Where is the Secret Place of the Most High?

If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.

Long post alert.

The Bible is full hidden meanings and secret codes. Every punctuation, letter, number - everything is deliberately organised to perfection by our Perfect God. David wrote of Him in Psalm 92—

"5 What mighty miracles and Your power at work, just to name a few. Depths of purpose and layers of meaning saturate everything You do. 6 Such amazing mysteries found within every miracle that nearly everyone seems to miss."

And how to not miss out on these amazing mysteries? Christ tells us in Matthew 6:30- 33 (MSG)—

“…Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

Don’t worry about missing out. Trust Christ to order your steps and all your needs will be met. And this we do by Grace, so ask, beloved.

Thank God that our life is "Tis no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me." As God gives us Grace to trust Him more, we get to see the beauty of His Word in action. So, where is the secret place of the Most High? A quick background:

There's a principle called "The First Mention Principle" in Biblical hermeneutics aka the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. The principle shows that:

"God indicates in the first mention of a subject the truth with which that subject stands connected in the mind of God." 

For example, every Bible scholar will tell you that 5 (five) is the number of Grace. The first appearance of "Grace" in the entire Bible is tied to the fifth time Noah's name was mentioned in the Bible: Genesis 6:8-

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." 

The fifth time Ruth's name is mentioned in the Book of Ruth is where we find the first mention of “Grace” in the book of Ruth. See Ruth 2:2-

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

The fifth time the name of David is mentioned in 1 Samuel is tied to “Grace”—

“And Saul sendeth unto Jesse, saying, `Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.' 1 Samuel 16:22

All were beneficiaries of God's undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour (Grace.) These examples barely scratch the surface of the layers of meaning hidden in God's word. For now, let's consider Psalm 91:1-

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

See the Complete Jewish Bible version: "You who live in the shelter of ‘Elyon, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai"

Two names of God appear in this one verse: Most High ('Elyon) and Almighty (Shaddai.) Find where each name is first mentioned and what lies in-between and you'll find "the secret place of the Most High." So let's see where they are first mentioned:

The first mention of God as the "Most High" or "Elyon" is found in Genesis 14:18, when Melchizedek (literally King of Righteousness) brought forth what is for us today, a picture of the Holy Communion: 

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God."

The CJB says: "Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen of El ‘Elyon [God Most High],"

Next, the first mention of God as "Almighty" or "Shaddai" is found in Genesis 17:1- 

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect."

See the CJB: "When Avram was 99 years old Adonai appeared to Avram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai [God Almighty]. Walk in my presence and be pure-hearted."

Recall: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

Recall “The Principle of First Mention”? 

Recall that the first mention of "Most High" is in Genesis 14 and the first mention of "God Almighty" Genesis 17?

Something happened to Abraham in Genesis 14 - when he knew God as "Most High" and Genesis 17 when God revealed Himself to him as "God Almighty." That "something" is found within the pages of Genesis 15 and Genesis 16. In these two chapters is where we find "the secret place of the Most High." It is a state of being. Our standing before God in Christ Jesus. Thankfully, everyone who UTTERLY has Christ as their Righteousness and Strength dwells in His secret place by default so let’s see the secret place of the Most High in Genesis 15-16.

Happy reading! 

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In Genesis 15 is where God declared Abraham righteous apart from works- 

“Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6.

God declared Abraham righteous in His sight long before he did the work of offering Isaac at Mt. Moriah, and because of his believing alone. When Abraham connived with Sarah to sleep with Hagar in a bid to hurry God's promise along, when he lied to Abimelech about the matter of Sarah being his wife in order to save his own neck, God still saw him as righteous- because He believed God. This is a picture of we who are like “believing Abraham” today; in Christ, God sees us as righteous, “even though we are guilty of many sins.” This is not so that we should continue to wallow in sins as antichrist pastors who challenge Christ by thinking that they have any good in them as to produce a smidgen of good (be like God) when Christ says “There is none good but God.” According to God’s word, it is so that we should live in triumph over sin and death through Jesus Christ—

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.

Abraham received God’s righteousness as a gift and went on to do exploits by God's Grace. When your believing is right, right living will follow.

In the same Genesis 15 is where we find God making a covenant with Abram. Abram was a sleeping partner in this Agreement. In ancient middle-eastern traditions, the parties to a covenant would walk through the bloodied carcass of slain animals to consummate their covenant.

God knew that man cannot keep his end of the bargain or "play his part" in order to partake in or reap the benefits of the agreement. The arm of flesh (human effort) will fail. So God put Abram to sleep and Another — our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — passed through the covenant elements on our behalf as Abram slept: where we failed, He took the blame. Genesis 15:17 tells us:

"a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces."

All have sinned. Christ paid the penalty for our failure. This is how come we who believe in Him have the Blessed Assurance of God's everlasting love as well as His irrevocable and eternal salvation through Christ Jesus as it is written in Romans 5:9-

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

In essence, Genesis 15 shows us that dwelling in the secret place of the Most High entails believing that through our belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, like believing Abraham, we have everlasting Righteousness that is apart from works.

But what about Genesis 16? Here is where we find Sarah and Abraham being unable to wait for their salvation from fruitlessness/childlessness; much like how many churchgoers cannot wait for God's salvation from their sins, addictions, earthly ills and shortcomings in general and resort to human effort at obedience (law-keeping) in a bid to bear the fruit of godliness (be like God.) By all means, we live godly lives KNOWING and BELIEVING that it is by God's Grace alone, and NEVER in a bid to enter into the blessed position of "righteous” and “highly favoured” by God which Christ suffered and died for us to freely have. Any righteous act that man does by his human effort (arm of flesh) in a bid to get into God’s good graces is an abomination to Him according to Isaiah 64:6–

“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Sarah and Abraham decided to hurry God's promise along by their own will-power; young and fertile Hagar was given to the still-virile Abraham so that they could bear fruit, this after God had already promised them that Sarah herself would bear the fruit of Isaac through His power. In Galatians 4, Hagar and Sarah are typified as the two covenants - Law and Grace. Galatians 4:24 -

“This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants:…”

Abraham here is a picture of Faith. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to help her give birth to or raise/train Isaac (the church- you and I in Christ.) Grace is sufficient. Grace is Enough. Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Ishmael was born according to the flesh aka "in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise." He was the result of Sarah and Abraham’s human attempt at bearing fruit through Hagar (Law) in a bid to bring to pass God's promise to them that they would bear fruit; this is a type or picture of churchgoers claiming to be saved by Grace through Faith yet are still trying to keep the law and are doing righteous deeds in order to bear the fruit of godliness or make God's promise come to pass in their lives.

Isaac did not arrive until Abraham and Sarah knew 100% that they were POWERLESS to bear fruit by themselves. For us today, Christ says in John 15:5-

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

See The Passion Translation: “I am the sprouting vine and you’re My branches. As you live in union with Me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from Me you are powerless.”

He also tells us through Paul in Romans 5:6- 

"For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate His love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves."

In reality, everyone is as helpless and powerless as one can be when it comes to bearing the God kind of fruit. Those human attempts at bearing fruit and "good works" which many think they are producing by their own efforts (akin to having a relationship with Hagar the law) and expect God to bless them for, they are like Ishmael- a product of young and fertile Hagar (aka human effort at bearing fruit/law-keeping) and are not recognized by God. This is how come God did not recognize Ishmael as a "united" son of Abraham in Genesis 22:2-

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

We all know that Isaac was not Abraham's only son. Ishmael was older and still alive. He and Isaac buried their father Abraham together. God telling Abraham — “Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac" — it is to show we who believe in Jesus that any (even seemingly righteous) act that is borne of human attempts at bearing fruit to God or getting Him to bless aka having a relationship with the law (Hagar) is not recognized by God. It emanates from the sinful nature. 

Isaac did not arrive until Abraham and Sarah knew 100% that they were utterly POWERLESS to bear fruit by themselves. This is why it is difficult for a true believer in Christ to boast that:

"I sowed my car and God gave me a jet" or 

"God blessed me with riches and a child because I paid tithe and washed children's toilet." 

We know that we are utterly powerless to produce anything. Christ does it all. For all that we do, we know it is Christ so our boast is in Him alone. For example, this piece I am writing. Not me but Christ in me. So He is my boast. 

Beloved of God, let’s take our blessed brains to church. Many people out there who don't even know God much less Jesus are wildly/materially successful. The idol-worshipping Philistines and others who lived in the time of Abraham and Sarah were having kids by the bucketloads. The king of Gerar whom Abraham lied to concerning the matter of Sarah sent Abraham on his way with riches. Even non-believers enjoy God’s goodness freely. Let’s stop associating our Heavenly Father in Christ with that horrid and abominable "trade-by-barter" insult that glorifies human effort aka arm of flesh in the pursuit of God’s freely-given blessings in Christ. All that such works produce is Hagar-type fruit that is weak and cannot cause one to inherit the promise of God, like Ishmael. God's mercy falls on both the righteous and the wicked; the difference between we who wholly trust in Christ as our Righteousness and Strength and religious folk who trust in themselves to do righteous deeds in order to get God to bless (aka “the world” like religious elite Nicodemus in John 3) is that "the blessings of God makes one rich and adds no sorrow with it, neither does it come with toiling." 

Good works (the Isaacs that we who trust Christ produce) are not CONDITIONS for righteousness or salvation. They are the EVIDENCES of God's gift of righteousness and His salvation in our lives. Like old Abraham and doubly-barren Sarah who is a picture of the new covenant of Grace, we know that we are utterly powerless to produce any fruit (godly living and good works.) So, for all the benefits that we receive from God and all of the good works that we do, Christ gets ALL the glory.

Genesis 15 -16 hold the answer to where "the secret place of the Most High" is. It is a state of being: 

It is knowing that, as it was with Abraham whom God declared righteous because of his believing, there is absolutely nothing that man can do in order to be righteous in God's sight save believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 15.)

It is knowing that we can only bear fruit (produce good) that is acceptable to God when we realise how utterly barren and powerless we are to produce fruit (good works) by our human strength and trust utterly in Christ who is the embodiment of Grace - undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.

In summary, recall The Principle of First Mention? Also recall Psalm 91:1-

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

The first mention of God as the "Most High" or "Elyon" is found in Genesis 14:18. The first mention of God as "Almighty" or "Shaddai" is found in Genesis 17:1. What happened in the chapters in-between (Genesis 15 & 16) which is explained above hold the key to the location of the secret place of the Most High:

That state of being where we trust in Christ as our Righteousness: where we have utterly renounced self (human strength) and forsaken our silly efforts to become righteous by doing righteous deeds like believing Abraham who was declared righteous by God on account of his believing in Genesis 15; that place where we utterly rest in Christ's finished work for our salvation from whatever reflects barrenness or lack of fruit in any facet of our lives like Sarah in Genesis 16 — beloved, that is the secret place of the Most High. It is simply having Christ as our Righteousness and Strength. It is the permanent standing of every true believer in Christ. In fact, being in that position is what it means to be a Christian. Anything apart from that is a different gospel.

Beloved, why not let Christ love you into wholeness? Let’s stop being like the older brother of the prodigal son who thought that he was righteous by himself and was angry at the Father’s demonstration of His lavish love (Grace) to his returnee son. He even told the Father that he NEVER transgressed against Him! Basically called the Father a liar because God’s word says “…all have sinned and fall short…” The same mindset of the older brother is held by religious folk who think they can keep the law and cannot imagine a sinner waltzing into the Father’s presence to enjoy God’s goodness just like that. Such cannot freely receive because they do not believe that the Father freely gives, so they want the helpless sinner who believes to fast and obey in order to earn that robe (of righteousness,) the rest of the gifts and the fatted calf which the Father freely gave to his lost but found son! Beloved, if this is you, Christ shows us God’s heart of love for us in that parable. Only when we freely receive can we freely give. 

Beloved, that kind of attitude of “I can at least keep some laws” which Peter had is what opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ says “There is none good but God.” Christ gave His life to be our Good. If any is standing, it is as a result of God’s mercy in preventing Satan from sifting him like wheat into horrid sins or Job-type calamities. No one is good but God. So let he that is standing take heed lest he fall. We all need God’s saving Grace to stand to the same degree— utterly. His shed blood is the only difference between “the righteous” and “the wicked.” 

So ask for Grace to know and believe Christ, beloved. Even the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives and is immediately elevated in Christ into the secret place of the Most High: having Jesus Christ as our Righteousness and Strength.