Section 2
doings, what he has observed happen to Israel under the hand of God, what he has beheld of the experiences of God's people—all these obser vations have forced the prophet to acknowledge that God is a God who hides Himself. Why did Isaiah come to this conclusion? If you read his book through, you will discover. It was because God did countless things in the midst of the children of Israel and countless things in their personal lives, yet He concealed Himself. He was ceaselessly working, yet He was always hidden. Very much was being done by Him, yet the Isra elites were utterly ignorant as to who the doer was. Then one day Isaiah exclaimed, "Surely You are a God who hides Himself, O God."
Our personalities are diametrically opposed to God's personality. He likes concealment, we like display; He does not crave outward mani festations, we cannot be content without them. This divine disposition constitutes a great trial and test to us.
"Elijah was a man of like feeling with us," and he did not stand this test. On Mount Car mel God was obviously with him; but when God withheld His manifest presence, Elijah could not bear it. He became depressed and crept into a cave. When God asked him, "What doest thou