Deuteronomy 29:22-29: a reflection

22The generation to come—your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land—will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick, 23that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath. 24Even all the nations will say, “Why has the LORD done this to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?” 25Then men will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, 26and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they didn’t know and that he had not given to them. 27Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, to bring on it all the curses that are written in this book. 28The LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and thrust them into another land, as it is today.” 29The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

After a solemn passage about the consequences of forsaking God, the section ends with a wise and humbling word about the limits of our knowledge: the secret things belong to God, but the revealed things belong to us, that we may obey. The secret things belong to the LORD our God, the passage says, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. There are secret things, hidden in God's own counsel, that we are not given to know; and there are revealed things, made known to us in God's word, which are ours to receive and obey. We are not to demand to know the secret things, but to do what God has revealed. This shows the wisdom of not demanding to know the hidden things, but doing what God has revealed. The secret things belong to God; the revealed things are ours to obey. We need not know the hidden things, but do what God has revealed. Do not demand to know God's secrets; obey what he has made known. God has revealed enough for us to obey; the rest is his.

Notice the wise distinction this verse draws: between the secret things that belong to God, and the revealed things that belong to us. There are things hidden in God's own counsel, secrets of his purposes and ways that he has not made known to us, that remain his alone. And there are things he has revealed, made known in his word, given to us to receive, understand, and obey. The verse guides us wisely about both. We are not to demand to know the secret things, to insist on understanding all of God's hidden purposes, to be paralyzed or troubled by what we cannot know; these belong to God. Rather, we are to attend to the revealed things, to receive and obey what God has made known. This is a wise and humbling word. We often want to know the secret things, to understand why God does what he does, to unravel his hidden purposes; and we can be troubled, even to the point of stumbling, by what remains hidden. But God has not given us to know everything; some things belong to him alone. What he has given us is his revealed word, enough to know him and to obey him. We do well to be content not to know the secret things, and to attend instead to doing what God has revealed. Be content not to know God's secrets; do what he has revealed. The hidden things belong to God; the revealed are ours to obey. Do not be troubled by what you cannot know; attend to what God has made known. God has revealed enough; the rest we can leave to him.

That is worth taking to heart, for the secret things belong to God and the revealed things to us, so that we do well not to demand to know the hidden things but to obey what God has revealed. We can want to know God's secrets, to understand all his hidden purposes, and be troubled by what remains hidden; but this verse reminds us that the secret things belong to God, while the revealed things belong to us, given that we may obey. God has revealed enough. Do not be troubled by what you cannot know; be content that the secret things belong to God, and attend to doing what he has revealed. Be content not to demand knowledge of the secret things that belong to God, but attend to receiving and obeying what he has revealed, as this passage, after a solemn word about the consequences of forsaking God, reminds us that the secret things belong to the LORD our God while the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law; for there are secret things hidden in God's own counsel, secrets of his purposes and ways that he has not made known and that remain his alone, and there are revealed things, made known in his word and given to us to receive, understand, and obey, and we are not to demand to know the secret things or insist on understanding all God's hidden purposes, to be paralyzed or troubled by what we cannot know, since these belong to God, but to attend to the revealed things and obey what God has made known, which is a wise and humbling word, since we often want to know the secret things and can be troubled even to stumbling by what remains hidden, but God has not given us to know everything, and what he has given us, his revealed word, is enough to know him and obey him, so that we do well to be content not to know the secret things and to attend instead to doing what God has revealed.

Lord, after a solemn passage about the consequences of forsaking you, the section ends with a wise and humbling word about the limits of our knowledge: the secret things belong to you, but the revealed things belong to us, that we may obey. The secret things belong to the LORD our God, the passage says, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. There are secret things, hidden in your own counsel, that we are not given to know; and there are revealed things, made known to us in your word, which are ours to receive and obey. We are not to demand to know the secret things, but to do what you have revealed. Show me the wise distinction this verse draws: between the secret things that belong to you, and the revealed things that belong to us. There are things hidden in your own counsel that remain yours alone. And there are things you have revealed, given to us to receive, understand, and obey. We are not to demand to know the secret things, to insist on understanding all your hidden purposes, to be paralyzed or troubled by what we cannot know; these belong to you. Rather, we are to attend to the revealed things, to obey what you have made known. This is a wise and humbling word. I often want to know the secret things, to understand why you do what you do, and I can be troubled, even to stumbling, by what remains hidden. But you have not given me to know everything; some things belong to you alone. What you have given me is your revealed word, enough to know you and obey you. Take that to my heart, for the secret things belong to you and the revealed things to me, that I may obey. Keep me from being troubled by what I cannot know or demanding to know your secrets; help me be content that the secret things belong to you, Lord, and attend instead to receiving and obeying what you have revealed, trusting the rest to you.