Tag Archives: #god

Where is God?

The God Who is Absent

What are some times in life when it seems that God is absent? That He is not present in your life? How do you deal with it when you feel God is absent?

When we pick up with Exodus, the Israelites had been in Egypt for 430 years (12:41). God has not communicated with Israel since Genesis 46. On what can the Israelites base their faith? What would they tell their children and grandchildren about God…?

Look through Exodus 1 & 2 – Where is God? What did God do in those first two chapters? Is the absence of God a part of the story? When Israel was in Egypt, they were surrounded by the pagans of Egypt and the idols of the Egyptians. 430 years. Four centuries after God had made Himself know to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the world does not know God.

The book of Exodus is about God revealing Himself – both to Israel and to Egypt, representative of the Gentile world. Israel, not having had a relationship with God for 400 years, and Egypt which never had a relationship with God, needed to come to know God – Who He is – what type of God He is (in contrast to the Egyptian idols) and what He expects from mankind.

The relevance for me and you is this – when we remember the past (how God has worked in the past and His immutable nature), we praise Him in the present and we can have faith for the future.

Let’s first begin with 1:7. This fruitfulness reminds us of Genesis 1:28 and 12:1-3. In light of Genesis 1:26-28, man himself makes God known. Man carries the image of God within himself. We reflect, to a limited degree, the nature of God. All of our spiritual nature reflects, to a limited degree, the spiritual aspect of God.

What was God doing during those 430 years when Israel was suffering?

Up to 2:23 (1:1-2:22), “God” is used three times. In verses 23-25, “God” is used five times. God finally responds, in general terms, in 2:23-25. That’s when God calls Moses in chapter 3 and makes Himself known. Now, scan through this chapter and see “God” or “Lord” used – “God” (21 times); “Lord” (7 times). He becomes the focus of the rest of the book of Exodus. “God” is used 102 times in the rest of the book. “Lord” is used 397 times in the rest of the book! God is mentioned in every chapter except chapters 37-38. Plus, God speaks in every other chapter except chapter 18 and chapters 35-39 when the text is about the tabernacle.

We study Exodus, among other reasons, to come to know God. The Gospel account that most establishes itself in the light and under the influence of the Old Testament is Matthew and among the final words of Jesus are: “Go therefore and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Go share with the world that does not know God, Who God is.

That was the theme of Exodus and it is the theme of our message today…

–Paul Holland

Where’s God?

Have you ever considered how different the true and living God is from the pagan deities spoken of in the Bible? The Pagan gods were seen but never heard, but the one and only true God is heard but not seen. I believe that acknowledging this difference will help us in times of trouble.

You see, how many times do people ask the question, “Where’s God?” especially when they are suffering. I would suggest that this is the wrong question. The better question would be to ask, “What has God said?” And when we ask that question, we’ll find comfort and understanding. What comfort and understanding can come from a god who can be seen, but cannot speak to us? Oh, how those pagan deities stand in stark contrast with the God of Heaven!

Next time you’re tempted to ask, “Where’s God?” remember that’s not how God has chosen to reveal Himself. Instead, ask “What has God said?” and it’s in His Word that you will find comfort and understanding. Give it some thought.

Steve Higginbotham

TIME TO HEED THE WARNING!

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Have you ever heard someone say, “What do you want me to do, draw you a picture?” The phrase is usually used to indicate someone is having a hard time understanding something. That’s nothing new is it, it’s been happening for as long as people can remember and it probably always will.

Someone shared the following story with me and after reading it; I can believe that it’s real. The storyteller says, “They’ve closed a road near where I live in order to repair a collapsed sewer-pipe. The construction workers have put up a sign saying: ROAD CLOSED. But, since the actual road closure is not apparent until you go around a bend, a lot of drivers go just to see if the road is REALLY closed.

After they see that the road really is closed, they start making their way back. Their embarrassment is made worse by another sign right behind the ROAD CLOSED sign, but facing them on their return. The new sign reads: TOLD YOU SO!

I think that must be part of the human make up to want some kind of proof for everything in our lives. In the Old Testament in Numbers 14:11, God was upset with the Israelites because of that problem. It tells us, “The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?”

In the New Testament, Paul tells us, “Seeing that the Jews make request for signs, and the Greeks are looking for knowledge: But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23) Everyone wants proof, yet it is faith without seeing that will get us to heaven. Remember the disciple Thomas who doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead? Look again at the words of Jesus from John 20:27-29 “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” (NLT)

I pray that someday you don’t turn around and read the sign from God, “I told you so!” Because you see we are told in Revelation 20:12 of what will eventually happen. John says of the future, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

So, which side of the sign are you going to believe?

Russ Lawson