The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Kept Secret

Last time we talked about the reasons why Yeshua had begun to teach in parables. Today, we're going to take that a little further and look at how the mysteries that He was going to teach had been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 13:34-35 (KJV)
³⁴ All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
³⁵ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

In verse 34 Matthew confirmed that Yeshua would only be speaking to the multitudes from that point on in parables. This was a fulfillment of prophecy that makes it sound like the things Yeshua would be teaching would be something that had been kept secret for a very long time. But let's look at the actual prophecy from which this quote comes.

Psalm 78:2 (KJV)
² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

This one verse confirms that Yeshua was speaking from the book of Psalms and that He would be teaching in parables, uttering dark saying of old. However, by using this one verse, His hearers, who were very conversant in the Scriptures, would recognize that Yeshua's intent included more than just the one verse.

Psalm 78:1-8 (KJV)
¹ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
³ Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
⁵ For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
⁶ That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
⁷ That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
⁸ And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

According to Psalm 78 these "dark sayings of old" were not actually kept secret, as if God had kept this information from humanity, but rather that they had been known, but forgotten by man because of stubbornness and rebellion against God. By uttering these teachings, Yeshua would be re-establishing the line of communication, so that His disciples would have right hearts and steadfast spirits with God that they would communicate to others as God had intended.