The English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1870-1972) was once asked what he would do if, upon his death, he were to immediately find himself in the presence ofGod.What would he say to the God whom he had actively and vehemently denied during his entire life? Russell said, “Well, I should say to God, ‘Sir, you gave us insufficient evidence.” While I disagree with Russell’s conclusion regarding a lack of evidence, it is not hard to sympathize with the gist of his concern. But it is not just theconfirmedatheistandconvinced doubter; sometimes, everyday Christians find themselves asking why God seems to be so hidden. After all, even the Bible speaks of God’s hiddenness. The prophet Isaiah writes, “Truly you are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel” (Isa 45:15). Likewise, Job, in his time of despair, looked desperately but could not find God either. He complains, “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him” (Job 23:8-9). And the most disappointing thing of all is that God’s hiddenness seems to come at times when we need Him the most.
Suffering at the depths of grief over the loss of his wife to cancer, the British philosopher and writer C. S. Lewis said of God. “Turn to Him in your time of need, and what do you find”? A door slammed in your face, and the sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence.” It seems there is no shortage of people who feel let down by what very much feels like God’s absence from their lives. Why does God, at times, seem to be so hidden, so very silent? Such is the foundation for what is known as the Argument from Divine Hiddenness, which can be more concisely stated: if God exists, He would not allow anyone who would be receptive of Him remain ignorant of His existence. Surely, the atheist argues, a God that is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving would not intentionally hide Himself in such obscurity, would He? Even so, I don’t think that He does.
At its root, the Argument from Divine Hiddenness is an argument concerning sufficient evidence. The atheist, like Bertrand Russell, is convinced that God does not give enough evidence to validate His existence. Christians, on the other hand, disagree. Paul writes to the Romans that the eternal power and divine nature of God can be clearly seen in the things that have been made. It is so obvious, Paul argues, that those who deny it are “without excuse” (cf Rom 1:19-20). Indeed, Christians hold that God has revealed Himself through General Revelation found in nature and has revealed Himself through Special Revelation in Scripture. Accordingly, it cannot be said that God is totally hidden from mankind. Reasonably, then, if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving, then He must have some good reasons for His apparent hiddenness.
In a sense, it is supreme foolhardiness to offer up from my own weak, feeble, and finite mind possible reasons why an all-knowing Godwoulddoanything.Theprophet Isaiah once said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.” I think that in itself covers a lot of ground. However, beyond that, and perhaps most importantly, there is something significant here concerning the delicate relationship between divine hiddenness and human free will. It is not hard to see how the lack of one could negate the other. Scripture holds that believers are to love the Lord their God with all that is within them. Unquestionably, pure and undefiled love is at the heart of the entire biblical narrative, whether it be God’s love for man or man’s love for God. A funny thing, love is it has no value if it is coerced. God knows this, and man does too. Maybe it is very much because coerced love drains free will, and free will is one of the few things worth dying for. In fact, every war that has ever been waged in human history has been fought over the core tenets of free will, either its exercise or its denial. Almost nothing is so fundamentally important to human beings as the free exercise of their will. And many would rather die than lose it. Once free will has been drained from love, all that remains is despair, and despair in turn leads to hatred of the one who forced us to love them. God knows this, and man does too. Maybe God’s hiddenness is one of His greatest blessings. Maybe God has a greater good in mind by not forcing anyone to robotically believe in Him and feign love for Him simply because the evidence of His existence is so overwhelming that there remains no other choice. Should Bertrand Russell have been given so much evidence that it destroyed his will to freely choose or deny God, he would have beenallthemoreirate,andsowould most Christians. Paul once said to the Athenians that people “should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). Even though God may at times seem to be so very hidden, in the famous words of Longfellow, “He is not dead nor doth he sleep.”
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Ty B. Kerley, DMin., is an ordained minister who teaches Christian apologetics, and relief preaches in Southern Oklahoma. Dr. Kerley and his wife Vicki are members of the Waurika church of Christ, and live in Ardmore. You can contact him at: dr.kerley@isGoddead.com.