What does Isaiah 29:15 reveal about God's omniscience and human deception? Text of Isaiah 29 : 15 “Woe to those who go deep to hide their plans from the LORD; they do their deeds in darkness and say, ‘Who sees us?’ and ‘Who knows us?’” Key Observations • “Woe” signals God’s settled opposition to the conduct described. • The offenders deliberately “go deep” and “do their deeds in darkness,” portraying intentional secrecy. • Their questions—“Who sees?” “Who knows?”—assume God is either blind or absent. God’s Omniscience Highlighted • The warning presupposes that God, in fact, does see and does know. • Psalm 139 : 1-4—“You discern my thoughts from afar… even before a word is on my tongue, You know it.” • Jeremiah 23 : 24—“Can a man hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?… Do I not fill heaven and earth?” • Hebrews 4 : 13—“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” • Isaiah’s “woe” rests on the certainty that God’s knowledge is immediate, exhaustive, and personal. Human Deception Exposed • Sinners attempt a double deceit: hiding plans from God and denying His perception. • Darkness and secrecy are not merely physical; they symbolize spiritual rebellion (John 3 : 19-20). • By asking “Who sees?” they reveal a willful suppression of truth (Romans 1 : 18). • Such self-deception breeds further transgression, because people sin more freely when they imagine they will never be found out. Consequences of Trying to Hide from God • Immediate: alienation and a hardened heart (Isaiah 6 : 9-10). • Eventual: exposure—“For nothing is concealed that will not be disclosed” (Luke 12 : 2-3). • Inevitable judgment—“God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing” (Ecclesiastes 12 : 14). Practical Takeaways for Believers • Live transparently before God; secrecy is futile and corrosive. • Invite His searching gaze daily (Psalm 139 : 23-24). • Reject the lie that private sin is harmless; God sees and sin always costs. • Walk in the light through confession and obedience (1 John 1 : 7-9). |
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