Lovers of God

Why does God hide things from people?

In a way, in God’s eyes, there are two categories of people – those from whom to hide things from, and those to whom it is granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Mk 4:11-12 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."

Lk 8:10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND."

Which category do you belong to?

Mt 13:10-16 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear."

Jesus spoke in parables (i.e. hid the truth) for two reasons: one, because they didn’t value the truth they received, and two, because their hearts were dull.

When you don’t value the truth you’ve already received it gets taken away from you. However, if you value the truth you’ve received, and show how much you value it by remembering it and striving to practice it, then you qualify to receive more truth. To him who has, more will be given, but to him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him – that is God’s philosophy.

When you hear some spiritual truth do you take the time to meditate upon it later? Do you write it down so that you don’t forget it? Do you check to see if it really matches with Scripture? Do you go over it again and again until you have internalized it? Do you strive to practice it and test it out?

Won’t a man who values the truth do these things?

When your heart is dull you cannot understand what you hear, or perceive what you see. Jesus spoke in parables so that those who have sharp hearts would receive in abundance, but those whose hearts are dull will receive nothing.

This is the principle that God applies even today. If our hearts are dull, even though we hear we will not understand. Even though we see we will not perceive. That is why Jesus often said, "He who has ears to hear, let him ear."

A dull heart is one that is more interested in other things than in the things of God. The worries of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth, the pursuit of pleasure – these, and other things draw them away from God. If such a person has in interest in the things of God it is not because he wants to know God for the sake of knowing God but it for some other reason – like earning a living off the church or getting a reputation for being godly. God is not interested in revealing truth to such people.

Our God is a God who does not throw pearls to swine. He tells us not to do it either. And that is why He hides things from people.

Mt 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."