Is God's presence good?

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What does the Bible mean when it says the presence of God? 

Sometimes in Scripture, the phrase “the presence of God” is used to comfort believers. Nearing death, Isaac implored Esau, “Bring me some game and prepare a savoury dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death” (Gen. 27:7). 

In his grand psalm of victory, David rejoiced, “O God, when Thou didst go forth before Thy people when Thou didst march through the wilderness, the earth quaked; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel” (Ps. 68:7–8). 

Reassuring Zacharias about the birth of John the Baptist, the angel said, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news” (Luke 1:19). 

To a crowd of Jews outside the Temple shortly after Pentecost, Peter implored, “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). The writer of Hebrews assures us of Christ’s appearing in heaven on our behalf “in the presence of God” (Heb. 9:24).

But in most cases, “the presence of the Lord” has to do with God’s severity, often in judgment. 

Near the beginning of the psalm quoted above, David exclaims, “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before God” (Ps. 68:2; cf. 97:5; 114:7). 

When Christ returns in judgment, unbelievers “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9).

When Paul wrote to Timothy - he speaks of the presence of the eternal God. Paul solemnly charges the church at Ephesus not to wrangle about words, which is useless. 

Paul was not speaking about immature wrangling over secondary matters, disruptive as that can be. Wrangle about words carries the idea of waging a war of words, in this instance with false teachers, who are later described as “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). 

Such deceivers use human wisdom and reason to undermine God’s Word, and believers are not to debate with them, especially within the church.


Author: MacArthur, J. 

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