Secret and Revealed Things

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.   (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Moses is speaking here, solemn words addressed to the Israelites on his last day on earth.

We always pay close attention to people's last words.

He is saying that some things God keeps silent about, but the things He does reveal to us are to be obeyed, and passed down to future generations.

Why? "That we may follow all the words" of His law.

Jesus expressed the same sentiment in His last day on earth.

The disciples asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He answered, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority..."
(Acts 1:6-7)

He continued in verse 8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We are not to focus on the ends times and those "secret things that belong to God," but we are to obey His revealed will.

Those were His last words before He was taken from them and ascended into heaven.

He had already explained that to His disciples, saying, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36).

But God is not silent about all His plans.

"The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes
His covenant known to them" we read in Psalm 24: 14.

And Isaiah 42:9 tells us, "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

There are many examples of God disclosing His intentions in Scripture: from Noah, and Abraham, through the prophets in the Old Testament, and many in the New Testament. Examples of His "confiding in those who fear Him."

We often experience His confiding in us in our lives , giving us a glimpse of that is happening, giving us eyes to see His hand at work and ears to hear the mysterious rumblings around us.

But the exact details of the last days are not for us to know.

What does He want us to know?

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches.

"But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:24).

That's pretty clear. He wants us to know Him, not just understand about Him, and notice His kindness, justice and righteousness.....for in these He delights.

God's character is revealed to us in Scripture and that is what we are supposed to know and pass down to the next generations.

We know from His Word that He is holy, loving, merciful, all-knowing, sovereign over all, demands our worship and that He relentlessly pursues us.

And we know how He wants us to live. It's all right here in His Book of Knowledge, the Scriptures.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)



He has given us everything we need for  godliness....so that we can participate in His divine nature...

That's what He wants us to know.

We'll see the details of His final plans later, when we will witness them with our own eyes!