TEACHING

Daryl Wood

(Daryl is a fivefold teacher on Don Atkin’s apostolic team.)

HIDDEN AGENDAS

“And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;

In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft;

In His quiver He has hidden Me (Is.49:2, NKJV).”

God has hidden agendas, just as man does.  The above verse speaks specifically of the ministry of Christ—how He grew up in obscurity and lived the greater part of His years in quietness, without receiving any special public recognition or honor.  Even those fleeting months when He did have what the world would consider “star status” were blighted by false and scandalous charges that led to His eventual execution.  In an ironic mockery His own people tabbed Him “King of the Jews” as He hung on the cross, shamed and naked, numbered among the transgressors.  Consistent with His humble entry into this world at birth, His death was punctuated with derision. 

The Father had good reason to veil His purpose in sending His own Son to the earth.  Had the rulers of this age known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (2 Cor. 2:8).  God’s kind intention, set in motion before the foundation of the world, would have been compromised through an untimely revealing of His plan.

This is only the beginning of the things that God chooses to conceal: 

1. Others of His sons

While many religious men busy themselves trying to expand their personal influence via greater media exposure, God, more frequently than not, hides many of His choice ones in the cleft of the rock.  This approach is very much at variance with the plethora of advertising and marketing strategies that have become widely accepted tools for “church growth,” as well as for garnering popularity for the religious leaders.  When God hides His people, it is for their protection.

Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You.

In the presence of the sons of men!

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues (Ps. 31: 19, 20, NKJV).

As king, David undoubtedly faced continual and intense public demands, or “ministerial responsibilities.”  Yet he was careful not to allow these to encroach upon his most significant ministry:

One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek;

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.

For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock (Ps. 27: 4, 5, NKJV).

By keeping that which was most important—intimacy with God—the overarching aim of his life, David enjoyed divine protection.  He was even insulated from the scurrilous slander and trouble to which he otherwise would have been exposed, as instigators who were full of strife sought his destruction.  He recognized that being hidden by God was a good thing, rather than something to be resisted and despised. 

2. Mysteries of the kingdom of God

Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, encoding the message of the kingdom of God.  Those who diligently sought out understanding obtained it; those content to remain in a religious stupor were mercifully spared the increased accountability that would have been incurred through greater light (Matt. 13).

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight (Luke 10:21, NKJV).”

Later, during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the purpose of the Prince of Peace was obscured from the Scribes and Pharisees who had a veil over their hearts:

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44, NKJV).”

Neither did Jesus’ closest disciples comprehend the forewarning of His impending crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.  Even after taking them aside and clearly explaining to them what was about to take place, they still failed to “get it.”

But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken (Luke 18:34, NKJV).

A revelation of the things of the Kingdom of God does not come automatically to one just because he has been born again.  It is incumbent on each believer to “seek, and keep on seeking” that he may be filled with an understanding of the heart of God and the knowledge of His will in all matters pertaining to life and godliness.  In so doing, God is glorified, and we are empowered to reign with Him as He intends.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter (Prov. 25:2, NKJV). 

3. Hidden person of the heart

“Who a man really is” can be, and often is, shrouded from even his closest friends.  This certainly does not include God’s gaze, because:

“. . .   there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account (Heb. 4:13).”

Still, He permits some to live secret lives before others.  Maintaining a “squeaky-clean” reputation in the sight of men, some sneak around as “hidden reefs in your love feasts (Jude 12).”  Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they appear washed on the outside but are full of death on the inside.  Ultimately, with them as with all, the secrets and very thoughts of men will be revealed in the day when He comes to judge (Ro. 2:16; 1 Cor. 4:5).”

Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later (1 Tim. 5:24, NKJV).

It is imperative that each of us give due attention to that which God values most in us.  While other people are prone to look on our outward appearances and greatly esteem external beauty, God places His emphasis on something much deeper—our hearts.

Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:3,4, NASB).

The meek and quiet spirit which God cherishes so much is not just a “feminine quality.”  It is a virtue that He counts priceless, and desires for all men (as well as women) to possess.  Beauty within the hidden person of the heart will not result in accolades from men, but it does delight the Father.  What is invisible to the natural eye can only be appreciated through the eye of faith.  Therefore, the heart of man is yet another thing that God allows, or chooses to be held out of common view.

4. Hidden manna

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it (Rev. 2:17, NKJV).”

The hidden manna with which God feeds those who overcome by faith could arguably be considered similar to the mysteries of the kingdom of God.  However, I have elected to list it separately, since it speaks in a very personal way of God’s provision.  There are mysteries of the kingdom which seem to be much more generic and global in their objective and application, while the “hot bread” that He gives to His own is very specific to their individual needs.

The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,

And He will show them His covenant (Ps. 25:14, NKJV).

Through walking in communion with Him, a believer begins to discover the hidden things of His person.  The rich blessings that accompany God’s manifest presence are hence uncovered in a way that satisfies each and every need of the soul.  Is there need of healing for the body?  When He is revealed as Jehovah Rapha His healing touch comes with tangible manifestation.  Does one need deep peace of mind and heart in a time of crisis or turbulence?  When Jehovah Shalom shows up He saturates the troubled one with a peace that passes all understanding.  Likewise, where there is a need for wisdom in any particular situation, the sword of the Spirit cleaves with great clarity when He comes.  In all these ways and so many more, those who fear God enjoy spill-over benefits that permeate every aspect of their lives.  These are the natural byproducts of being near Him, and are expressions of His covenant love.  They are also completely out of view for those who are flippant or careless concerning His nearness, or worse.

In summary, it is interesting that the Greek word for “hidden”—kruptos—is apparently the same root from which some of our English words are derived.  Among these words are “crypt,” “cryptic,” and “encrypted.”  The latter is a term used for computer data that has been hidden from “hackers” so that it is accessible only to those responsible individuals who possess the proper password.  Out of necessity God hides His valuables.  The unearthing of His treasures is not just available to all who fear Him, rather it is something of which He invites us to partake.  When we lay aside our own agendas and embrace His, He is pleased to bring us into His confidence, revealing to us things that He had previously hidden.