Secret Things
1. I Have A Secret
I have a secret! I can't tell you, but I can tell you why I can't tell you. Michael just began teaching his 14th year at Hayworth Christian School. Every year I have enjoyed making a special Christmas ornament for each of his students. I look and look each year until I find the perfect project. I like to make something different each year. That makes it special. Saturday we went to Hobby Lobby and I found what I have been looking for. You may think it is too early to think about Christmas, but I like to be able to work on them leisurely, and not have to rush to get them done in December. So, I have a secret. I can't tell you what I found, but I believe that kids will like them. Our verse for this theme is "He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." (Daniel 2:22) Let's look at a few of the secret things in the Bible.
2. King Nebuchadnezzar Had A Secret Dream
I just started reading the book of Daniel. Reading the second chapter was one of the reasons I decided on our theme, "Secret Things". The words, "secret" and "secrets", are found in this chapter 9 times. Daniel and his three friends had been carried away captive to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him and he asked all the wise men to interpret the dream. He was going to kill them all, if no one could tell him what the dream meant. The problem was, he forgot the dream. Notice in verse 11 that the wise men agreed that only the gods could reveal this secret, but their dwelling was not with man. Daniel served the one and only living God. Would God reveal the secret to Daniel? Let's look tomorrow and find out.
"10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain." (Daniel 2:10-13)
3. Daniel Praised God For Revealing The Secret Things
Daniel went to the king and told him that he would interpret the dream. He had faith that God would answer his prayer. Then, he asked his three friends to pray and God showed him the dream and what it meant. After God answered his prayer he thanked God and praised Him. This is a good example for us to follow. When we need God to show us which path to take, or give us an answer for what is hidden from us, we can follow these steps. First, Daniel had faith that God would answer his prayer. Then he asked his friends to help him pray over the answer. And after God showed him the secret, he gave thanks and praised God. When our way seems dark and we don't know what to do, remember that "He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." (Daniel 2:22)
"16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter." (Daniel 2:16-23)
4. There Is A God In Heaven
How many times has God revealed something to us and we didn't give Him the honor and praise? Daniel went in before King Nebuchadnezzar and he could have declared himself to be a super special wise man, but look at how he answered the king. "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;" (Daniel 2:27-28) When the task before me seems impossible, I must remember, "there is a God in heaven." When we have tried everything possible to pay that unexpected bill, we need to remember, "there is a God in heaven." If you are at a cross-road in life and don't know which direction to take, remember, "there is a God in heaven." And He is a God that revealeth secrets!
"24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." (Daniel 2:24-30)
5. King Nebuchadnezzar Acknowledged The God Of Daniel
I want to go back to the beginning of the book of Daniel. He had been carried away captive with the Children of Israel, to Babylon, by King Nebuchadnezzar.
"4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." (Daniel 1:4-5 & 8)
Daniel was in a strange land. He was separated from his father and mother, if they were still living. He could have bowed himself to the ways and gods of the land, but "He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." Verse 20 tells us that the king found Daniel and his three friends to be ten times better and wiser than all the wise men in his kingdom. Daniel's faithfulness to God has helped him. He interpreted the king's dream about the great image, with King Nebuchadnezzar being the head of gold. The king, who served many false gods, recognized the God of Daniel to be "God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets..." You may be trying to serve God in a workplace where you feel like you are the only Christian. Don't give up! Keep following God! If you are going off to school there will be temptations to follow the crowd. Stay faithful to your Lord! Your life may be the only witness those around you see.
"47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king." (Daniel 2:47-49)
6. The Secret Things Belong To God
I was talking to Pastor Tripp last Sunday and I told him that a verse he had used in a recent sermon was part of my inspiration for writing on "Secret Things." The verse is Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Things happen in our lives that are secret. Things that we don't understand. We got some discouraging news and we don't know what to do. We have been praying about it, and waiting, and now the answer was not what we had hoped. I guess this is one of those secret things that belongs to God. It is hard when we don't understand why things happen the way they do. But, our God is a loving God and He is still in control. He doesn't always reveal His plan to us. And He has never failed us, so I will try not to get discouraged, and keep my faith in Him. Maybe some of these troublesome times are to strengthen our faith.
7. We Share Secrets With Friends
One of the things Pastor Tripp said in our short discussion about "Secret Things" was that we often share secrets with friends. Since Abraham is called the Friend of God in James 2:23, can you imagine the secrets God shared with him? We have been looking in the book of Daniel, and if you read towards the end of the book you will find many secrets abour the end of time that God revealed to Daniel. Secrets so astounding that Daniel could not even comprehend the fullness of their meaning. He tried to ask about them, and God told him that he had heard enough. "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:8-9) Why did God show Daniel so much? I think the answer lies in the following three verses. Daniel was called a man "greatly beloved". God also loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. But, I believe that Daniel is called "greatly beloved" due to the love he had for God. How can we get closer to God? "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..." (James 4:8)
"At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." (Daniel 9:23)
"And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." (Daniel 10:11)
"And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me." (Daniel 10:19)
8. God Will Judge All Our Secrets, Good Or Bad
When we think about secrets we like to think of birthday surprises or Christmas presents. One year we went to White Lake for a few days and it rained all three days we were there. The morning we checked out we saw that the next two days were supposed to be warm and beautiful. We decided to drive to the beach and surprise the kids. They were all gloomy for the ride, but one looked up finally and said, "This looks like the bridge to Long Beach." That may have been the most memorable secret we ever kept from them. We had a wonderful two days at the beach. We like happy secrets! But, some secrets are not good. King Solomon discussed much about life in Ecclesiastes. I like his conclusion. God knows every work we do, and every secret we have, "whether it be good, or whether it be evil." This should make us want to "Fear God, and keep his commandments."
"13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
9. A Mystery
When I was in elementary school and our class went to the library, I liked to look in the Mystery section for books to read. I enjoyed reading them and trying to figure out the mystery. There are some mystery series of movies that I like to watch on television. Finding out the mysteries are like discovering the secrets, to uncover the mystery. Did you know that there are mysteries in the Bible? Jesus told His followers that He spoke in parables to show them the mysteries of God. "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:" (Mark 4:11) Paul also spoke of the mysteries of Christ. "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" (Romans 16:25-26) I am sure he gave comfort to the people when he spoke these words to the church at Corinth. "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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." (I Corinthians 15:51-52) I want to close with Ephesians 5:32, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Today is the Lord's day. If you are able, I hope that you have a Bible believing church that you can attend. Go to God's house and learn more of the mysteries of Christ. Have a blessed Sunday!
10. The Best Kept Secret
Michael and I have T-shirts that read, "I'm a whosoever... John 3:16" I didn't take pictures of him after his heart surgery, when things were so bad, but for Christmas I wanted to post a photo for family and all the friends who were praying for him. I thought our red "Whosoever" shirts would be good, so I wore mine and took his to the hospital. We celebrated Christmas in the rehab center at the hospital. When he went to rehab I was sad to discover the best kept secret. Some people asked us, "What's a whosoever?" I was surprised at first, that there are people living in my town that have never heard John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When I was young I thought everyone knew John 3:16. It gave us the perfect opportunity to share God's Word with them. I prayed that day that God's Word would not return void, and they would seek to learn more from the Bible. We have the best news ever! Jesus died to save lost sinners like me! But, to some it is a secret that they have never heard. Not just in foreign lands, but in our towns. That is a shame. Jesus wants us to share the good news. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) I really believe that the Lord will soon call His children home. We need to use every opportunity to tell the world that Jesus saves! Don't keep it a secret!
11. Kindness And Compassion
Our verses today are a reminder to be kind and compassionate. I am including this in our "Secret Things" chapter because we don't know the secrets that others are bearing. The person moving so slowly in front of you may have an illness and experience pain with each step. The lady checking out your groceries, who can't seem to keep her mind on what she is doing, may have sick children at home. The young person who always seems so tired and sad may be helping to carry a heavy load at home. The elderly one who is losing his memory may be living in fear. We don't know the secrets others bear, of abuse, or loneliness, or hunger. Secrets. You probably have secrets in your life that no one knows. Be kind. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32) Have compassion. It could make a difference in someone's life. "And of some have compassion, making a difference:" (Jude 22)
12. Secret Prayers
One of the things I like about social media is how easy it is to post, and read prayer requests. I can go online and ask my friends to pray for me, or ask them to pray on behalf of someone special to me. I can explain my request, or I can just let others know that I need prayer. I feel honored when someone lets me know that he or she prayed for me. It is a blessing to have such concerned friends. James 5:16 tells us to "pray one for another." But, some times we have such secret prayer requests that we don't feel like we can share it with anyone. Jesus talked about going into a prayer closet and praying in secret. I know a little boy who was talking about closets and he said that his Dad went into the closet to pray. This Dad prays in secret, but what a tremendous influence he has on his child. It is wonderful when we pray in restaurants and can be a witness to those around us. But, it is also a great privilege to be able to enter into our special place, alone with our Savior, and pour out our heart to God in secret. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:6)
13. Keeping Secrets
We talked about praying for one another, and that is wonderful! When we share prayer requests we must be careful not to reveal secrets that someone has asked us to pray for in confidence. It would be wrong to gossip about someone under the guise of asking for prayer. There are several scriptures that warn us not be be talebearers. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy of busybodies, that went from house to house, "speaking things which they ought not." If someone asks you to pray for a certain secret or concern they have, don't use it to gossip about that person. I have heard people say that it's not gossip if it's true. It is still wrong and God hears it even when we think no one else is listening.
"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people..." (Leviticus 19:16)
"A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." (Proverbs 11:13)
"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." (Proverbs 18:8)
"He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips." (Proverbs 20:19)
"Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." (Proverbs 26:20 & 22)
"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." (I Timothy 5:13)
14. Keep Giving In Secret
Sometimes I see videos of people who are giving to those in need, and it is good that they are, but, are they giving from the heart, or are they giving to lift themselves up in the sight of others? Jesus spoke to the people about giving in secret in His Sermon On The Mount. He said that we are not to let our left hand know what our right hand gives. When we give to get glory from others, Jesus said that that is our reward. But, when we give in secret to glorify God, then He will reward us.
"1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:1-4)
Jesus also complimented a poor widow who gave only two mites, but it was all that she had.
"1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." (Luke 21:1-4)
What we give to the Lord is not measured in the amount that we give. Keep giving. Even if the amount seems small, God can multiply it and use it. When the Holy Spirit nudges you to give to someone, the blessing you feel by placing something in their hand is reward enough.
15. A Secret Only God Knows
We are closing this chapter on "Secret Things" with the secret which only God knows. Jesus told His followers that no one knows when He will come back. That is a secret that only God knows! The Bible gives us verses about the end of time, and all the signs seem to point to that time. If you look at what will come to pass in the last days, it seems as though it is all happening in our time. Jesus tells us to watch. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:35-44) We better be watching!
"1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (II Timothy 3:1-5)
"35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:35-44)
