anthonysroost

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”—Proverbs 25:2.

I always try to read Spurgeon with a filter. Such a deep mind, but I watch for a Calvinist slant. This is from one of his sermons that I really like!

“First of all I will give you the common interpretation which is given to these words, and the topic which is suggested to most minds thereby, namely that it is God’s glory to conceal much of the great truth which concerns himself and his dealings with the sons of men. “Clouds and darkness are round about him.” It is his glory that he is not seen, his glory that he is concealed; while as for kings, it is their honor “to search out a matter.” This is the general interpretation which almost every expositor gives of this passage, but I am not able wholly to agree with it. However, I will speak upon it for little while.

It is certain that such an explanation as this would have to be taken in a limited sense, for it cannot absolutely and without qualification be the glory of God to conceal a thing; for if so, he might have concealed everything from us. It is evidently for his glory that some things should be revealed, or else why has he revealed them? He might have dwelt for ever in that wondrous solitude in which we suppose he did dwell before he commenced the work of creation. We know not what he was doing in that eternity—of which it is difficult if not impossible for us to conceive—when there was no creation, when not a single star had begun to shine, nor an angel had fled through space on rapid wing. If it were God’s glory to be absolutely concealed, it seems to me that he would have remained alone in the thick darkness that surrounded him, for he would not have wanted to have a single creature to know his love, to realize his power, or to contemplate his wisdom. It is at once obvious that if this is the true and correct interpretation, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,” it must be taken in a very limited sense. If it had been his glory to conceal everything, he would have continued to conceal it; but as far as I can see his manifested glory is his glory. The glory of God is not so much to conceal as to reveal himself to those whom he prepares to receive the revelation.

There are many things which it would not be for God’s glory to conceal. You could not say of everything, “It is the glory of God to conceal this.” Take, for instance his righteous law, would it have been for his glory to have left our race utterly ignorant of it? I cannot conceive of such a thing. And then his matchless redemption he has revealed to us in many wonderful ways. Would he have taken all the pains that he has done to reveal himself in Christ Jesus if it had been for his glory to conceal himself in that respect? Would he bid us go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature if it could be for his glory to conceal that? No, it is high treason against the majesty of heaven for any man to obscure the blessed revelation of God in Christ Jesus. I am afraid that all of us preachers of the Word do that in some measure by reason of our infirmity; but God forbid that we should ever wilfully keep back a single ray of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!

There are many great and glorious truths which do not need that God should conceal them. If we do not perceive them probably it is because it is not necessary that they should be concealed, for their own inherent glory is their concealment. If I were to take for instance the mysterious doctrine of the eternal filiation of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son— these wondrous truths need not be concealed from us, because they are in themselves such deep mysteries that however clearly there may be revealed to us it is not possible for us to understand them. Even the grand doctrine of the Trinity, which is so plainly set forth in the Scriptures—the Trinity in the Unity of the Godhead—need not be concealed; as indeed it has not been, yet we cannot comprehend it. God need not seek out any method of concealment, for if he were to unveil his face among us the glory would be too bright to be beheld. Go and stand, O mortal man, and gaze upon the sun at mid-day! Canst thou do it? Would not thine eyes be thereby blinded? Yet the sun is only one of the myriads of servants in the courts of God; then what must the face of the King himself be? It needs not that he should veil it; his own glory is surely veil enough unto itself. Our minds are finite, contracted, limited. There were certain men who called themselves “Encyclopaedists”, because they fancied that they knew everything; yet they knew nothing perfectly, and many of them broke down together in their attempt to learn even all that might be known by men. But as for God himself, who can possibly comprehend him? The archangel who standeth nearest to his august presence must veil his face with his wings, for even he is not able to gaze upon the glory of that excessive light. It does not seem to me to be so great a truth that it is the glory of God to conceal as that his very glory doth conceal itself, not by being concealed, but by being so exceedingly unveiled. The glory itself blindeth, for the finite mind of man is not able to gaze thereon.

Now let me give you what I think is the true meaning of the passage. What is the business of kings? Why are they set up above their fellow-men? What is their honor? Why, it is the honor of kings to search out matters that concern the administration of justice, to bring prisoners before their bar, laying bare their crimes and convicting them of they are guilty. It is the glory of God to cover a matter, that matter being sin; but it is the honor of kings to search that matter out and bring the guilty one to justice. You know that we think less and less of our police if they are not able to discover criminals. It has sometimes happened that justice misses its mark. Perhaps there is an attempt made to get a certain important witness out of the way, or to suborn another, or to suppress some testimony that might be brought against the accused persons. It is never to the honor of kings when that is done. When for instance a murder has been committed and the criminal cannot be traced, it is not to the credit of the governing powers that it should be so; and though it must be so sometimes— for no human government can be perfect in its detective forces— yet it is not to the honor of “the powers that be.” It is to the honor of kings that they search matters out till they bring home the guilt to the proper individual. Nor is it to the honor of kings if they give their verdict and sentence at first sight according to prejudice. It is their honor to search out a matter—to hear both sides of the case. The magistrate who sits in the king’s name is bound to enquire thoroughly into the matter brought before him, and at last to adjudicate as justice demands. This is sometimes very difficult, but it is to the honor of kings and their representatives when they attempt it. Now to God such a thing as this is impossible. Nothing is concealed from him; the whole universe is but one great prison for those who offend against him and he can find them at any time that he pleases, and he can execute his just sentence upon them without a moment’s delay. He needs no witnesses, he need not summon this person or that who has seen a certain deed done, for the transgression has been committed in his own sight. His glory is that he covers the matter; and as it is the glory of God to cover the matter, it is also the honor of kings to search the matter out; that matter in each case being the breach of law. I am persuaded that this is the meaning of the text. Even if it were not, it is a grand truth of Scripture well worthy of our meditation.

So we shall dwell upon it thus. First, it is the glory of God to cover sin. Secondly, this is a great encouragement to penitent sinners; and thirdly, it ought to be a great stimulus to saints.”

I thought this was very thought-provoking. What a balance between upholding justice to show people the need for God’s mercy, and forgiving debts as a testimony of God’s Mercy. Scripture expresses a need for both. Is there a line to walk in exact science or are there two lines to walk artistically? One thing to realize is how pleasing God is impossible without the Holy Spirit filling you up.   

In a message I brought from the Book of Hebrews this week, I gave a brief summation of it’s major theme – Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant. The book is of major theological influence when it comes to His incarnation, supremacy, atoning work, and eternal status as High Priest – gone before us into the Most Holy Place.

Along with the message, I put together a study of everything Hebrews says about the Lord and a short spoken word giving a glimpse of some of the verses. There were a few requests for me to post them – I hope you enjoy.

Jesus in Hebrews
1:2 – God’s mouthpiece
2:3 – announced salvation
2:9 – tasted death for everyone
2:10 – made perfect though suffering
2:14 – shared in our humanity
3:14 – great high priest
3:15 – able to sympathize with our weaknesses
5:5 – called by God
5:9 – source of eternal salvation
6:6 – is repeatedly crucified and disgraced by backslidden
6:20 – has gone before us into the MHP
7:16 – priest on basis of indestructible life, not ancestry
7:22 – guarantee of a better covenant
7:24 – permanent priesthood
7:25 – able to save completely, always lives to intercede for us
7:26 – holy, blameless, set apart, exalted above the heavens
7:27 – sacrificed once for all
8:1 – sits at the right hand of the Father
8:6 – superior mediator of a superior covenant
9:12 – entered MHP by His own blood
9:14 – cleanses us outwardly and inwardly
9:15 – ransom that freed us from sin
9:28 – will appear a second time to bring salvation to believers
10:14 – His sacrifice made believers perfect forever
10:20 – His body is the curtain we must pass through
10:29 – trampled by those who reject His sacrifice
10:37 – He is coming soon.
12:2 – author and perfecter of our faith, endured cross, scorned it’s shame
12:23 – heavenly church named after him – Church of the Firstborn
12:29 – a Consuming Fire
13:8 – the same yesterday, today, and forever
13:15 – praise is the fruit of lips that confess his name
13:20 – The Great Shepherd of the sheep

What if I told you that Jesus came to fulfill the law,
That the prophets didnt make sense until his face we saw,
That the old covenant wasn’t God’s mistake, error, or rough draft,
But If the Savior came with Adam we wouldnt understand our lack?
He is the answer to the law and the foundation of the “oath,”
Through him we have a lens to understand them both.
Yes this book has two chapters, Im not being clever,
All time is the story of the “author and perfecter.”
And My “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
As a “sacrifice” he’s spotless, theres not even a speck.
As a “priest” he “lives forever like Melchizideck.”
As a big brother he showed how to “scorn the cross meant for his shame,”
So that we could overcome by the power of His name.
The Father gave His Son, for our lives to win,
Because, “Without blood there is no remission of sin.”
No longer to live as servants of ceremonial regulations,
But a slave to his love, without reservation.
By faith “we face suffering in a great contest”,
“Considering” the one with they first messed,
Hard pressed,
But not crushed, on Him “fix your thoughts,”
Oh precious the flow, there are no blood clots.
A family of “encouragement” to escape “sin’s deceitfulness,”
Sounds like more to me than casual church attendance.
A “spur” in the butt doesn’t feel very good,
But i know its what I need to always do “good.”
His “discipline” is love, parents don’t spare the rod,
“It’s a dangerous thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”
Strong bones come from “milk,” but protein comes from “meat.”
In this covenant we must “grow up in maturity,”
To help others see clearly, like windshield wipers.
Not forever infants, with him changing our diapers.
With “unbelief” and “disobedience” I wont let my head nod,
Because “Without faith – it is impossible to please God.”
Hebrews author is unknown, but they sure could preach,
By better blood, “once for all,” my soul’s been breached.