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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. God’s presence to his people in the Old Testament

3. God’s presence to his people in the New Testament

4. Analysis of Deuteronomy 4:7

5. Theological message of Deuteronomy 4:7

6. Its relevance to Nigerian society

7. Conclusion
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INTRODUCTION

A prevalent Jewish concept that filled the mind of the people during the exodus to the

promise is Deus otiosus and Deus absconditus. The former is the thought that God has grown weary

from involvement in their affairs thus hidden while the later is a belief that God has run away and is

totally withdraw from them. This is the mindset the Jewish people had that Yahweh is hidden from

them just as Isaiah 45:15 state “Truly, you are a God who hides himself (RSV)1. This is also the

thought I had about God until I had a unique experience while in spiritual year. Through that

experience, I began to see God as one who is ‘ever present’. In this work, I will give an analysis of

the Deut 4:7 which tell us of God’s revelation to his people through his omnipresence. The work also

highlights passages in the scripture (Old and New Testament) where God revealed his presence and

its theological message. Finally I will conclude with its relevance to the Nigerian society and an

overview of the work done.

GOD’S PRESENCE TO HIS PEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

What bible-believing Christian would challenge the truth about the omnipresence of

God? Yet, my fear is that while we believe this doctrine we do not actually sense its validity

in our lives. The scripture is flavoured with soothing words that emphasizes His closeness to

people. Below are few passages in the Old Testament that captures God’s revelation through

his divine presence.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1); “The Lord

of host is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge (Ps 46:7)2

“Yet you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true” (Ps 119:151)3

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Ps

145:18)4

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18)5
1
Sourced from The New Revised Standard Version; Catholic Edition (Bengaluru: Theological Publications in India,
2020) pg 844.
2
Ibid., 603
3
Ibid., 655
4
Ibid., 666
5
Ibid., 593
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“Am I not a God who is nearby, says the Lord and not a God far off?” (Jer 23:23).

GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament also tells us of Gods closeness to his people. This is richly evident in the

Gospels which show the condescension of God in form of man to be among his people in the person

of Jesus Christ. Thus, God’s nearness became more real and empirical; He dwelt amongst us as the

scripture puts it and the meaning of the name Emmanuel was fulfilled as the people saw his glory.

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a

father’s only son, full of grace and truth (Jh 1:14). His promise to be with us is unchangeable as His

word tells us in the Matthew 28:20 while was ascending into heaven that he is with us always even to

the end of the ages.6 God’s nearness to his people cannot be denied.

ANALYSIS ON DEUTETRONOMY 4:7

“For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever

we call to him?” (Deut 4:7 RSV). Moses was instructing the people about the law of the Lord

also reminding them of the great works God did in their midst from the time of slavery in

Egypt and the exodus to the Promised Land. He did this because he knew that he would be

with the people no longer and also to turn their hearts back to God for the Israelites felt that

God was withdrawn from them, they felt He has absconded and was hidden just as a

scriptural passage exclaims “Truly! Yahweh, you are a God who lies hidden” (Is 45:15). But

this was not the case

The whole of chapter four is a discourse on the excellence of the law. This great

discourse has been inserted between the historical retrospective and the superscription to the

law. This discourse gives an interpretation of the exile after the destruction of Jerusalem in

587BCE as a time of ‘serving’ gods who are nothing but ‘wood and stone’ and addresses the

issue of Israel’s ‘return’ to YHWH. It presupposes the prohibition of idols in the Decalogue

and contains an explicit monotheistic confession. Obedience to the ‘statutes and ordinances’

6
Ibid., 34 “…and remember, I am with you always to the end of the ages”
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are defined as rules for life in the land they are to enter into (the promise land) 7. The slow

elaboration of the ‘laws and customs’ culminates in an all-embracing view of the law, which

eventually comes to dominate all Israelite religion and as such to be included in all religious

worship and all human conduct inspired by a growing awareness of the covenant and of the

God who has proposed and ratified it. In the same vein, verse seven gradually evokes the

knowledge of Divine Revelation through the teaching handed down in ancient texts, as also

those afforded by the prophets whereas the other Pentateuchal traditions emphasizes the

distance between God and the human race (cf Ex 23:20). Nevertheless, Deuteronomy calls

attention to the God’s loving intimacy with his people in whose midst he dwells. 8

THE THEOLOGICAL MESSAGE OF DEUTERONOMY 4:7

The Israelite nation is incomparably great because it is also closely connected to its

God. God is the midst of his people (as verse seven avers). It is also a great nation in the

sense that it is closely connected to the Torah (God’s law). This suggests that God’s nearness

and righteousness are closely connected to the law’s nearness and righteousness. The

righteous law being written on the heart and being kept are in some sense a manifestation of

the presence of God.

All solid devotion and devotional practices must be founded upon the truths of faith,

and these truths must be borne in mind when dealing with the nearness of God from an acetic

and devotional point of view. Deuteronomy 4:7 sends a message that there is a God who is

ever-present and is concerned with the affairs of his people.

GOD’S OMNIPRESENCE: The catholic theology teaches us that God is ever near to us, He is not

just “out there”, He is also “in here” working for the good of us and for His glory. He is the God who

is near, transforming the mundane through the divine ministry of his personal presence. Therefore,

the Jewish concept of Deus otiosus and Deus absconditus is rendered obsolete because the God who

created the universe also governs it and inasmuch as He governs it, his presence cannot be

7
Rev Fuller Reginald L.S.S et al, “A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture,” (New York: Thomas Nelson
INC Publishers, 1975)
8
Sourced from The New Jerusalem Bible; Study Edition, (London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd, 1994)pg 229;
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downplayed. So also His nearness to His people is borne out of love and care because He known that

his creatures can do nothing without Him (John 15:5).

THE RELEVANCE OF DEUTERONOMY 4:7 TO NIGERIAN SOCIETY

The relevance of this passage to Nigerian society today cannot be exhausted because our

society of today is plagued with a lot of social ills that makes people begin the doubt even the

existence of God thoughtless of his presence.

KIDNAPPING: This is very prevalent that it has eaten deep into the fabric of our society, the pains,

rejection and maltreatment the victims face is similar to which the Israelites faced while in captivity

in Egypt and the subsequent sorrow they faced on their exodus to the promised land. As a result, the

kidnapped victim losses hope and begins to ask “where is God”, “why has He abandoned me” and

“why has He hidden His face?” this passage of the assurance of God’s nearness will bring it to the

consciousness of the kidnapped that God is there with him, He is always a helper in time of distress

and a refuge to all who call on him.

TERRORISM: this is another ill plaguing the Nigerian society today where bandits popularly

known as Unknown gun men, Boko Haran, Herdsmen go about obstructing the peace of the land and

terminating the lives of the people. In all of these, a typical Nigerian is forced to question the

presence of God because if God is infinitely good and all loving, why does he allow all these evil and

killings? This passage tells us not to fear because the Lord of Host is with us and the God of Jacob is

our refuge (cf Ps 46:7) with God’s presence we shall do bravely and he will deliver us from the hands

of these men just as He did with the people of Israel.

MARGINALIZATION: this is the indiscriminate treatment leveled against citizens of this country.

It cut across tribe, religion and social status in which a group of people from a particular tribe are

being denied the resources to help better their community as such, hunger blooms which lead to
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starvation and death. In the aspect of religion, it is no longer news that Christianity is an endangered

religion in Nigeria, everyday churches are being burnt, priest are being kidnapped and Christians are

seldom denied jobs in state or federal parastatals. On a large note, the poor, the disabled and the

helpless are marginalised and abandoned. They have little or no one coming to their aid. This

message of God’s presence is a call for hope because God listens to their cry and he will save them.

(Ps 145:19)

SPIRITUAL DESOLATION: While reflecting on this passage of the scripture, I saw that

irrespective of being kidnapped or afflicted with evil, one can still doubt the presence and the

closeness of God. I opined this because of the situation I was before ten-days retreat experience- I

was not kidnapped, neither was I undergoing physical sorrow but I still doubted God’s closeness to

me. It was then I realized that even the rich, the powerful and the strong also can be afflicted

spiritually and thus become so desolate that even his so called “might” cannot remedy his situation

unless he is convinced of God’s nearness. This passage is very relevant in the sense that man is

nothing without God, no matter the height he reaches, he must return to God unless he will not be

fulfilled.

CONCLUSION

I feel very privilege and happy to reflect on this passage, I particularly chose it because I have a

special connection to the knowledge of God’s presence and it is a knowledge that I wish to share to

the world at large. God is always close to his people, it is we that leave his presence due to doubt and

attraction to the work of the Devil. However, it is soothing and relieving to know that He is always

waiting for us knocking on the door of our hearts (Revelation 3:20), whenever, we open He will

always come in. the knowledge of this has helped in my journey to the priesthood because whenever

I feel desolate, doubtful and sorrowful due to what I encounter, I always have recourse to this

passage believing that God is there with me for I am not alone (Psalm23).
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BIBLOGRAPHY

Raymond, E. Brown S.S et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary.

(Bengaluru: Theological Publications in India, 2019)

Rev Reginald, Fuller L.S.S et al. A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture.

(New York: Thomas Nelson INC Publishers, 1975).

The New Jerusalem Bible; Study Edition, (London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd, 1994)

The New Revised Standard Version; Catholic Edition.

(Bengaluru: Theological Publications in India, 2020).