◄ Deuteronomy 29:29 ►
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
Study Bible
The secret things belong to the LORD our God,

God alone possesses complete knowledge of His purposes, providence, and future judgments. Moses spoke these words as Israel stood on the plains of Moab, renewing the covenant before entering the promised land. Israel knew enough to obey God, though much remained hidden regarding the course of their history, the timing of judgment, and the details of God’s saving plan. Human beings cannot search out the full depths of God’s wisdom or sit in judgment over His ways. Faith rests in the character of the God who knows what His people cannot know.

Dan 2:22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows…
Job 11:7 Can you fathom the deep things of God…
Rom 11:33 O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge…

but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,

God graciously made His will known through His covenant, commandments, promises, and warnings. Israel was responsible not merely to possess the written law but to preserve, teach, and obey it from generation to generation. Parents were to instruct their children in the works and words of the LORD so that each generation would place its hope in God rather than repeat the rebellion of the past. God’s revealed truth remains the sure foundation for His people, culminating in the revelation of His Son, Jesus Christ, who fulfills the Law and the Prophets.

Isa 59:21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD…
Deu 6:6-7 These words I am commanding you today are to be…
Psa 78:4-7 We will not hide them from their children…

so that we may follow all the words of this law.

Divine revelation calls for covenant obedience. The Law directed Israel to worship the LORD alone, reject idolatry, practice justice, and live as His holy people among the nations. Obedience was never intended as empty rule-keeping but as the response of a redeemed people to the God who had delivered them. The Law also exposed human sin and the need for the promised Savior, leading to Christ, who perfectly obeyed God and bears the curse of sin for all who trust in Him.

Deu 31:12-13 Assemble the people—men, women, children…
Jos 1:8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth;…
Psa 119:4-6 You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who is delivering the message of Deuteronomy to the people. He is reiterating the covenant and the laws given by God.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving the laws and commandments as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who reveals His laws and keeps certain things hidden according to His divine wisdom.

4. The Covenant
The agreement between God and the Israelites, which includes blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

5. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which the Israelites are about to enter, representing the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.
Teaching Points
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
Recognize that God, in His sovereignty, chooses what to reveal and what to keep hidden. Our responsibility is to focus on what He has revealed and live in obedience to His Word.

The Importance of Revelation
The things revealed by God are meant for our instruction and the instruction of future generations. We are to diligently study and apply His Word in our lives.

Trust in God's Wisdom
Trust that God’s hidden purposes are for our good, even when we do not understand them. This trust should lead us to a deeper faith and reliance on Him.

Generational Faithfulness
The revealed things are for us and our children, emphasizing the importance of teaching and passing down God’s commandments to future generations.

Obedience to God's Law
The purpose of revelation is to enable us to follow God’s law. Our obedience is a response to His revealed will and a demonstration of our love for Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's sovereignty in what He reveals and conceals affect your daily walk with Him?

2. In what ways can you ensure that the revealed truths of God are passed down to the next generation in your family or community?

3. Reflect on a time when you had to trust God with something you did not understand. How did that experience strengthen your faith?

4. How can you actively apply the revealed Word of God in your life today, and what changes might that require?

5. Consider the connection between Deuteronomy 29:29 and Romans 11:33-36. How do these passages together enhance your understanding of God's wisdom and knowledge?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 25:2
This verse highlights the glory of God in concealing matters and the honor of kings to search them out, emphasizing the divine wisdom in what God chooses to reveal or conceal.

Romans 11:33-36
Paul speaks of the depth of the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge, acknowledging that His judgments and ways are beyond human understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Paul discusses how God reveals certain things to us through His Spirit, which aligns with the idea that some things are revealed for our understanding and obedience.
Sermons
A Wise AgnosticismW. J. Dawson.Deuteronomy 29:29
Divine SecretsJ. Parker, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Follow the Road that is VisibleDeuteronomy 29:29
Limit to Theological KnowledgeR. Ainslie.Deuteronomy 29:29
Man's Relation to the RevealedL. D. Bevan, L. L. B.Deuteronomy 29:29
Man's Relation to the UnrevealedL. D. Bevan, LL. B.Deuteronomy 29:29
Man's RightsJ. Anderson.Deuteronomy 29:29
Mysteries no Real Objection to the Truth of ChristianityJ. Littleton.Deuteronomy 29:29
Mystery and its MissionJ. Ossian Davies.Deuteronomy 29:29
Mystery and RevelationW. Page Roberts, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
Of MysteriesJames Foster.Deuteronomy 29:29
Of the Desire of KnowledgeS. Clarke, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Revealed Knowledge, Our HeritageFrederick Field, LL. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Revealed ThingsJ. Burnet.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret and Revealed ThingsD. L. Anderson.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret and Revealed ThingsJ. Burns, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret and Revealed ThingsR. Watson.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret ThingsC. Holland, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret ThingsJ. Jortin, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret ThingsJ. Orr Deuteronomy 29:29
Secret Things and Things RevealedW. P. Burgess.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Benevolence of the Divine SecrecyJ. Parker, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Difficulty of ExplanationDeuteronomy 29:29
The Education of the YoungDean Farrar.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Limitation of Human PowersEnoch Mellor, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Presumption of Prying into Religious MysteriesArchbishop Secker.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Presumption of Prying into Religious MysteriesArchbishop Seeker.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Purpose and Limits of RevelationR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 29:29
The Purpose of Divine RevelationD. Davies Deuteronomy 29:29
The Revealed Will of God the Only Rule of DutyN. Emmons, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Secret Things of GodR. D. Hitchcock.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Things RevealedJ. Gaskin, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
The Things that are RevealedH. Stowell, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
Things Secret and RevealedD. Hobbs, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
Things Secret and Things RevealedJ. Pierson, D. D.Deuteronomy 29:29
Things Secret and Things RevealedA. Roberts, M. A.Deuteronomy 29:29
People
Gadites, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Manasseh, Manassites, Moses, Og, Pharaoh, Reubenites, Sihon
Places
Admah, Bashan, Egypt, Gomorrah, Heshbon, Horeb, Moab, Sodom, Zeboiim
Topics
Age, Belong, Children's, Clear, Follow, Forever, God's, Hidden, Law, Observe, Ones, Ours, Revealed, Secret, Sons
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 29:29

     1020   God, all-knowing
     1115   God, purpose of
     1145   God, transcendent
     1613   Scripture, purpose
     4155   divination
     5698   guardian
     5812   concealment
     5941   secrecy
     8135   knowing God, nature of
     8231   discipline, divine
     8476   self-discipline

Library
Covenant Duties.
It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

God Willing that all Men Should be Saved.
"Who will have all Men to be saved,--." In verse first, the apostle directs "prayers and thanksgivings to be made for all men;"--which he declares to "be good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved." Had salvation been provided for only a part of the human race, prayer and thanksgivings could have been, consistently made only for a part. Those for whom no provision was made, would be in like state with persons who have committed the sin unto death, for …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

The Parable of the Householder. A Sermon, by Bishop Latimer.
MATTHEW XX.--The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. This parable is written by the evangelist Matthew in the twentieth chapter, and is very dark and hard to be understood; yea, there is no harder piece of scripture written by any evangelist. Therefore it may well be called hard meat; not meat for mowers nor ignorant people, who are not exercised in the word of God. And yet there is no other diversity …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Promises and Threatenings
'And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do. 2. That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared unto him at Gibeon. 3. And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Unity of the Divine Essence, and the Trinity of Persons.
Deut. vi. 4.--"Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord."--1 John v. 7. "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." "Great is the mystery of godliness," 1 Tim. iii. 16. Religion and true godliness is a bundle of excellent mysteries--of things hid from the world, yea, from the wise men of the world, (1 Cor. ii. 6.) and not only so, but secrets in their own nature, the distinct knowledge whereof is not given to saints in this estate …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect. For all his Ways are Judgment. A God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment. A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children. They are a perverse and crooked generation." "All his ways are judgment," both the ways of his commandments and the ways of his providence, both his word which he hath given as a lantern to men's paths, and his works among men. And this were the blessedness of men, to be found …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Forasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race...
1. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great and natural good, the power also of friendship; on this account God willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by bond of kindred. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Conflict.
"Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against themselves, that ye …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
Eighteen and a half centuries ago, and the land which now lies desolate--its bare, grey hills looking into ill-tilled or neglected valleys, its timber cut down, its olive- and vine-clad terraces crumbled into dust, its villages stricken with poverty and squalor, its thoroughfares insecure and deserted, its native population well-nigh gone, and with them its industry, wealth, and strength--presented a scene of beauty, richness, and busy life almost unsurpassed in the then known world. The Rabbis never …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Holy Spirit as a Teacher.
Our Lord Jesus in His last conversation with His disciples before His crucifixion said, "But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John xiv. 26). Here we have a twofold work of the Holy Spirit, teaching and bringing to remembrance the things which Christ had already taught. We will take them in the reverse order. I. The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance …
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

"But Whereunto Shall I Liken this Generation?"
Matth. xi. 16.--"But whereunto shall I liken this generation?" When our Lord Jesus, who had the tongue of the learned, and spoke as never man spake, did now and then find a difficulty to express the matter herein contained. "What shall we do?" The matter indeed is of great importance, a soul matter, and therefore of great moment, a mystery, and therefore not easily expressed. No doubt he knows how to paint out this to the life, that we might rather behold it with our eyes, than hear it with our …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Peace
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1. Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, Peace be multiplied:' What are the several species or kinds of Peace? Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12. I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. He maketh peace in thy borders, …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Discourse on Spiritual Food and True Discipleship. Peter's Confession.
(at the Synagogue in Capernaum.) ^D John VI. 22-71. ^d 22 On the morrow [the morrow after Jesus fed the five thousand] the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea [on the east side, opposite Capernaum] saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after that the Lord had given thanks): 24 when the multitude …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

"The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not Subject to the Law of God, Neither Indeed Can Be. So Then they that Are
Rom. viii. s 7, 8.--"The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is not the least of man's evils, that he knows not how evil he is, therefore the Searcher of the heart of man gives the most perfect account of it, Jer. xvii. 12. "The heart is deceitful above all things," as well as "desperately wicked," two things superlative and excessive in it, bordering upon an infiniteness, such …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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