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
forever, that we may do all the words of this law." We are forbidden curiously to inquire into the
secret counsels of God, and to determine concerning them. But we are directed and encouraged, diligently to seek
into that which God has made known. He has kept back nothing that is profitable for us, but only that of which
is good for us to be ignorant. The end of all Divine revelation, not to furnish curious subjects of speculation and
discourse, but that we may do all the words of his law, and be blessed in our deed. This the Bible plainly reveals;
further than this, man cannot profitably go. By this light he may live and die comfortably, and be happy forever.
Revelation may be defined as that process by which
God imparted to man truths which he otherwise could not know. The details of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 are an example
of revelation. As man was not created until the sixth day, we could not have possibly known the events occuring prior
to this until God gave the facts to Moses.
We know that God spoke to the human authors of our Bible;
but just how did he speak? What is in Hebrew? Greek? Angelic language? He spoke to them in their own language.
God's call to young Samuel in the temple (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
1. And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli.
And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2. And it came to pass at that time; when Eli was laid down
in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3. And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD;
where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4. That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou called
me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose
and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for you did call me. And he answeredm I called not, my son; lie down again.
7. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word
of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And
he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for you did call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD did call the child.
9. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall
be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak, LORD; for you servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his
place.
10. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for you servant hears.
The call which Divine grace designs
shall be made effectual; will be repeated till it is so, till we come to the call. Eli perceiving that it was the voice
of God that Samuel heard, instructed him what to say. Thou it was a disgrace to Eli, for God's call to be directed to
Samuel, yet he told him how to meet it. So the elder should their utmost to assist and improve the yonger that are rising
up. Let us never fail to teach those who are coming after us, even such as will soon be preferred before us. For
the boy at first mistook God's voice for that of the aged priest Eli. Sometimes God spoke through angels; Gabriel
was sent from heaven to tell Mary she would give birth to the Messiah. (Luke 1:26-37)...
26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto
a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.
27. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you are
highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.
29. And whwen she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30. And the angel saiaad unto her, Fear not, Mary; for you
have found favor with God.
31. And, behold, you shall comceive in your womb, and bring
forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.
32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and
of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing
I know not a man?
35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall bbe
born of you shall be called the Son of God.
36. And, behold, your cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived
a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
We have here an account of the mother of our Lord, thou
we are not to pray to her, yet we ought to praise God for her. The angel's address means only, Hail, you are the especially
chosen and favored of the Most High, to attain the honor Jewish mothers have so long desired. This wondrous salutation
and appearance trobled Mary. The angel then assured her that she had found favor with God, and would become the mother
of a son whose name she should call JESUS! the name that refreshes the fainting spirits of humbled sinners; sweet to speak
and sweet to hear, Jesus, a Savour!
On other occasions to Lord spoke directly to a man, as He
did to Noah concerning the great Flood (Genesis 6:13-21 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before
me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an
ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the
fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits,
and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and
the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And,
behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under
heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come
into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh,
two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls
after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall
come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and
it shall be for food for thee, and for them. ).
One of God's methods of communication in Scripture
is to reveal His message through dreams and visions: The wise men (Matthew 2:12 And being warned of God
in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way). were warned in a
dream not to return to Herod, while Peter was later instructed in a vision to minister to Cornelius (Acts 10:10-16 And
he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened,
and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein
were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came
a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common
or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven ). God has communicated in many different ways.
He revealed himself to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses,
Moses. And he said, Here am I. ) and to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam out of a cloud (Numbers 12:4, 5 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the
tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD
came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both
came forth). The cause is called, and the parties are summoned forthwith to attend at the door of the tabernacle. Moses
had often shown himself jealous for God's honour, and now God showed himself jealous for his reputation; for those that
honour God he will honour, nor will he ever be behind-hand with any that appear for him. Judges of old sat in the gate
of the city to try causes, and so on this occasion the shechinah in the cloud of glory stood at the door of the
tabernacle, and Aaron and Miriam, as delinquents, were called to the bar.
One of the most important ways that divine truths
were given in the Old Testament was through the Angel of the Lord. Some perceive this heavenly messenger to be the preincarnate
Christ Himself. For example, it is the Angel of the Lord who reassured Joshua on the eve of a battle (Joshua 5:13-15 And
it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against
him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And
he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I
now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And
the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy
shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so).
