God's Secret Place

Colossians 3:3 - For you have died, and your life is hidden (concealed, kept secret) with Christ in God.

Deuteronomy 4:11-13 - “You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. “Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice.  “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 

Exodus 14: 19,20,24 - Then the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.  So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Therefore the one did not approach the other all night.  But at the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 

Exodus 19:9 - Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.”

Exodus 20:20,21 -  However, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin. So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 40: 34,35 - Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle, and Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 

Genesis 9:23 - But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered (hid) the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. 

Hebrews 10:19-22 - Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Why do we need confidence / boldness to enter the Holy Place?  His sanctuary is thick darkness…it is His secret place.  We must walk in the fear of God as in Exodus 20. 

Isaiah 44:22 - I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist.  Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 45:3 - “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.” – King Cyrus, God’s instrument 

Isaiah 45:7 - The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

Isaiah 45:15 - Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, God of Israel, Savior! 

1 Kings 8:10-12 - And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.  Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.  “I have truly built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever.” 

Leviticus 12:1+ and Revelation 12:1+ flow together.  A woman gave birth and was unclean for a period of time.  After that time, she brought a lamb to the priest who presented it before the Lord as a sin offering and she was atoned and had access to the temple again.  -  In Revelation, a woman (Nation of Israel) gave birth to a child (Jesus Christ) and through His atonement we also have access to heaven and eternal life!

Matthew 27:45 - Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. Manifestation of God’s love as Jesus atoned for our sins on the cross

Micah 7:19 - He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 

1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers (hides, keeps secret) a multitude of sins.

Psalms 18:9-14 -  He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down with thick darkness under His feet.  He rode on a cherub and flew; and He sped on the wings of the wind.  He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds.  From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.  He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. 

Psalms 27:4,5 - One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple.  For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. 

Psalms 31:20 - You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of mankind; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Psalms 32:1 - How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered (hidden).

Psalms 91:1-3 - One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will lodge (abide) in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”  For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper and from the deadly plague.  Shadow (thick darkness) of the Almighty is His secret place where He invites and protects us.                                  

Psalms 97:12 - Be joyful in the LORD, you righteous ones, and praise the mention of His holy name.   It’s hard to imagine being joyful and rejoice with the idea of the thick darkness.

Psalms 139:12 - Even darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 

Psalms 139:15 - My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, and skillfully formed in the depths of the earth

Revelation 1:7 - BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn (beat their chest, wail) over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 

Micah 7:19 says our sins are cast into the depths of the sea.  Psalms 18:11 says He hides in the darkness of waters.  It would seem that He hides our sins in the darkness of His presence.  Just as the high priest was the only one that could go and see the most holy place, only God knows and sees the full expanse of His hiding place so even our secret sins are hidden with Him never to be found or seen by anyone else when we confess and repent. 

Further notes & thoughts

Proverbs 4:5-7 speaks of wisdom and understanding.  We are encouraged to use all our possessions to acquire and grow in understanding. Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  To know God, to be aware of His ways, to have a deep reverence and fear of Him is to develop and become skillful for the Kingdom of God and to live pure and upright lives. 

If God hides us and keeps us from the strife of tongues (from the evil of others) in His secret place, it seems He wants to protect us, to prepare us to walk in His strength and power. 

There is so much more outside what our physical senses can pick up on, or how our senses traditionally work.  Consider the rare neurological condition of Synesthesia.  People have been documented to see music or feel, taste, hear and smell colors.  Days, months, feelings & emotions, sensations such as pain and letters are associated with colors.  There is mirror touch Synesthesia where our mirror neurons (they smile so you smile) actually allows the person to feel the same sensation resulting from the activity of another person. 

Consider the concept of seeking.  This involves looking where we haven’t looked before.  We need to look for God in this same way.