We know that God is omniscient. He knows all things and His understanding is unlimited.
Psalm 147:5 - Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
I John 3:20 - For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Despite being aware of this, all too often we try or think that we can evade the gaze of the all-knowing God. Thinking that God will not see our shortcomings and mistakes, we try to conceal them. Stemming back to the beginning of man, many such examples of behavior have been listed in the Bible. In the book of Genesis, the account of Adam and Eve provides a poignant illustration – after partaking of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God had expressly commanded them not to eat, Adam and Eve attempted to hide themselves from God in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:8 - And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”
However, their efforts were in vain, as God's omniscient presence exposed their actions and they ended up confessing what they each had done and had to deal with the consequences.
Another example was the prophet Jonah who was tasked by God to travel to the city of Nineveh and speak out to the people there about the evil ways that had befallen them.
Jonah 1:1-2 - Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
However, he did not obey God and instead decided to flee in a direction completely opposite to Nineveh. He boarded a ship heading towards Tarshish which was approximately a few thousand kilometres away from Nineveh.
Jonah 1:3 - But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
In the modern context, it would have been the equivalent of traveling from the Middle East to Spain. The journey by sea in those days would have taken several weeks. It was not recorded how far he had made it before the ship encountered the tempest and Jonah was swallowed by the great fish, but it showed just how far Jonah thought he could escape from what God had called him to do, and how God was always able to lay bare all the inner motivations of such people who disobeyed Him.
These types of inclinations to “hide” from God or try to escape from what He has called us to do often lead to a vicious cycle of denial and avoidance. This will hinder our spiritual growth and being right with God who knows and understands even our deepest thoughts and motivations.
Our outward appearances may fool other people but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and knows any secrets that we keep there (Psalm 44:21).
So, how can we break out of such vicious cycles? One must not be afraid of baring it all before God, confessing our sins and shortcomings, and asking for forgiveness.
I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We must also be diligent in bolstering our faith through the word of God (Romans 10:17) as it is a powerful discerner of the thoughts in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Acknowledging our own shortfalls and vulnerabilities is a crucial step towards spiritual and personal growth. Trying to hide from God will be a fruitless and pointless exercise, and we should instead seek forgiveness and strive to carry out what God has called us to do.
Ask Myself
What did Adam and Eve try to do after eating the fruit from the tree that God expressly told them not to touch?
How did Jonah try to flee from what God had commanded him to do?
How do you think we can break such vicious cycles of avoidance and denial?
Suggested Answers:
Their eyes were both opened and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves to make themselves coverings (Genesis 3:7). They then heard the sound of God walking in the garden of Eden and both hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3).
You may discuss this with the writer or your Bible class teacher.