HF142 - The Hidden Things of the Lord
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Sunday, July 17, 2005
Subject: Bible Study HF142 - The Hidden Things of the Lord
Hebraics,
David said, "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant." (Ps25:14 NASB)
Here is the same Scripture in the Amplified Bible: "The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning."
Is that not something to think about? In this study we want to consider some of the 'deep inner' meanings of the covenant, with a view what it means to be born from above, and also how the issue of 'hiddenness' remains a constant in the life of a believer. Some of the terms we will consider in the study are secret, hiddenness, overshadowing, and 'the hidden person of the heart.'
This is Bible Study HF142 - The Hidden Things of the Lord.
The early Christian writers had a concept of the new birth in which they said that when a person is born from above it is like Christ being born afresh in the heart of the believer. This is an interesting concept. But does it have foundation in the Scriptures. Perhaps it does. Consider the following:
"My little children, with whom I am in labor until Christ is formed in you..." (Gal4:19)
"No one who is born of God sins [by way of nature and life], because His seed abides in him; and he cannot [continue in] sin, because he is born of God." (1Jn3:9)
The afore Scriptures may arouse more questions than answers, so let's go on to the case of the new birth. To appreciate what being 'born from above' means, we can draw in part from the conception and birth of Jesus Christ. He is called the firstborn of many brethren.
Mary wanted to know how it was possible for her to become with child, without knowing a man. Gabriel said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) In other words this overshadowing will result in divine generation. But it will be done in hiddenness, that is, it will be done in secret.
While Jesus Christ is uniquely God's Son, that is, the only one of His kind, (this is what monogenees means), yet the language used by Gabriel reflects on our own spiritual make-up. Every person born from above is uniquely a 'holy offspring' of God. It is this very sense that makes Christianity is not a religion, but, rather, the very family of God.
The term 'overshadow' is a key term. The Greek word 'episkiazo' simply speaks of someone's shadow passing over. It is used when Peter's shadow passed over the peoples with the resulting healings that took place. However, in a spiritual sense the word itself does not mean darkness as with the casting of a shadow. Rather it speaks of hiddenness. The overshadowing of our birth from above expresses God's hidden influence.
The Greek 'eposkiazo' continues with the meaning of 'to obscure'. The overshadowing of the Spirit is not a thing that can be noted by the senses. Its influence is to be seen by its result. Jesus drew attention to this in saying, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn3:8)
Again the idea is 'secretness,' or 'hiddenness.' You cannot see, feel, or hear anything that would identify the moment of our birth from above. It is a secret of the heart. It is done in recluse, in secret, that is, in the deep of the human spirit. Peter refers to this deepness as the 'hidden person of the heart.' David gives us an idea of this hiddenness in Psalm 139:13-16. Listen and you will hear something that closely resembles the new birth process:
"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them."
In my testimony on the Christian Challenge site, I speak of a moment in time when I was born of God's Spirit. It was a secret moment of the heart. From that moment in time the very center of being changed. (http://www.christianchallenge.org/staff/testimony.htm.)
There is an issue of our birth from above that needs to be considered. Jesus was conceived in a point of time. His birth was also at a point in time. Both points in time are dependant upon one another, yet they are separated by a space of time. I believe this can be very much the same for every person born of God. This means that the seed of salvation can be planted in a person long before the moment of their actual spiritual birth.
Let's leave all that for now and come to the second issue of our study in how the hiddenness of the Lord becomes a constant in the life of every believer. The point at hand is that everything the Lord initiates in our life will always begin in a spiritual form. Paul said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Eph1:3)
The same apostle brings this out even further. Listen again: "Just as it is written, 'Things which eyes has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.' For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1 Co 2:9-13)
For God's new covenant children, the secret and sacred place of God's indwelling is in the their own hearts. This does not mean that God cannot be elsewhere. What it does mean is that the deepest work of God, that is, the disclosures, the directives, the revelations, the secret counsels, and all the true workings of God will find their place in the quietness of our human spirit. God's work is in hiddenness.
These secret counsels are summed up in what Jesus said concerning His sheep. He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish..." (Jn10:27,28)
This is also what Jesus was teaching when He told his followers not to get caught up in the trappings of religion or of emotionalism. He said, "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matt6:6)
There it is. The key word is 'secret.' This word in the Greek (kruptos) again speaks of hiddenness. It is used elsewhere for 'SECRETS of his heart.' Thus there is a secret place in the deepest part of our human make-up where we share communion with the Lord Jesus Christ by and in His Spirit. Paul affirms this in saying, "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him." (1Co6:17)
Peter uses this same word [kruptos] with regard to something that is precious in the sight of God. He says, "Your adornment must not be merely external --- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the HIDDEN [kruptos] person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." (1Pe3:3,4) We have a secret room. It is in our very heart. In our hearts is our secret life.
The point is that in the new covenant the human heart becomes the holy of holies. Certainly God fills all of eternity, yet His special dwelling place with His children is in their very hearts. Where does He speak? In the hearts of His children. Peter implied that it is in quietness of spirit that we hear the best. It is the adornment of quietness that is precious in God's sight.
Pay attention to when and where your special enlightenments from God come. It is not almost always in quiet moments, or in moments of heart worship. (Worship in Greek means to kiss.) It is in these close moments of divine communion that the Spirit of God reveals something to our heart.
Here is where I need to make a point. It is a sad thing when I see some of God's precious children attempting to live in the new covenant on an old covenant level. (I've said this often.) The reason for this misadventuring of God's people is due to a faulty understanding of the realities of the new covenant. God's people fail to understand the spiritual realities of their own covenant walk. And because of misteaching they often are afraid to trust their own relationship with Jesus Christ. Thus they continually seek out others to speak into their lives. Of course these folk are fair game more misguidance by so-called prophets.
It is not that I wish to sound negative, but there is a fact that remains. What was it David said? He said, "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant." This is such a rich statement. Keep in mind that David often spoke in a prophetic-perfect, which means he experienced by transformed reality the things that he saw. For example when David said, "Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory," he was speaking of actually seeing Jesus Christ.
The term 'secret of the Lord' expressly speaks of secret counsel, or the secret of His purposes, or the very secrets of God's heart. This is the very thing that Paul said; "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."
There is so much more to be said about the hidden things of the Lord. Is this something you would like to know more about? Feel free to make observations or ask questions. Let me know if this study speaks to your heart.
The Lord bless you,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)