Day 7/28 – Hiding from God

———/://///

Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Hiding from God
Day Two Hundred Nine

“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

Intrinsic to sin is a sense of shame. You see this in Genesis 3, “They knew they were naked and they hid.”275 Before sin Adam and Eve had nothing to hide. With the transgression came a loss of innocence. Most crime is committed under the cover of darkness. Instinctively children seek to hide whatever wrong they commit, either by lying about it or hiding the stolen object where it can’t be found.

Occasionally you find people who, in an act of defiance, call evil good and openly confess and commit what others, in their embarrassment, seek to hide. The philosophy of “free love” a number of year ago encouraged open sin. People quickly fall beyond the pale of redemption when they lose their sense of shame when sinning. Paul, cataloging the sins of the human race said, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.”276

Never sanction or give approval to what God calls evil. When you cover disobedience with the cloak of righteousness, as for example with euthanasia, you engage in the most insidious form of hiding. God again and again calls to mind the foolishness of such endeavors, for although you can hide your motives and actions from people, you cannot hide them from God. He will bring them to light “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”277

275 Genesis 3:10
276 Romans 1:25
277 Romans 2:16

———/://///

Psalm 46-48 Acts 28 (New King James Version)

Psalm 46-48
God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
46
God is our refuge and strength,
A[a] very present help in trouble.
2
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the [b]midst of the sea;
3
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the [c]tabernacle of the Most High.
5
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be [d]moved;
God shall help her, just [e]at the break of dawn.
6
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
47
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2
For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3
He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4
He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5
God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.
8
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9
The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.
The Glory of God in Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
48
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
2
Beautiful in [f]elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3
God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.
4
For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5
They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6
Fear took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7
As when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.
8
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah
9
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.
12
Walk about Zion,
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13
Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may tell it to the generation following.
14
For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
[g]Even to death.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 46:1 An abundantly available help
• Psalm 46:2 Lit. heart
• Psalm 46:4 dwelling places
• Psalm 46:5 shaken
• Psalm 46:5 Lit. at the turning of the morning
• Psalm 48:2 height
• Psalm 48:14 So with MT, Syr.; LXX, Vg. Forever

Acts 28
Paul’s Ministry on Malta
28 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And the natives[a] showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
7 In that region there was an estate of the [b]leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.
Arrival at Rome
11 After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the [c]Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, 14 where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. 15 And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
16 Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
Paul’s Ministry at Rome
17 And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. 19 But when the [d]Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
21 Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”
23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to [e]our fathers, 26 saying,
‘Go to this people and say:
“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.” ’
28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 [f]And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.
30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Footnotes:
• Acts 28:2 Lit. barbarians
• Acts 28:7 Magistrate
• Acts 28:11 Gr. Dioskouroi, Zeus’s sons Castor and Pollux
• Acts 28:19 The ruling authorities
• Acts 28:25 NU your
• Acts 28:29 NU omits v. 29.