SECRETS - IITB 07.09

 

Chapter 7. 9

Secrets

Secrets kept from Un-Believers - Sampson’s Secret – Esther’s Secret

Confidential Secrets – Secrets of God - Mary & Joseph’s Secret

Shulamite Woman’s Secret - Secret Sins - Charity Secrets

 

 

First Word

     As I look back on my life, I shudder at things in my past that I would not want printed on the front page of the newspaper.  I would prefer that these things remain a secret forever and just die.  In the business world I had firsthand knowledge of things about a co-workers private life that would get them fired; I know confidential secrets about friends that if revealed their friendships would be terminated or their marriages disrupted.  We all have secrets of some kind which if revealed could cause grievous harm.

     Today the news is full of many prominent men in business and politics with secrets being exposed about their sexual activity.  SEX is strong and is usually the first thing we think of when a SECRET is spoken about, but sometimes it’s about someone lining their pockets with secret favors that hurt others, which we see so often in the political area.[1]  Sometimes there are secrets about a bad judgement call; a mistake that was made, or perhaps someone who just withheld a secret that could have helped someone else and have made peace.

     There should be no secrets in a marriage, on the other hand there may be some things that would not be beneficial to the marriage; if revealed they could cause distrust, jealousy or anxiety and are just better off left unsaid.  We plant seeds in the garden of our life and occasionally, with some of our seeds, we need to pray for a crop failure.

     The Book does not pronounce any moral judgments for or against the keeping of secrets.  Keeping a secret can be noble thing, but secrets kept to pervert the course of justice is wrong and are an abomination to God.

 

Secret Sins

     God is the revealer of secret sins.[2]  When it comes to our secret sins, God wants us to confess them to Him and He promises full forgiveness.[3]  Confessing our sins does not mean that we will avoid the consequences of sin.  Confession gives us an umbrella to get out from under the thunder storm, but we are still wet and still need TIME to dry off.  Time is a healer; repentance is to turn and go in the other direction, making every effort to not repeat the sin again.

 

Confidential Secrets

     When someone tells you something in strict confidence, it is because of trust.  If you reveal their secret to others, it will separate you from their friendship.  If you or someone else you know doesn’t keep a secret that a friend shared; they are a gossip.

     Love doesn’t repeat a private matter, an offense or a sin.  Love doesn’t repeat matters to others; love respects their privacy, love never gossips about people.[4]  Have you ever heard this one; I’m just telling you this about her so that you can PRAY about it.  What a ruse to gossip; a whisperer or gossip separates the best of friends. [5]

     The Book says, as you wish that others would do to you, do so in love to them; we surely wouldn’t want someone to gossip about us.  God holds us accountable for every idle word spoken against others. 

Today there are few secrets, because almost everybody is sharing “juicy tidbits” with others.

     The Book says this is clearly sin, stating that “whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy.[6]  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.” 

     The Book says I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.   The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.

 

Secrets of God

     God keeps secrets; there are some things that just belong to the LORD.[7]  Job said; God’s knowledge was of things too wonderful for him to know.[8]

     The Book records many times Jesus telling those that He had just healed to keep their miracle healing a secret.   Jesus had just healed some blind men and told them to keep their miracle of receiving their sight a secret; that no one was to know about it.[9]   Good Grief; HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KEEP BEING BLIND AND NOW SEEING A SECRET?  It’s in the Book  

 

     Sidebar: My personal BS, my Belief System embraces the thought that Jesus’s main goal was to teach the Good News of the Kingdom of God and the Plan of Salvation, however His compassion for men caused Him to deal with their PHYSICALLY needs first that had them so totally distracted, then He could deal with their SPIRITUAL needs.  This put the demand on Him so high that He had to plan ways to get away from the multitudes just to rest and pray.  That’s my BS; while He was 100% God, He was also 100% man and needed the same rest we do.

 

Secrets kept from Make Believers

     When Jesus taught the twelve Disciples, He used parables to keep His teachings SECRET until the time was right and then His Disciples would reveal them.[10] 

     The Word of Faith Movement uses the secret of “Positive Confession” in the story of the Shulamite Woman to demonstrate speaking positive things into your Spiritual life which speaks life into situations in your physical life. (Loosing and binding on earth, what has already been loosed & bound in heaven)

     The story is about a Shunammite Woman who was barren in her old age and the Prophet Elisha took notice and prophesied over her that she would have a child.  In due season she had a child, but later when he was grown, he became sick and died on her lap.  The woman had built a small chamber for the Prophet Elisha when he visited the small city of Shunem.  It included a bed, table, stool and candle stick and it was in this chamber that she placed her dead son on the Prophet’s bed.  She had heard of the raising of the Widows son in the city of Sarepta and knew that the spirit of the Prophet Elijah now rested on Elisha, therefore she made no preparations for her son’s burial, but for his resurrection.

     The Shunammite Woman got on her donkey and took off in a hurry to find the prophet.  As she met her husband and others along the way, in apprehension they asked, if all was well.  Her faith was stronger than that of her husband and of those around her and she did not want DISBELIEF to hinder her pursuit to locate the Prophet.  

     In the physical realm she kept the child’s death a SECRET, but in the Spiritual realm she spoke Words of Faith saying all is well; believing the miracle of life was on the way.[11]  She found the Man of God and he sent his “walking staff” ahead of him with a speedy young man to be placed on the child to prevent a premature burial.

     When Elisha arrived, he stretched himself out upon her child as he had seen Elijah his mentor do. When the child came into contact with the “Man of God”, he came back to life.  The principal demonstrated here is that when we are DEAD in our sins we need to come into contact with the Son of God to receive eternal life.

     The Shulamite Woman kept the secret so that she would not alarm her husband or get others involved.  She did not want anyone to discourage or detain her until she could find the “Man of God” who had prayed for her to be blessed with a child. 

     In the Book we find many times, that unbelievers were kept “outside the loop” while the seriousness of prayer for the dead was underway.  When having hands laid on you in prayer for healing, see to it that there are no Make-Believers present.[12]  Sometimes secrets exist so that that those who are weak in their faith will not have an opportunity to discourage you from your pursuit of things of God.  (ALL IS WELL)                              It’s in the Book

 

Secret of Mary & Joseph

     Engagements were for a year which was considered normal and constituted a part of the marriage.  Mary was an unknown peasant girl that lived in Nazareth located on the Southern plains of Lower Galilee who caught the eye of a Carpenter.  In Old Testament times you did not marry the one you loved; you loved the one you married; love began at marriage.

     Mary and Joseph being engaged were considered married although not living together; sexual intercourse could not take place until after the marriage vows, but before they came together she was found to be pregnant.  Joseph, a loving and devout man who did not want to disgrace Mary publically, decided to SECRETLY divorce her.[13]  An angel appeared to Joseph and told him to not be afraid to marry Mary that the child was from God.

     A few days after that, Mary hurriedly took a very long trip to visit her cousin Elizabeth and there, went into seclusion.[14]  Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant with the cousin of Jesus; John the Baptist. She stayed with Elizabeth three months till the Birth of John and then went home to be with Joseph.

     When the SECRET was revealed, there was certainly PUBLIC REACTION in Her hometown.  When Jesus starts his ministry Joseph has probably been dead for some time.  It must be remembered that Jesus did not continue in the carpentry trade of Joseph, but left His family.  

     This may have caused some family disappointment as well as lost honor in His community.   This appears to show up later when Jesus returns home and is rejected probably with GOSSIP “questioning” was He really the son of Joseph, accompanied with JOKES; “WHO’S YOUR DADDY?” Jesus said; whoever does the will of God is My family.[15] 

     The Book indicates that Joseph’s name is not mentioned; it is omitted, stating only that Jesus was the son of a carpenter and Mary was His mother.[16]

     Some secrets should be kept for a time, then when proper, revealed even though it causes ridicule and hurt; both ridicule and hurt were endured by Mary and Joseph.  

Telling your secret can be hurtful.

Esther’s Secret

     The Story of Queen Esther is an example of someone keeping a secret as well as revealing a secret.  Ester made a decision to hide her nationality and it became a part of God’s plan to save the Jews. The story teaches the morality of a secret that if kept hidden, would have caused grievous harm. 

     After the king had a run in with his Wife, he put her away and searched for a new Queen which lot fell to a Jewish beauty named Ester.  Her Uncle Mordecai[17] asked her to keep her Jewish nationality a secret so she would not be rejected by the King.[18]

     She kept the secret until the entire nation of Jews were scheduled to be executed.[19]  Mordecai told her she should now tell the secret to save their nation.  Ester revealed her secret understanding she might lose her own life by doing so; thus the Jews were saved.[20] 

There is a time for a secret to remain secret and a time that it should be revealed.

Sampson’s Secret

     In the story of Samson and Delilah, Sampson was a Judge in Israel, but his actions were like a loose cannon, doing just whatever seemed right in his own eyes.  From Birth he had received the Nazarite vow which included never to cut his hair in which laid his great strength. 

     He had an eye for the women and fell in love with a philistine lovely named Delilah.  The Philistines were the enemy of God and of Israel.  Delilah was offered a handsome sum of money to find out where Sampson’s strength came from.  Samson revealed that the source of his strength was in his hair which was a secret he should have kept.[21]  In the end it cost him his eyesight as well as his life.  

Some secrets should NEVER be revealed.

Charity Secrets

Secrets happen in charities where sometimes very little percentage of what is given winds up where you think it is intended.

     Salvation Army: 82% of the money given not only continually presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also feeds, clothes, shelters, provides medical care, job training and case workers for the needy.

     Dove Broadcasting, Christian Television where I was affiliated would shed administrate cost if it rose above 17%, the president took no salary; 83% was the target to beat for all projects; it was commendable.  

     Samaritans Purse 89.3% goes directly to projects of relief in the name of God; food, clothing, shelter, medical aid and case workers.  

     Good Will on the other hand, gives 0% to feed, clothe and shelter the needy; they only provide training and absolutely nothing for the soul. Steven Lufburrow, CEO of Houston’s Goodwill received $1.3 million in total compensation and they have many CEO’s.

     Food Banks and Children’s Hospitals are certainly a good thing and are needed, but they provide nothing for the Soul.  Jesus set the example in His compassion as He quietened the PHYSICAL NEEDS that their bodies were screaming out; then after that He could address the SPIRITUAL NEEDS of their soul.

     My charitable giving to organizations must include those TWO THINGS;  

     1) Compassion and care for the physical body; food, clothing and shelter and

     2) Food for their Soul; the Gospel presentation of the Kingdom of God.[22]  

For what profit is it to a man if he gains everything he needs, and yet he himself is destroyed or lost.[23]

 

It’s in the Book

 

The Take Away

     In the Book, God keeps secrets.  There are just some things that belong to the LORD alone. He has not revealed all the secrets that we might want to know about life, but He has revealed everything that we need to know about finding our way back to the “Tree of Life” and gaining salvation.  

(If you don’t have a Bible yet, I encourage you to get the NLT New Living Translation Bible

for easy reading, it’s a translation, not just paraphrased.)

     We all have secret sins that need to be confessed, not necessarily to others, but to God to receive His forgiveness, His grace.  But chances are good, whether your sins are confessed or not; the sin seed you have planted, will produce a harvest, bigger and sooner than you expect. This would be a good time to pray for a crop failure.

     Sampson had a secret that should never have been revealed and in the finality of things, it cost him, his eyes and his life.

     Ester had a secret that was to be been kept for a season of time and then revealed allowing good to come to the Jewish Nation.

     The Shunammite Woman kept her secret so that those WITH LESS FAITH would not deter her and discourage her from finding the prophet Elisha to resurrect her child.

     Jesus had secrets and asked the disciples as well as others to keep His miracles of healings a secret and especially Him being the Messiah.  They were to be kept secret for a season and then revealed when His time had fully come.

     If you become aware of a child telling you he is being abused, hurt or starved daily by his parents, that secret should be revealed through proper channels for the well-being of that child.  There is a cost to being a peace maker; you will probably be rejected.  The Book says Peacemaking is a characteristic of God; blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.[24] It’s in the Book

     Keeping a secret can be noble thing, but secrets kept to pervert the course of justice is wrong and are an abomination to God.  We can conclude that keeping secrets are not sinful in and of itself. There are some things that should be revealed and some things that are just better off kept secret.[25]

     The Book does not pronounce any moral judgments for or against the keeping of secrets, The Book’s concern is how secrets are used; do they help or hurt. There are some things that people shouldn’t know and vice versa.  There are confidential secrets that have been entrusted to us.

 

IF THE STORY IS NOT OURS TO TELL, THEN WE SHOULD NOT TELL IT.

 

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[1] Proverbs 17:23 – It is wicked to accept a secret bribe - Proverbs 11:12 – An understanding man keeps CONFIDENTIAL secrets -- Proverbs 11:13 – Trustworthy person keeps a confidential secret -- Psalm 101:5 – God hates someone who secretly slanders

[2] Isaiah 1:18 – God says come and LET US REASON TOGETHER  -- Psalm 90:8 – God spreads out our secret sins before Him -- Mark 4:22 - Every secret sin will be brought to light -- Luke 8:17 – Secret Sins will eventually be made known to all -- Daniel 2:47 – God is the revealer of secrets -- Proverbs 28:13- You can’t cover up your sin and not be found out  -- Matthew 10:26 - Everything that is covered will be revealed

[3] Proverbs 28:13 – Confessing a secret sin to God brings mercy

[4] Proverbs 26:20 – A stressful environment ends when gossip stops -- Proverbs 17:9 - Whoever conceals an offense promotes love -- Luke 6:31 – If you want your secrets kept, keep others secrets

[5] Romans 1:29-31 – Gossips, backstabbers, break their promises --  Proverbs 20:19 - A gossip betrays a confidence --  Proverbs 16:28 – Telling secrets separates the best of friends -- Numbers 32:23 - Your sin will find you out

[6] Exodus 23:1 – A malicious witness helps a guilty person get off --  Psalm 101:5 – God will destroy the one who slanders in secret

[7] Deuteronomy 29:29 – God has secrets known to no one -- Proverbs 25:2 - It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the Believer’s privilege to discover them-- Matthew 16:19-20 – He sternly warned the disciples NOT TO TELL ANYONE that He was the Messiah

[8] Job 42:3 – God’s secrets are too wonderful to know

[9] Matthew 9:30 – Jesus asked the blind’s healing to be kept secret

[10] Deuteronomy 29:29 – God has secrets known to no one -- Job 42:3 – God’s secrets are too wonderful to know -- Proverbs 25:2 - It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the Believer’s privilege to discover them. -- Mark 4:34 – Jesus’ teachings were taught in SECRET parables

[11] 2 Kings 4:18-37 – SECRET; Physical he died but Spiritual he lived; She said ALL IS WELL

[12] Acts 9:39-40 – Make Believers sent out at the death of Dorcas  -- Mark 5:35-43 – Make Believers separated at the death of Jairus’ daughter -- 1 Kings 17:17-23 – ELIJAH resurrects a Widow’s Son in Sarepta, gets rid of un-believers

[13] Matthew 1:19 – Joseph wanted to divorce Mary Secretly

[14] Luke 1:39-41 – Mary went into seclusion with Elizabeth --  Luke 1:56 – Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth, till John was born

[15] Matthew 12:50 – My daddy is the one who does the will of God

[16] Matthew 13:55 – They would not even mention Joseph’s name

[17] Esther 2:21-23 – Mordecai honored for saving the Kings life

[18] Esther 2:20 – Mordecai asked Ester to keep her family background and nationality a Secret

[19] Esther 7:3-5 – Queen Ester has a secret, kept from the King

[20] Esther 4:13 – Now was the time for Ester to reveal her secret -- Esther 7:6 - Ester reveals her secret at the peril of her own life

[21] Judges 16:4-21 – Sampson told the secret of strength was in his hair; it had NEVER BEEN CUT; it cost him his life

[22] Matthew 14:14 – With Compassion, Jesus healed the sick -- Matthew 15:30 – Jesus healed the lame, blind, mute, maimed -- Matthew 4:23 – Jesus 1) Healed and 2) Preached the Kingdom Good News

[23] Luke 9:25 – What good is food and clothes if you lose your life

[24] Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers -- Mark 9:23-24 – Lord I Believe - Help me in my unbelief.

[25] Ecclesiastes 3:7 – There is a time to be quiet & a time to speak  -- Psalm 141:3 – Ask God to guard what you say --  Proverbs 18:21 - The tongue can bring death or life