ever before, just as loving as ever before, but love demanded him to judge and correct his children before they destroyed themselves. So it is today, that we may declare, "Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself." Yet in reality, he is never far away except in our perceptions of him. Have we ever stopped to consider that the pains we are suffering presently are also his hand at work? It could be that sin has taken us to a place of chastening and his loving hand must drive that foolishness far from us [Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6]. Or perhaps that thorn in your flesh is not a punishment at all but a means to make you weak in your own flesh and strong in his grace [2 Corinthians 12:7-10]. Either way, what we perceive to be his hiding himself from us is his hand still.
Lastly, I'd like to look at the promise God gave to them long before this time of His "hiding" ever came. "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.” For 70 years they would be captive in Babylon, it would seem that God was hiding His face from them. There would be Israelites who were born, grew up, married, had children, and were buried in Babylon. They would spend a lifetime in Babylon, but still, there was a day coming, nay, a world coming that their salvation would be everlasting, and their shame and confoundment would never ever be known again. This reminded me that our chastening is but for a short time, and His salvation is forever! Perhaps God's rod has made you smart for sin, and right now you wonder if you will ever see His smiling face again. In this lifetime we experience these moments of seemed distance from our God but rest assured, in the world to come, it will be eternal joy, His face will shine with a brightness brighter than the sun and his light shall never be hidden by the clouds of earth. Perhaps His grace has prescribed a tormenting messenger of Satan to buffet you, and you wonder, will there be any reprieve from this thorn? There is coming a world without end where His face will never be hidden! Israel for 2,000 years has been in a place of hiddenness, yet there is coming a day when that tiny nation shall have all the promises of God fulfilled unto them [Rom 11:25-27]. How long is our chastening and our hours of distance from our God? Even if it be for 2,000 years, what is that compared to everlasting salvation? What is 2,000 years compared to a "world without end?" Dear Christian, if today you are exclaiming " Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself," just wait, verse 17 is coming "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant
unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)
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