Learn of Jesus – Part 2, God Wants Us to Have Knowledge

davidwpalmer

Aug 27

Learn of Jesus - Part 2, God Wants Us to Have Knowledge
David W Palmer

(Matthew 11:29-30 DKJV) "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Not only is God the "God of knowledge" (1 Sam. 2:3 NKJV) as we saw yesterday, but Scripture is clear when it says that God wants us to have knowledge:

(Hosea 6:6 NKJV) "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Only fools hate knowledge (as we saw yesterday in Prov. 1:22). The following is a larger portion of this same Proverb that further reveals God's attitude to knowledge. Note also his view of those who are unteachable—those who hate learning truth.

(Proverbs 1:22–30 NKJV) "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. {23} Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. {24} Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, {25} Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, {26} I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, {27} When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. {28} "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. {29} Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, {30} They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke."

We may flinch at some of the language in this passage: "laugh at your calamity," etc. But we can clearly see what terrible consequences can come our way through lack of knowledge: "calamity … terror … destruction … distress … anguish … no answer from God." These all sound like outcomes that we would rather avoid. And we can. How?—through true knowledge; which, according to this Proverb, can be acquired through: God's rebuke, his Spirit making his words known to us, him calling to us, him stretching out his hand to us, and his counsel. The "fools" didn't choose the fear of the Lord; they hated his knowledge. That's why they suffered the consequences he mentions. I sure don't want to be like them; I need God's knowledge: so let's learn some more of what he says about it:

(Proverbs 14:7 NKJV) "Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge."

This is a very clear instruction to avoid people who do not speak like God; we don't want what they say to enter our spirits and contaminate us with their foolishness. Sadly, it could be those we would rather respect:

(Jeremiah 4:22 NKJV) "For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge."

Let us resolve never to be like the "silly", "foolish" "children" that this describes. I encourage you to be determined and diligent to love true knowledge, and to do what it takes to obtain it from God:

(Proverbs 2:6 NKJV) "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;"

As our perfect Father, God is saying to us today:

(Proverbs 4:20 NIV) "My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words."

Because knowledge is so important to our survival and blessing; and because a lack of it has such destructive consequences, God wants us to be diligent to give our full focus to his word—paying attention to it to the exclusion of all foolish and unwise input. This is our responsibility; we have to give our attention to search out what God has hidden for us in his word:

(Proverbs 25:2 NIV) "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings."

I congratulate you for having started already—even reading this, and meditating on the Bible passages quoted above is a very good start on your journey to "learn of" Jesus. I'm praying for you today to receive revelation of his knowledge.