Biblical Steganography (the gospel hidden in plain sight)

Posted on by

Steganography has been widely used for centuries, but it has recently become more commonly used to conceal information within computer files for electronic communication. Interestingly, the first example of steganography was actually done by God as recorded in the Bible.

Steganography is the practice of concealing a file, message, image, or video within another file, message, image, or video. The word steganography combines the Greek words steganos (στεγανός), meaning “covered, concealed, or protected”, and graphein (γράφειν) meaning “writing”. –From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them.  From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made.  As a result, people have no excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 GWT)

But the basic reality of God is plain enough.  Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being.  So nobody has a good excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 MSG)

It is not that they do not know the truth about God; indeed he has made it quite plain to them.  For since the beginning of the world the invisible attributes of God, e.g. his eternal power and divinity, have been plainly discernible through things which he has made and which are commonly seen and known,  thus leaving these men without a rag of excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 PHILLIPS)

What has been revealed within the steganography of creation?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth? (Isaiah 40:21)

Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and orders the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar–the LORD of Hosts is His name: (Jeremiah 31:35)

But he has always given evidence of his existence by the good things he does: he gives you rain from heaven and crops at the right times; he gives you food and fills your hearts with happiness.”  (Acts 14:17)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (Psalm 19:1)

But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor? (Isaiah 51:13)

They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’ (Jeremiah 5:24)

Who is this God within steganography of creation?

Anyone who ignorantly worships the true God by any other name, is worshiping the true God, and will be heard by him. God is not a man. He reads the hearts. He knows the thoughts and intentions of man.

But as Scripture says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”  God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me;  I was found by those who did not seek Me.  I said: “Here I am! Here I am!” to a nation that did not call My name. (Romans 10:20)

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.  (Acts 17:23)

Him declare I unto you – I make known to you his name, attributes, etc. There is remarkable tact in Paul’s seizing on this circumstance; and yet it was perfectly fair and honest. Only the true God could deliver in the time of the pestilence. This altar had, therefore, been really reared to him, though his name was unknown. The same Being who had interposed at that time, and whose interposition was recorded by the building of this altar, was He who had made the heavens; who ruled over all; and whom Paul was now about to make known to them. There is another feature of skill in the allusion to this altar. In other circumstances it might seem to be presumptuous for an unknown Jew to at tempt to instruct the sages of Athens. But here they had confessed and proclaimed their ignorance. By rearing this altar they acknowledged their need of instruction. The way was, therefore, fairly open for Paul to address even these philosophers, and to discourse to them on a point on which they acknowledged their ignorance. –Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (John 4:22)

What is the steganography hiding?

If you try to achieve your own righteousness, you are doing what Lucifer did when he said, “I will be like the most high.” If you try to be acceptable to God by your own works, you are doing what Cain did when he sacrificed his best crops to the Lord. All these self-righteous workers will die and go to hell. And, strangely, they will be the most shocked of all.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus Christ warned us this would happen. He promised the Holy Spirit would come into the world. But, men love darkness rather than light, so they turn away from him.

“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. (John 16:5-11)

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:18-21)

Related Posts: