Hide and Seek
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2
Proverbs 25–29, written by Solomon, had been collected under the supervision of Hezekiah king of Judah some 270 years after Solomon’s death, during a time of national spiritual revival [1]. Proverbs 25 had special observations which concerned kings or leaders.
We are often amazed by what we see in nature. Can you imagine what we don’t see, what God has concealed for now? Paul said, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Solomon said it was glorious for kings to search out a matter. God has concealed many things from us, but encourages us to search too, even if we’re not kings. Compare how parents conceal matters from their children until they can handle them. Or compare the time when we first became a Christian. I remember finding truths in the Bible which were indecipherable before. And I still have much to learn. God doesn’t reveal all the truths in the Bible to us at once.
We are encouraged to seek to know more about God and his actions by studying the Bible, especially if we are leaders in the church or in our homes. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15. Timothy, a young pastor, had to know what the Bible said and didn’t say, how it was to be understood and how it was not to be understood. It wasn’t enough for Timothy to sprinkle some Bible stories and verses through his sermons as illustrations.
Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33. As you search the Bible, ask God to open your eyes to see his truths.
Dig Deeper:
Read Romans 1:18-20. What has God revealed about himself from what has made?
Read 2 Timothy 2:14-26. What was happening in Timothy’s church that prompted Paul to write to him?
What did Rahab conceal and what was her reward for doing so in Joshua 2:1-21?
[1] Prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah lived in the days of Hezekiah https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/proverbs/proverbs