3 Believers in the Bible Who Hid in Plain Sight to Further God's Kingdom

The Secret Ambition of Believers

Many believers “hide” in plain sight even in the world today, navigating very dark spaces such as in human trafficking, the political theater, the depravity of Hollywood, and beyond. Yet, God has placed them there “for such a time as this”—to intercede, to speak a word in season, to discern the timing of the Lord to share of Christ’s salvation, to lay their hands on the sick, and to plant seeds of the Gospel in the heart of an unbeliever.

In the Bible, believers interacted quietly with the pagan world and even though many of their names will never be known—God knows them.

• These were the men and women who knew John the Baptist had been beheaded.
• They were the followers of God who knew Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den.
• They were aware the Babylonian king had tried to kill Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by fire.
• They knew that John the Apostle had been exiled to Patmos after many attempts on his life.
• They were aware of the believers being murdered in the Coliseum and hung on the walls of Nero’s gardens.

There were no Constitutional rights or presumption of innocence or any advocates. So, many men and women simply served the Lord and served in their positions among the pagan rulers of the world as living testimonies of the Living God.

You can do the same thing wherever God has positioned you. You don’t have to hand out tracts or start a ministry or preach on the street corners or have a cool podcast or publish books or do anything “great” to be greatly used by God right where you are.

Here are three examples of biblical characters who hid in plain sight:

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1. The Ethiopian Eunuch

In Acts 8:26-40, Luke records an account of Philip, a disciple of Jesus, encountering an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from the book of Isaiah, but did not understand what he was reading.

Using the very text he was reading, Philip explained the word of the Lord to him and shared the Gospel about Jesus Christ (Acts 8:35). The eunuch believed and was baptized by Philip before Philip was transported away in the Spirit as the eunuch watched him disappear into thin air.

Luke notes that the man was, “a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in command of her entire treasury.” (Acts 8:27)

• After his powerful, life-changing encounter with the Lord, what did the Ethiopian eunuch go home and say, or do? 
• Whom did he speak with? 
• Who noticed something was different and wanted to know more? 
• Which kings, queens, and nobles did he interact with, or pray for in his heart? 

The world will never know—but God does.

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2. Naaman’s Hebrew Servant Girl

In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, a commander in the army of the King of Aram (modern-day Syria), was sick with leprosy and nothing could cure him. Naaman was respected and highly favored, but his illness kept him in pain and in shame.

A young girl who was kidnapped and trafficked against her will by a band of raiders from Aram had been forced into slavery in Naaman’s household, serving his wife.

There are many ways the young girl could have responded to her terrible situation, but it is evident that she was a young woman who had earned the respect of those she was forced to serve. How can you know?

“…Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy. Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied.” (2 Kings 5:2-5, MEV)

When Naaman’s illness became part of the conversation, those who had enslaved her were willing to listen to what she had to say. She didn’t keep that information to herself, but she freely shared it. She didn’t misdirect or manipulate. She stepped forward with courage and she directed Naaman toward the prophet Elisha, who directed him toward the Lord in whom Naaman believed. (2 Kings 5:15)

The servant girl is never mentioned again.

• What happened to her? 
• What happened to Naaman? 
• Whose lives were impacted by Naaman’s testimony?
• Was anyone else impacted by the young girl’s faith in the Lord? 

The world will never know—but God does.

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3. Nicodemus

Although Nicodemus is not as obscure as many others in the Bible, he, too, became a believer in Christ sometime after the conversation with Jesus in John 3. The problem? He was a Pharisee.

The Pharisees during Jesus’ day had drifted so far from God’s purpose for the Law of Moses that they were strictly enforcing all 613 laws that were meant to point them to the Messiah, (Galatians 3:24-27) but had failed to discern the actual Messiah when He arrived!

As Jesus traveled and preached and taught from the Scriptures, the Pharisees, who were the ruling party among the Jewish culture, hated Him and sought to kill Him. However, faith arose in the hearts of many who did believe, even though saying so could put their lives at risk.

In fact, John notes that:

“…many of the rulers also believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:42-43, MEV)

When Nicodemus, who was among the ruling class of the Sanhedrin, came to Jesus under cover of night, they had a pivotal, secret conversation where He told Nicodemus:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17, MEV)

• What did Nicodemus do with that information? 
• Did he believe in Jesus Christ the Messiah, but go into hiding for fear of the Pharisees? 
• Did he tell anyone about the conversation? 

In John 7, Nicodemus, a scholar of the law, is present when the Pharisees secretly discuss arresting Jesus. He quietly asks his fellow Pharisees about the Law of Moses requiring a man to be heard before being judged. They turn on him and accuse him of being ignorant of the prophecies of the Messiah declaring that, “…no prophet arises out of Galilee.” (John 7:50-52) Nicodemus’ reputation and possibly his life were on the line.

Finally, in John 19, Nicodemus was present when Jesus Christ, who had been willing to meet him under cover of night and speak to him about being born again, was dead. It was then that Nicodemus finally stepped out of the shadows, offering the spices, myrrh, and aloes with which to prepare His body to be buried.

• Did anyone else believe because of Nicodemus?
• Was his open act of service at Calvary enough to inspire another Pharisee to step out in faith as well?
• Was his position as a leader influential enough that people came and asked him questions about Jesus?

The world will never know—but God does.

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Even a Tiny Light Pierces the Darkness

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (MEV)

Sometimes believers must navigate very dark spaces in the world. It is no different now than it was for believers serving amid the debauchery of Herod’s court, or watching other believers get killed in the courts of a Babylonian king, or for those kidnapped and enslaved by other nations.

Yet, even a tiny light pierces the darkness.

You are positioned where God needs you to be. You are among the people He wants you to reach. What will you say or do? Whom will you intercede for? Has God opened your heart to see someone as He sees them? Are you observing a situation where you feel powerless to help?

Don’t judge yourself for not doing more. Don’t compare your actions to the actions of another believer’s calling. Don’t allow the enemy to scare you into silence, either.

You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) Wherever you are now, you can impact the Kingdom with that light. Ask the Lord to show you how because when the light shines into the darkness, “…the darkness cannot overtake it.” (John 1:5)

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