God hides sound doctrine
We just saw that most people do not have sound doctrine. Why is that so? It is because God has hidden sound doctrine in such a way that man cannot find it on his own.
God does not reveal His truth to just anyone. He has revealed His truth in such a way that only certain types of people are able to find it. The others will not be able to find it.
To see this, let’s begin by looking at Ps 92:5.
Ps 92:5 How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep.
The things of God are not obvious; rather, they are quite deep.
Job was interested in finding out about God. He must have tried on his own. Here is what he discovered.
Job 36:26 "Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; the number of His years is unsearchable."
Job discovered that the origins of God are unsearchable. You cannot find out where God came from and how long He has existed.
Paul had a similar experience. He tried to figure out what God was up to concerning the Jews. Here is what he had to say.
Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
The wisdom and knowledge of God are unsearchable and unfathomable – on our own we can’t understand what God is like and what’s on His mind.
Even Solomon, who was wise in the ways of the world came to the same conclusion.
Ecc 8:16-17 When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover.
The works of God are undiscoverable.
It was not by accident that the knowledge of God is hidden from man. God deliberately hides things from man. When God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah He was debating (figuratively speaking) whether He should hide His plan from Abraham.
Gen 18:17 The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,"
God actually spends time thinking about what to hide and what to reveal to each person.
Is 44:18 They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.
God prevents certain types of people from understanding things about Him.
Deut 29:4 "Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear."
God has to give you a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear His word – you cannot do it on your own.
Mt 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.
When Jesus came to earth, He deliberately hid things from people too.
Lk 9:45 But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
The words of God are concealed.
Mt 11:25-26 25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight."
God hides thing because He likes it i.e. it is for His good pleasure. And Jesus thought that God’s idea of hiding things was a good idea.
Col 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God are hidden. Paul realized that this wisdom and knowledge were treasure – very valuable for man.
1 Cor 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Raw intelligence is not sufficient to know God.
1 Cor 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
The things of God are made a mystery to people.
From all the verses above, we take one great truth – sound doctrine is top secret in God’s view! Therefore, to get sound doctrine you have to depend on God. You yourself cannot get it on your own. No other man can give it to you either. You will not get sound doctrine unless God opens it to you. Therefore, when you set out to understand the Bible, you have to approach it as a blind man would approach crossing a busy street – totally helpless and dependent on God to reveal His Word to you.
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