Know Your God (2)
Notes
Transcript
The significance of the word “Know”
The significance of the word “Know”
The word “know” can carry a wide range of meanings.
a person can know of someone or even have interacted with that person, but this would not denote a relationship.
Thus, you might know that a person exists and know the title of his position, and yet not know the person intimately.
In the Hebrew language spoken by King David the Hebrew word for “know” is: yada‘, which has a similar range of meaning.
To have understanding of
to be acquainted or familiar with
to be aware of the truth or factuality of: be convinced or certain of
to have a practical understanding of
12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.
This was the time, for instance, when the high priest Eli’s sons ministered at Jehovah’s tabernacle at Shiloh
These priests were extremely bad, the Bible records saying: “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt or base men; they knew not Jehovah.” or the Lord.
Although it is said, “they knew not Jehovah,” obviously these priests did know Of the God at whose tabernacle they were serving..
The Hebrew word for “know” in this instance denoted more than merely having knowledge regarding God’s name and certain facts about him.
Thus, some translations render the passage, “they had no regard,” “they cared nothing for,” or, “they did not acknowledge Jehovah.”
The priests knew who Jehovah was, but they had not developed an appreciation of him so as to be moved to carry on his worship faithfully.
their desires where not towards the things of God.
A somewhat similar use of the Hebrew word is found at 1 Kings:
27 Then Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, seamen who knew the sea, to work with the servants of Solomon.
” The expression “knowing the sea” didn’t mean that the shipmen of Hiram had only a casual knowledge of the sea, having simply heard about the sea, or perhaps only seeing it on a previous occasion.
the Hebrew word here referred rather to an intimate familiarity with the sea and its behavior.
Thus, other translations say that the shipmen “had knowledge of the sea” or “were familiar with the sea.”
through out the bible, we can easily see, that the Hebrew word for “know” can refer to a close friendship or intimate relationship.
this being based upon:
intimate knowledge or merely head knowledge
King David said to his son, “Know the God of your father”?
The Depth of Knowing God.
The Depth of Knowing God.
Though at the time king Davids son was a young man, I’m sure that his son already knew of God.
So in giving his counsel to ‘know God,’ David meant much more than for Solomon to know a few fundamental facts about God, such as his name, his being from everlasting to everlasting, and so forth.
Rather, David desired that Solomon come to know Jehovah God in a real, personal and intimate way.
To follow God in all his commandments and with all of his heart in full understanding and obedience.
He taught him that, God should be much more to him than just a name or a doctrine that is read from a book. (we can have some knowledge of the word of God and still not have an intimate relationship with God)
God is not merely a word that has been committed to paper, or a figment of man’s imagination.
David desired that his son know him in a way more powerful and intimate, rather than in just knowing that he exists.
A God to whom we can draw close to in prayer, and to whom we render worship and obedience to.
One that is given and deserves first place.
8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.
11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;
12 and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.
13 They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
In explaining this passage, I want to refer back to what I said earlier.
The Hebrew word for “know” in this instance denoted more than merely having knowledge regarding God’s name and certain facts about him.
Thus, some translations render the passage, “they had no regard,” “they cared nothing for,” or, “they did not acknowledge Jehovah.”
So a generation arose that “new not God”
we know that it wasn’t merely speaking of not knowing about God....
we know this because it goes on to say:
“they forsook the Lord God of their fathers”
“and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them.”
this lack of “knowing God” lead them to evil works
therefor, to know God is to:
Hold God in high regard
To care for and serve God with all our heart
To acknowledge God in all that we do.
David, wanted his son Solomon always to acknowledge and have respect for Jehovah God and His laws.
King David wanted his son Solomon to know God in the sense of becoming God’s intimate friend.
This meant that Gods interests must become Solomon’s interests,
his behaviors an imitation and reflection of God’s ways,
and his work that should be directed and ordained by God and for the purpose of God.
This could only be achieved by learning of God’s requirements and purposes and letting knowledge penetrate his heart.
A Treasured Relationship
A Treasured Relationship
the basis of our relationship with God in not only for our success and eternal salvation, but also for those that we come in contact with.
this basis is so that we might be fruitful in our walk with God.
it is so very important for us to “know our God” in a way that is beyond a surface relationship
but rather an intimate and meaningful way.
for to not know God:
in truth
in understanding
in obedience (to know him this way we must know him according to his word) for if we don’t, how can we truly know him in any kind of depth or meaningful way.?
To not know him and follow him in this way is to be unfruitful.
therefor, to know God, is to be fruitful and to not know him is to be unfruitful.
so we ask ourselves...why is it so important to be fruitful?
can’t we just be saved ourselves and be content in that??
we find this answer in the book of John:
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
we see that in nature, this principle is the same.
everything in nature is designed to reproduce after its kind.
meaning to ensure the survival of that species, it must reproduce.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
the definition of unfruitful is:
: not fruitful: such as
a: not producing offspring : BARREN
b: yielding no valuable result : UNPROFITABLE
to be unfruitful…is to yield no valuable results…to be unprofitable to the kingdom of God.
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
serving God and knowing God is the same today and is so vitally important to the believer and to our success as a christian and to the furtherance of the gospel.
but the only way it is going to have a meaningful impact in our lives, is when we allow it to penetrate our hearts and become an integral part of our lives.
God must occupy first place in our hearts and lives.
when we go to church, when we pray, when we fast, when we witness....
what we are really doing is acknowledging God in our lives
giving him first place
Honoring him
to know God is to know him intimately and personally…and showing it by honoring him with our whole life and not just part of it.
by learning of him…studying the word and applying it to our every day lives.
we must acknowledge that if God doesn’t occupy first place then he will be second place
when something gets into our heart, we no longer view it as optional…but rather, essential and of vital importance...
indispensable.
something that cannot be lived without
Of the utmost importance
when we allow God to occupy our hearts and lives like this…only then, can we really know God and be known of God.
to know God is to:
know him in an intimate way
to be fruitful or to be profitable to the kingdom.
to yield value to the kingdom of God
being obedient to his word
to emulate or be and example of God in our lives (for those who know God shall bear the fruits of that relationship)