SECRET THINGS
SECRET THINGS
Deuteronomy 29:29; Amos 3:1-8; Deuteronomy 27:14,15, Deuteronomy 27:24
One would say a few words in relation to what is secret. The Scriptures indicate that great mysteries are in process of unfolding in our day. Mystery marks both the activities of God, and the activities of evil. Indeed, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.” From the incoming of sin into the universe, many divine activities have been in mystery and we are living in a moment when the mystery of God is about to be completed. The Book of Revelation speaks of the time of the sounding of the trumpet of the seventh angel, when the mystery of God will be completed. That is to say, as I understand it, the great mystery as to why the Omnipotent, the blessed and only Potentate, has ever allowed another will to assert itself against Him. When the seventh angel sounds, the last divine judgment on the world, the mystery of God is completed. What a mystery it has been to men’s minds, and perhaps to angels, that One Who, we know, is omnipotent, should allow anyone to assert his will against God. It is a mystery, but it is soon to be completed.
Then we have the great thought of the mystery of piety, (1 Timothy 3: 16), “Great” says the Apostle, “is the mystery of piety. God has been manifested in flesh.” What a wondrous mystery, known to piety, to those who have to do with God and fear Him, namely, that God has been manifested in flesh. Unknown to this world, to the unregenerate, seen and hated of men, cast out of the world as worthless, but the great mystery of piety is that God has been here in Jesus, and we are in the secret of that mystery as the treasure of our hearts, which holds us in attachment to Christ, now and for ever.
And then the Apostle speaks of the mystery of which he was a minister; “the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Colossians 1: 27). Christ is being formed in the hearts of the saints, particularly those of Gentiles in Colossians, also Jew and Gentile, one body, as in Ephesians — a great mystery, the place that the Church has in relation to Christ.
The Apostle also says, “Behold I show you a great mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” (1 Corinthians 15: 51, 52). God is about to bring that mystery into completion. He is going to secure His people from the grave as well as those who are living, for Christ.
On the other hand, Satan is working in mystery, the mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2: 7.).
It was begun by the serpent, inserted into the moral being of men, the desire to be as gods; and that mystery of evil already works, the Apostle says, until it comes to its head in a man who takes God’s place publicly on earth. Then it is no longer mystery. When God and Christ are displaced in this world publicly, the mystery is out. The secret workings of evil have ever been to usurp the place of God. How little men know it! What a mystery it is, but it already works. Then, dear brethren, Satan has another mystery in that which bears the name of Christ in the great profession of Christianity, the mystery of Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, the abomination of the earth, (Revelation 17: 5). This also is a great mystery. “Mystery” says the Spirit of God, but soon to be manifested — the mother of harlots and abominations.
Well it is with these thoughts in mind that I would like to say a word or two about what is secret in both connections — in connection with what is good secretly, and in connection with what is evil secretly, that our souls might move in relation to one as coming into the blessed secrets of heaven, and that we might separate ourselves more than ever from the other as that which is secretly evil.
The closing words of Moses to Israel, part of which we have read, correspond to the present moment when the Lord’s ministry to the assembly is about to close. He says, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things that are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever.” That is to say, Moses closed his ministry by calling attention to the fact that there are “the secret things” which do not belong to us, which we will never understand, but on the other hand, there are the revealed things which belong to us and to our children for ever. We stand today in a similar position in the ministry the Lord has given in recent times, making clear that there are the hidden things, the secret things which are not ours. I believe many Christians thought that everything there was in existence spiritually, as to God, had been disclosed, but the Lord has made clear that there are the hidden things, and it is well to take this truth into our hearts, so that we might have an ever-increasing sense of the greatness of God and of Christ.
It is clear that there is a realm outside of the heavens and the earth, the abode of Deity from which God humbles Himself to look on the heavens, an uncreated realm, where God resides, so that it is an act of humiliation from that altitude to look on the heavens as well as the earth, but that realm is hidden. No creature ever enters there, no seraph, no cherub, no archangel, no mere man — ever could enter there, but, dear brethren, it exists, and it is for us to recognise that God is eternally invisible, Whom no-one has ever seen or is able to see, to Him be glory for ever and ever! How well for our hearts to recognise that the form of God is hidden, no creature has ever seen it or ever will. Scripture shows that there is “the form of God,” but outside the range of the creature’s eye. It is hidden. Then the relationship between Divine Persons in the past eternity is hidden. Scripture makes clear that Divine Persons were distinct from eternity, that there was glory in that realm where Divine Persons abode from eternity, and that love pervaded all. Scripture makes clear that there was equality between Divine Persons there, but there remains what is hidden, as being beyond the creature, and it is well for us to accept this in the spirit of worship, as realising how infinite God is. Then Who the Son is remains hidden. No one knows Who the Son is. It is well to take into our hearts that besides all we do know and love, and which we worship in the light of, there is what is unknowable in the Son. He has a name written which no man knows but Himself. One of His garments is a cloud. He is clothed in a cloud, indicating inscrutability. As to HIS own personal glory and greatness, there is something there that is hidden and remains hidden from every creature for eternity, but there is what is revealed, and that is ours. The coming of Christ into manhood, has brought God into revelation; the only-begotten Son Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed Him. Scripture makes clear that the distinctive glory that attaches to God stands connected with the Father — “Unto us there is one God, the Father.” That stands for ever. The Son and the Holy Spirit have accepted the place of service to God, while retaining ever their place in the Deity. This is for us — part of what is revealed, and it belongs to us. Thus God is known to us, for He has disclosed to us in Christ in manhood, all that can be disclosed of Himself. Solomon speaks in his song of “Our land” — a most wonderful suggestion. There is a land that Christ says to the assembly is “ours” — where “the voice of the turtle is heard” — the Spirit’s voice is heard” — and where the Lord shares, with His own, everything that it is possible for us to know and enjoy, even the knowledge of His Father and His God.
He says, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” I believe that is the limit of what is revealed. We are on the boundary of the Infinite there. Beyond that is the sphere above all the heavens where Jesus as Man has gone, far above all heavens, but He brings His own into “Our land” to share everything that can be shared by men, even to the knowledge of His Father and our Father, His God and our God. So that the revealed belongs to us. There is a great range of what is revealed that is ours and our children’s, while we recognise that there are also the hidden things beyond the range of the creature eternally — the secret things.
Now, I would say a little about the passage in Amos. There we have this wonderful word that “the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” I would like to commend that word to us. He will do nothing. If He brings evil into the city — (for He says, “Shall there be evil in a city and the LORD hath not done it?”) — or whatever the Lord does, “He will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets” — a most complete statement.
Now, what a place the prophetic ministry has. The Lord says He will do nothing but He will tell the prophets. What is greatly needed is room for the prophetic ministry today, because thus we learn what the Lord is doing. He will not keep one secret from his prophets, and the prophetic ministry is to help us so that we come into the secret of what God is doing. The greatest thing we could know is what God is doing. People talk about what the dictators of Europe are doing, what America is doing, but what is God doing? Is the omnipotent doing nothing? How impossible! What a suggestion that God is not active! He must be active. All His creatures are active, even the tiniest insect. Is not the creator of all the ends of the earth active? He must be active, and He will do nothing but He tells His secrets to His servants, the prophets. That runs through Scripture. If God is going to destroy the ante-diluvian world, He tells Noah that there are 120 years left ere the judgment falls. God tells His prophet He is going to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah. He says of Abraham His prophet, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” If He is going to take His people out of Egypt, He speaks to His prophet Moses, telling him what he is doing. If He will provide a king for His people, one upon whom His eye has been, He will tell Samuel to go down, to the house of Jesse. If He is going to call for a famine for 32 years — that there will be neither rain nor dew, He will tell Elijah. If he is going to take Elijah to heaven, then He tells Elijah, and indeed Elisha and the sons of the prophets share in the knowledge. If He is going to leave His earthly people for 70 years in captivity He tells His prophet Jeremiah. He will do nothing but what He tells His prophets. If, as the God of the heavens, He foresees the deterioration of the Gentile world till it is part of iron and part of clay, He will tell Daniel the prophet His secret. If He will bring Jesus into this world, He will tell Anna the prophetess, He will tell Simeon, a man who is near Him. Indeed, dear brethren, He will do nothing but He will tell His secret to His servants the prophets. I am sure that ere the Lord comes to take the Church, His prophets will know what He is doing. I am not saying they will put any dates to this great matter, but His prophets will know what He is doing, and if we heed the prophetic word, we shall get the gain of it. The thing that matters is to hear His word, to be in touch with what God is doing. He always has those to whom He will tell what He is doing, and their business is to utter the prophetic word and ours to receive it; so that we may be preserved. For by a prophet He brought His people out, and by a prophet they were preserved. Ezekiel looked on a valley of dry bones, all separated one from another. The word came, “Shall these bones live?” and God says “Prophesy,” and as he prophesied bone came to its bone and skin and sinews and flesh, and there stood up a great army here for God through the prophetic word. That is what we need. Where there is disunity, where bones are scattered about, the prophetic word would bring bone to his bone, and bring also skin and flesh. But still it says “there was no breath,” and God says, “Prophesy again, son of man,” and the wind, the breath of life from God, came upon them, and there was a living state by the prophetic ministry. I would urge that we do not set aside what God is saying in this day, as if it did not mean something. It has in view that we should be preserved, that we should be intelligent as to what God is doing, that bone should come to his bone and that there should be life amongst God’s people and not merely what is formal.
There is much more that is secret that God would promote. The Lord indicates the gain of praying in secret, a much needed exercise at the present time. It stands over against long prayers publicly. One great bane amongst the saints, one of the greatest destroyers of spiritual life in the meetings for prayer is long prayers publicly but what is needed is long prayers secretly. I think we could say without much fear that long prayers publicly often disclose short prayers privately. Long prayers privately will make us brief publicly. Let us not apply this to another, for it is one of the greatest weaknesses among us. The Lord indicates the gain of praying in secret. Go into your chamber and shut the door and pray to your Father Who sees in secret. We may spend hours thus, if we can. But can we? Who would not admit his weakness in secret prayer? The Lord would promote it. He would also promote giving in secret, not letting our right hand know what our left hand does. Giving in secret is entirely according to God’s desire, “and your Father which sees in secret will reward you openly,” because what is done in secret does not redound to the credit of the person who does it in the eyes of his fellows; it is only for the eye of God.
I would say a word on the other side as to what is in secret in relation to evil. The passage I read from Deuteronomy 27: 15, indicates what God thinks of those who secretly set up idols, for a curse was pronounced on those who made a graven or molten image and set such up secretly. This is a matter that we must face urgently if we want the blessing of God. As God comes into the secret chambers of our hearts, he looks round for images that are set up secretly. Of course, we do not set them up publicly, but the apostle John recognises the danger of idolatry, and so does Paul, so both speak of this to the saints; not to heathen, not to unbelievers, but to Christians. Let us allow the Lord’s eye to look into the secrets of our lives. Are there any molten or graven images, the work of the craftsman, set up there? That we are controlled by what we love, can be taken as absolutely true, and in the last days the apostle makes clear there would be many things seeking the love of men’s hearts. In the last days it says, “there shall be perilous times, men shall be lovers of themselves.” Self set up, the object of the heart, everything made subservient to it — an a idol; lovers of money, the root of all evil, an idol that displaces God; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. God’s worshippers are lovers of God, but who will deny that devotees of pleasure abound, and are we free? Time and strength and money that the precious interests of Christ should have are often devoted to pleasure. God help us to face this, and add our “Amen” as to what God thinks of idolatry! The word is, “unto us there is one God — the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ.” Let us allow the scrutiny of the divine eye to search us, for the cases of sorrow that arise among us, I fear, have their roots in idolatry. John says, “Children keep yourselves from idols.” So that we have to take account of the secret setting up of idols.
Then we have this word, “Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly.” A very serious matter. There are times when smiting is necessary; when one prophet said to another, “Smite me.” There was a time when Paul the apostle smote Peter, but he did it to his face; not secretly. He warns the Corinthians about whisperings. Whisperings are things said in secret which God hates. The Lord when on trial said, “In secret have I said nothing, I ever spake openly.” That is, as to what He had to say about Caesar and about men, He did not whisper it. He said, “I ever spake openly and in secret I have said nothing.” Many of the sorrows that we are facing at this time lie in secret smitings. The Spirit of God warns us that in conflict we must not smite secretly. No hand must touch what is secret in conflict, or such a hand must be cut off. This warning is specially addressed to women, though we all need it. There is a tendency, and especially with sisters, in conflict to attack through what is secret, and God’s judgment will come upon such as do this. There is that which is secret in many lives which God has covered, and in conflict let no one uncover it, for God’s judgment will come upon such. When matters have to be faced, let us come into the open. God loves to have things in the light.
We were speaking about the Lord not allowing any package to pass through the temple. I appeal to anyone who has a package, something that is covered, which is being brought into the temple, to see that the Lord will not suffer it; He resents it. God’s holy eye, and the eye of Christ is on that package. I would appeal to every heart to take such packages out. Better to have to go out yourself than attempt to bring a package into the house of God, which He will not suffer.
That is all I had in mind. While recognising there is that which is beyond the creature eternally, there is also a vast domain that the Lord would bring before us, even to the edge of the infinite, where we bow down before God in holy worship. Think of eternity, and there is sufficient to fill every heart with eternal joy and satisfaction in what is revealed!
There is the promise of the Lord that He will do nothing but He will reveal His secrets to His servants the prophets, that what the Lord is doing right up to the rapture He will tell His prophets. Prophetic ministry is to bring us into the light and the protection and blessedness of what God is doing.
Then there is secret prayer and secret giving, both acceptable to God and to the Father, Who sees in secret. There is the curse on secret idols, and “Let all the people say ‘Amen’.” There is the curse on smiting anyone secretly, and judgment on touching what God has covered. There is no one exempt from the necessity of facing these matters. It says, “Let all the people say, ‘Amen’.”