Isaiah 29:15
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Woe is pronounced on those who try to hide their plans and deeds from the Lord by working in darkness as if no one sees or knows, yet nothing can be concealed from Him because He sees hidden counsel, every movement, the heart and its motives. Such secrecy belongs with outward profession without obedience, drawing near with mouth and lips while the heart is far and covetous, hearing the word as pleasing but refusing to do it, and walking in self-made light and erring human counsel instead of the way God has shown. God answers this hiding by doing a marvelous work that brings secret wisdom to nothing, so that the wisdom of the wise perishes and true actions are exposed in judgment with no escape from His notice. In Christ's time this exposed religious leaders who hid their motives under outward profession, honoring with lips while hearts were far, making worship vain by teaching human commandments, setting aside God's commandment and making His word of no effect, as when the duty to honor father and mother was evaded by declaring help a gift. The same warning reaches teachers and leaders who claim great light yet remain unconverted and join to do what God forbids, medical workers and others who secretly devise plans against the Lord and seek to make His reproof ineffective, and all concealed scheming to rob God, withhold help, find fault, and take from His work, like those who refuse received light and act as though motives can stay hidden.
Meaning and Warning
Woe falls on those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord and do their works in the dark while saying in their hearts, Who sees us and who knows us, imagining that purposes and deeds done in secrecy can be concealed from Him. No such counsel or work can be hidden, for God sees hidden counsel and works, knows every movement, and looks upon the heart and motives. Those who secretly devise plans against Him and act as though deeds and motives are unknown are under a false claim, and they cannot escape His notice. The secrecy describes those who conceal their true aims, are open to deception, and set truth aside for error.
Such hiding belongs with outward profession without obedience, drawing near with mouth and lips while the heart is far and covetous. It is hearing God's words as a pleasant song yet refusing to do them, and fearing God only by precept taught by men. It stands alongside trusting self-made light instead of trusting the Lord, trusting deceptive human wisdom, rejecting God's guidance, distorting His warnings, and using lies to mislead others. It means finite and erring persons walking in their own counsel and practicing principles warned against instead of walking in the way shown. Secret scheming of this kind includes robbing God, withholding help, finding fault, and taking from His work in small and large things, with all exposed before Him who looks at motives.
God answers this secrecy by doing a marvelous work and wonder that brings hidden wisdom to nothing. The wisdom of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent men shall be hid. He reckons idle and rebellious time, and true actions will be exposed in judgment so that those who honor outwardly while turning the heart away, rejecting warnings, and engaging in deception and secret opposition cannot remain concealed. In the chapter's picture of spiritual blindness and distorted understanding, this applies to workers who introduce false ideas and suppose their schemes can be hidden, and to professed followers of Christ who like Judas refuse the light received.
The verse is part of a prophecy whose words will be fulfilled. Secrecy does not prevent fulfillment in those who act on these principles of concealing true aims, keeping company with the fallen angel, helping deceive others, and setting truth aside for error. The chapter's warning will be fulfilled in teachers and leaders who claim great light but remain unconverted, mix their own spirit into counsel, and join together to do what is forbidden. Their blindness and conduct pervert justice and mercy, weaken the work, and dishonor the truth.
Fulfillment and Application
In Christ's time the woe exposed religious leaders who hid their motives and actions beneath outward profession while imagining the Lord could not see or know what they did. It meant the scribes and Pharisees who came to watch Jesus to trap Him and find accusation against Him over washing of hands, cups, pots, brazen vessels and tables. Their lips honored God but their hearts were far from Him, and their worship was made vain by teaching the commandments of men for doctrine. They laid aside the commandment of God to hold the traditions of men handed down from rabbi to rabbi. They rejected the command to honor father and mother by saying a man who declared his help to parents a gift was free and need do nothing more for them, thus making the word of God of none effect.
The same chapter describes the course pursued at Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy who sought deep to hide counsel from the Lord and did works in the dark while asking who sees or knows. It meant secret planning in councils, violating the principles of the ten commandments by failing to show supreme love to God and love to fellow men as self. They heartily disliked and despised anyone who questioned the course pursued and disrespected the men entrusted with God's message. They rejected both the message and the messengers with bitter feeling and hatred, and refused testimonies of warning and reproof. They needed thorough conversion in probationary time that their sins might be blotted out.
The warning applies to teachers and leaders who claim great light but remain unconverted, mix their own spirit into their counsel, and join together to do what God forbids. Their blindness and conduct pervert justice and mercy, weaken God's work, and dishonor the truth. The chapter's warning will be fulfilled in those who act on these principles of concealing true aims. It applies to medical workers who secretly devise plans against the Lord and act as if deeds and motives are hidden from Him. God sees their hidden counsel and works, for their claim that no one sees or knows is false, and in them the warning meets those who resist God's direction and seek to make His messages of reproof and warning ineffective.
The warning applies to workers who introduce false ideas and suppose their schemes can be hidden from God, in the chapter's picture of spiritual blindness and distorted understanding. It describes people who conceal their true aims and are open to deception, setting truth aside for error, and whose words will fulfill prophecy. It meets those who rely on human counsel and follow their own way despite God's warning, who reject God's guidance, trust deceptive human wisdom, distort God's warnings, and use lies to mislead others. It meets those who hide their true aims, keep company with the fallen angel, and help deceive others, whose secrecy does not prevent their actions from fulfilling prophecy. It portrays conditions in the world as applying to people who have cast truth aside and are deceived by persuasive words, while those who once knew the truth but turned away are invited to return to the Lord.
Concealed works stand exposed before Him, for no counsel can be hidden from God, and secret scheming to rob God, to withhold help, to find fault, and to take from His work in small and large things cannot remain covered. Such hiding belongs with drawing near with mouth and lips while the heart is far and covetous, hearing God's words as a pleasant song but refusing to do them, and fearing God only by the precept of men. God looks at motives, reckons idle and rebellious time, and will do a marvelous work that brings hidden wisdom to nothing. The warning also meets professed followers of Christ who, like Judas, refuse the light they have received and act as though their motives and works can remain concealed from God and escape His judgment.