Secrets

 "The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions." Deuteronomy 29:29

Years ago, I remember a bunch of press being given to the "discovery" of secret hidden messages in the Bible. I believe some people were taking the first words of certain paragraphs and piecing together some kind of cryptic revelation. "No thanks!" one observer said at the time. "I have enough trouble following everything written in the Bible that's in plain sight." Do I hear an "Amen!"?

The people of Israel seemed to struggle with the same problem. Moses passionately laid it out again and again. Obey. Be careful to obey. Do not neglect to obey. Obedience is good. Disobedience is bad. Here he said it again with an interesting twist. God knows things you don't. Don't worry about that. You're not accountable for that. What he has revealed, that you must obey.

Obedience is a big deal. As Jesus presented it, it wasn't about avoiding lightning bolts or earning bonus points. Obedience wasn't about tipping the scales of justice in your favor or improving your position on humanity's behavioral curve. Nope. It was about one thing and one thing only. Here it is, the big secret. It was, it is and it will always be about love. Jesus said,"If you love me, you'll obey my commandments."

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