a killing God

[Here is the context of the William Gurnall quote that is now at the bottom of every page of this blog. It's from his remarkable work the Christian In Complete Armour. A book that reminds one more than any theology how deep and well the Bible can be read, and how obvious are many things in it that can pass by one so easily. Gurnall's book really is the preeminent book, among non-work books, for the Work Christian.]

The Christian must trust in a withdrawing
God, Isa. 50:10. Let him that walks in
darkness, and sees no light, trust in the name of
the Lord, and stay upon his God. This requires
a holy boldness of faith indeed, to venture into
God's presence, as Esther into Ahasuerus’,
when no smile is to be seen on his face, no
golden sceptre of the promise perceived by the
soul, as held forth to embolden it to come near,
then to press in with this noble resolution, 'If I
perish, I perish,’ Est. 4:16. Nay, more, to trust not
only in a withdrawing but a 'killing God,’ Job 13:15;
not when his love is hid, but when his wrath
breaks forth. Now for a soul to make its
approaches to God by a recumbency of faith,
while God seems to fire upon it, and shoot his
frowns like envenomed arrows into it, is hard
work, and will try the Christian's mettle to
purpose. Yet such a masculine spirit we find in
the poor woman of Canaan, who takes up the
bullets of Christ shot at her, and with a humble
boldness of faith sends them back again in her
prayer.

[Odysseus had a withdrawing god when Athena turned against him and smashed his ships as he was sailing from Troy (after she had been with him throughout the war). But he didn't give up on connection with her, of course, and eventually reconnected when in the most dire straits washed up on the coast of Scheria...(of course starting by getting him off the Island of Calypso).]