Isaiah 29:15
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, "Who sees us, and who will know?"
Woe to those
The word "woe" is a strong expression of lament or distress, often used by the prophets to signal impending judgment or disaster. In Hebrew, it is "הוֹי" (hoy), which conveys a deep sense of sorrow and warning. This opening sets the tone for the verse, indicating that the actions of the people have serious consequences. The use of "woe" here is a call to attention, urging the audience to consider their ways and the divine displeasure they have incurred.

who go to great lengths
This phrase suggests deliberate and extensive efforts to achieve a particular end. The Hebrew root here implies a sense of laborious effort or scheming. Historically, this reflects the actions of those in Judah who were attempting to secure their own safety and success through alliances and strategies that were contrary to God's will. It highlights the futility of human efforts when they are not aligned with divine purposes.

to hide their plans from the LORD
The act of hiding plans from God is both futile and foolish, as God is omniscient. The Hebrew word for "hide" (סָתַר, satar) implies concealment or covering. This reflects a deeper spiritual issue of attempting to live independently of God's guidance and oversight. In the historical context, this could refer to political or military strategies that were devised without seeking God's counsel, a common issue among the leaders of Israel and Judah.

Their deeds are done in darkness
Darkness in the Bible often symbolizes evil, ignorance, or separation from God. The Hebrew word "חֹשֶׁךְ" (choshek) conveys a sense of obscurity and secrecy. This phrase underscores the moral and spiritual blindness of those who act without regard for God's light and truth. It serves as a metaphor for the hidden sins and corrupt practices that the people believed were beyond God's sight.

and they say, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
This rhetorical question reveals a profound misunderstanding of God's nature. The belief that their actions could be hidden from God shows a lack of faith and reverence. It reflects the arrogance and self-deception of those who think they can escape divine scrutiny. Scripturally, this echoes the folly of those who deny God's omnipresence and omniscience, as seen throughout the Psalms and prophetic writings.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book bearing his name. He prophesied during a time of great political turmoil and spiritual decline in Judah.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, where Isaiah primarily ministered. During this time, Judah was often tempted to rely on political alliances rather than trusting in God.

3. The Leaders of Judah
The specific audience of this verse, these leaders were attempting to make secret plans and alliances, likely with foreign nations, to secure their safety and prosperity.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who sees and knows all things, including the hidden intentions and plans of His people.

5. Darkness
Symbolically represents secrecy, sin, and rebellion against God. The leaders' actions in darkness signify their attempt to operate outside of God's will and knowledge.
Teaching Points
God's Omniscience
We cannot hide our thoughts, plans, or actions from God. He knows our hearts and intentions, and we should live with this awareness.

Integrity in Leadership
Leaders, whether in the church or society, must act with integrity and transparency, recognizing that God sees all hidden motives and plans.

The Futility of Secrecy
Attempting to hide our sins or plans from God is futile. Instead, we should bring everything into the light through confession and repentance.

Trust in God Over Human Schemes
Like the leaders of Judah, we may be tempted to rely on our own schemes or alliances. True security and wisdom come from trusting in God.

Living in the Light
As believers, we are called to live in the light, reflecting God's truth and righteousness in all our actions and decisions.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's omniscience impact the way you plan and make decisions in your daily life?

2. In what ways might you be tempted to "hide" aspects of your life from God, and how can you bring these into the light?

3. How can leaders today ensure they are acting with integrity and transparency, both in the church and in society?

4. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own plans rather than trusting in God. What was the outcome, and what did you learn from that experience?

5. How can you encourage others in your community to live in the light and trust in God's wisdom over human schemes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 139
This psalm emphasizes God's omniscience and omnipresence, affirming that nothing is hidden from Him, which parallels the futility of trying to hide plans from God as described in Isaiah 29:15.

Jeremiah 23:24
This verse reinforces the idea that no one can hide from God, as He fills heaven and earth, echoing the message of Isaiah 29:15.

Ephesians 5:11-13
These verses encourage believers to expose deeds of darkness, aligning with the call to live transparently before God and others.
God the Mind-SearcherR. Tuck Isaiah 29:15
Lip-Service and DissimulationE. Johnson Isaiah 29:13-16
The Church Which God CondemnsW. Clarkson Isaiah 29:13-17
The Folly of Acting Separately from GodIsaiah 29:15-16
People
Ariel, David, Isaiah, Jacob
Places
Ariel, Lebanon, Mount Zion
Topics
Acts, Counsel, Cursed, Dark, Darkness, Deeds, Deep, Deeply, Depths, Designs, Hide, Knoweth, Plans, Secret, Seeing, Seek, Sees, Wo, Woe, Works
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 29:15

     4811   darkness, symbol of sin
     5195   veil
     5812   concealment

Isaiah 29:13-15

     5942   security

Library
I am Told, Further, that You Touch with Some Critical Sharpness Upon Some Points of My Letter
13. I am told, further, that you touch with some critical sharpness upon some points of my letter, and, with the well-known wrinkles rising on your forehead and your eyebrows knitted, make sport of me with a wit worthy of Plautus, for having said that I had a Jew named Barabbas for my teacher. I do not wonder at your writing Barabbas for Baranina, the letters of the names being somewhat similar, when you allow yourself such a license in changing the names themselves, as to turn Eusebius into Pamphilus,
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

Thou that Dwellest in the Gardens, the Companions Hearken to Thy Voice; Cause Me to Hear It.
The Bridegroom invites his Spouse to speak in his behalf, and to enter actually upon the Apostolic life by teaching others. Thou, O my Spouse, He says, that dwellest in the gardens, in the ever-flowered parterres of the Divinity, where thou hast not ceased to dwell since the winter has passed, thou hast been in gardens as beautiful for the variety of the flowers with which it was adorned as for the excellence of the fruits which abound there; thou, O My Spouse, whom I keep constantly with Me in these
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

If it is Objected, that the Necessity which Urges us to Pray is not Always...
If it is objected, that the necessity which urges us to pray is not always equal, I admit it, and this distinction is profitably taught us by James: " Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). Therefore, common sense itself dictates, that as we are too sluggish, we must be stimulated by God to pray earnestly whenever the occasion requires. This David calls a time when God "may be found" (a seasonable time); because, as he declares in several other
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

The Hardening of Nations.
"The election hath obtained it, and the rest were hardened."-- Rom. xi. 7. St. Paul's word, at the head of this article, is strikingly impressive, and its content exceedingly rich and instructive. It clearly announces the fact that the hardening is not exceptional or occasional, but universal, affecting all, who, being in contact with the divine Love, are not saved by it. The last limitation is necessary, for of the heathen it can not be said that they are hardened. Only they can be hardened who
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Christ Teaching by Miracles
We have seen how many valuable lessons our Saviour taught while on earth by the parables which he used. But we teach by our lives, as well as by our lips. It has passed into a proverb, and we all admit the truth of it, that "Actions speak louder than words." If our words and our actions contradict each other, people will believe our actions sooner than our words. But when both agree together, then the effect is very great. This was true with our blessed Lord. There was an entire agreement between
Richard Newton—The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8.
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The New Testament Canon in the First Three Centuries.
The first Christians relied on the Old Testament as their chief religious book. To them it was of divine origin and authority. The New Testament writings came into gradual use, by the side of the older Jewish documents, according to the times in which they appeared and the names of their reputed authors. The Epistles of Paul were the earliest written; after which came the Apocalypse, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and other documents, all in the first century. After the first gospel had undergone a
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise.
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

"To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord,"
Isaiah i. 11.--"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord," &c. This is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks, What mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for obeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and ordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Intercourse of Jesus with the Pagans and the Samaritans.
Following out these principles, Jesus despised all religion which was not of the heart. The vain practices of the devotees,[1] the exterior strictness, which trusted to formality for salvation, had in him a mortal enemy. He cared little for fasting.[2] He preferred forgiveness to sacrifice.[3] The love of God, charity and mutual forgiveness, were his whole law.[4] Nothing could be less priestly. The priest, by his office, ever advocates public sacrifice, of which he is the appointed minister; he
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Letter ii (A. D. 1126) to the Monk Adam
To the Monk Adam [3] 1. If you remain yet in that spirit of charity which I either knew or believed to be with you formerly, you would certainly feel the condemnation with which charity must regard the scandal which you have given to the weak. For charity would not offend charity, nor scorn when it feels itself offended. For it cannot deny itself, nor be divided against itself. Its function is rather to draw together things divided; and it is far from dividing those that are joined. Now, if that
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But it is Good for Me to Draw Near to God: I have Put My Trust in the Lord God, that I May Declare all Thy
Psal. lxxiii. 28.--"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." After man's first transgression, he was shut out from the tree of life, and cast out of the garden, by which was signified his seclusion and sequestration from the presence of God, and communion with him: and this was in a manner the extermination of all mankind in one, when Adam was driven out of paradise. Now, this had been an eternal separation for any thing that
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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