What actions might cause God to "turn His face" from someone? Key Verse: Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” What Behaviors Close God’s Face to a Person • Persistent, unrepentant sin – Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” • Idolatry and spiritual infidelity – Deuteronomy 31:17-18 “I will forsake them and hide My face… because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.” • Oppression, injustice, and violence – Micah 3:4 “He will hide His face from them… because of the evil they have done.” – Isaiah 1:15 “Your hands are covered with blood.” • Empty religious ritual—worship divorced from obedience – Isaiah 1:13-15; Amos 5:21-24 • Hypocrisy and cherished secret sin – Psalm 66:18; Matthew 15:8 “This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” • Refusing to listen or respond to God’s Word – Zechariah 7:11-13 “They refused to pay attention… so, just as they would not listen… the LORD Almighty would not listen to them.” • Pride and self-exaltation – James 4:6 “God opposes the proud.” – Psalm 138:6 “The proud He knows from afar.” • Unforgiveness and lack of mercy toward others – Matthew 6:14-15 “If you do not forgive… neither will your Father forgive.” – Proverbs 21:13 “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor… shall cry out and receive no answer.” The Heart Behind These Actions • Deliberately choosing self over God’s glory • Clinging to sin instead of confessing and forsaking it (Proverbs 28:13) • Treating people made in God’s image with contempt (1 John 4:20) Consequences of God Turning His Face • Loss of intimate fellowship and guidance (Psalm 27:9) • Prayers go unheard (Isaiah 59:2; 1 Peter 3:12) • Exposure to discipline, calamity, or spiritual dryness (Deuteronomy 31:17; Psalm 32:3-4) Restoring His Face • Whole-hearted repentance and returning to Him (2 Chronicles 7:14; Acts 3:19) • Trusting the atoning work of Christ, our mediator who brings us into God’s favor (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:16) When the heart turns back in humble faith and obedience, the Lord delights to lift His countenance again (Numbers 6:24-26; Psalm 80:3). |
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