God Hides Things
Concerning information and knowledge, our Awesome God has a different problem than we do.
Man has to search to find only what God will reveal, but God, who knows all, has to hide all the things that He doesn't want men and angels to know.
God knows everything, and has to hide certain things from man and Satan and the angels in order for His plan to develop the way He wants it to. As Col. 2:3 states, “In God is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Proverbs 25:2 states that "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
In a nutshell, I find that God's plan is to:
1. Glorify Himself
2. Demonstrate His many faceted wisdom to men and angels.
3. To bring many new sons into glory.
It is easy for God to reveal something to man or angels, but often much more difficult to “hide” the things necessary to bring His plan to fruition.
Here are some of the passages I find, where God is said to “hide” things, in order for His plan to work:
Concerning Salvation:
1. Matt 11:25 “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight”.
Luke 10:20-22 and Matt 11:21-26 teach that salvation itself is hidden from all except those God chooses to reveal it to. The following verses describe the details:
a. John 6:65“Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father”.”
b. John 6:44 No one can come to the father unless they are drawn, and all that are drawn come.
c. John 17:2 &9 Jesus has power over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given (Greek perfect tense, past completed action with continuing results) Him. And, Jesus is not praying for the world (the perishing world) but for the ones the Father has already given (Greek perfect tense, past completed action with continuing results) Him (the elect).
d. Acts 13:48 When the gentiles heard the gospel (good news) the ones who had been ordained (Greek perfect tense, past completed action with continuing results) to eternal life believed.
e. Luke 10:22 No man knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son will reveal the Father to. (Jesus is in charge of who believes.)
- Jesus was selective in where He and His disciples proclaimed the Gospel:
Matt. 11:21-23, TyreSidon and Sodom would have repented if he had preached there - but He didn't.
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty
works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at
the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought
down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had
been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
- We see the same principal in the Old Testament:
In Eze. 3: 5-7, God told Ezekiel that the house of Israel would not listen to his words, but if He had sent Ezekiel to the gentiles, they would have listened.
Concerning the Nation of Israel, who rejected Christ:
1. Luke 19:42 Saying, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes”.
2. John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”.
3. John 12:40 “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them”.
4. Rom 11:7 “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded”.
Concerning the Church Age, and the removal of the Church – the Rapture:
- Eph. 3:9 & 10, The "Church Age" entered as a mystery hidden in Christ.
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
2. 1 Cor. 2:7 & 8, The Cross and resultant Church Age was hidden from men and Satan. "If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory."
3. 1 Cor. 15:51, The Rapture of the Church is a "mystery" teaching, hidden from all but the ones God reveals it to.
51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”.
4. 2 Thess 2:11 – 13 States that God will “delude” the world so that they will “explain away” the Rapture:
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
In Mark 4:10-12, Jesus stated that the reason He spoke in parables was so that the “outsiders” would not understand:
Mark 4:10-12 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
God has a plan. This is not our plan that we live in, we live in God's plan!
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Pet. 5:6
Bob Jones