Deuteronomy 29:29 says the secret things belong to the Lord, and the things He reveals belong to His people and their children forever, so they may do all the words of the law.
God alone keeps certain matters hidden, and He reveals them at the time He chooses. Les Feldick explains that once a secret is revealed, it is no longer hidden but must be believed and lived out by those who receive it.
Deuteronomy 29:29 — This is the verse the question asks about, and it directly distinguishes between God's hidden secrets and the things He reveals.
Deuteronomy 29:29 (KJV) declares: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The verse presents two categories. What God keeps secret is His own. What God reveals is given to those who receive it and to their children, for the purpose of doing all the words of the law.
Les Feldick teaches that Deuteronomy 29:29 is foundational for understanding why God keeps some things secret and reveals others. He says God, in His sovereignty, has every right and every reason to keep things secret as long as He wants, and He does not have to reveal anything until He is good and ready. The verse shows that revelation and secret go together—once God reveals a secret, it is no longer secret. Les also emphasizes that although Moses wrote these words to the nation of Israel, the same God holds secrets today. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament, and the same principle applies to us. When God reveals truth, He expects people to believe it, take it by faith, and live by it. Les connects this verse directly to Paul's use of the word 'mystery,' showing that Paul's doctrines were hidden until God chose to reveal them.
Les explains that the secret things belong to the Lord our God. He has the prerogative to keep things secret and does not have to reveal them until He is ready. God can keep things hidden because He is sovereign.
When God reveals a secret, it immediately stops being a secret. Les says once a secret is revealed, everybody can know it. The revealed truth belongs to those to whom God gives it and to their children forever, and it carries the expectation that they will believe it and do what it says.
Moses wrote Deuteronomy 29:29 to the nation of Israel. Les points out, however, that God does not change. The same God who hid secrets in the Old Testament economy is the same God today, and the same principle of revealing truth at the right time applies to believers in this age.
Les has often used Deuteronomy 29:29 when Paul uses the word 'mystery.' Because God has the right to keep things secret, Paul's revelation of a secret is not something that was always known. When God reveals it, it becomes truth for people to believe. The whole Pauline doctrine was previously hidden until God chose to release it and reveal it.
Why Did God Hide Secrets in the Bible Until Now?
in Beersheba," now remember, that's down in southern Israel, "...he planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God." Now, those of you who were with us when we were way back there in Genesis, remember we would always stop and look at these various names of deity. It's always the same God.
Revelation and secret go together
Les shows from Deuteronomy 29:29 that God has the prerogative to keep a matter secret and reveal it when He is ready, so a secret and its revelation are two sides of the same truth.
A revealed secret is no longer secret
Les explains that once God reveals a secret, it is no longer hidden, and the revealed truth belongs to us and our children.
Same principle applies today
Les says Moses wrote the verse to Israel, but the same reality applies to us: God keeps things secret until His sovereign grace releases and reveals them.
Same God, same secret holder
Les applies the verse to today by reminding us that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is the same God who still holds secrets.
God hides because He is sovereign
Les says God has the right and ability to keep things secret, and even the psalmist wondered why God hides things—God does so because He is sovereign.
Revealed truth is to be believed and lived
Les shows that when God revealed the Law and worship to Israel, the truth was no longer secret and the nation was expected to believe it and live by it.
God may keep secrets until He speaks
Les teaches that God has every right and reason to keep a secret as long as He wants, and when He reveals it, He expects people to believe it by faith.
Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
This is the key verse for the page, naming both God's hidden secrets and His revealed Word, and serving as the foundation for Les Feldick's teaching on mysteries.
The main point is that secret things belong to God, while the things He reveals belong to His people and their children forever, so they can do all the words of the law.
Les Feldick teaches that although Moses wrote to Israel, the same God of the Old Testament is the same God today, and the same principle of God keeping and revealing secrets applies to us.
Paul uses the word mystery for truths that were previously hidden. God has the right to keep things secret, but when He reveals them through Paul, they are no longer secrets and must be believed.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did God Hide Secrets in the Bible Until Now?