A lot of the news this week has focused on Israel and what has been happening with God’s holy nation. Earlier this week, tragic news came out that some reporters were accidentally killed by the IDF in Gaza.
If that ungodly act wasn’t enough, late this week, news broke of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s connection to the idea of a future Greater Israel, which would require the occupation of parts of other Arab nations.
What is happening in the Middle East is a harsh reminder that God’s people are supposed to be different from this corrupt and temporary kingdom, instead of trying to rule it:
- Greedy
- Unloving
- Unforgiving
- Power-hungry
Let me be clear, I understand the biblical promises to Israel and God’s people, but the Bible is more than just a book of feel-good promises. God has a purpose and plan for His people that is foolish to this world.
The Bible is our handbook for how God’s people should live and act in this fallen kingdom. The Bible is the infallible truth about God’s nature and His expectations of His people (Exodus 19:5, Psalm 81:13-14).
The Word is wisdom for living for a King and a Heavenly Kingdom glorifying life, not a comfortable and corrupt temporary one (Daniel 2:44, Hebrews 12:28). Israel and God’s people have all of the knowledge we need to know and do God’s will why we live in this temporary kingdom (Proverbs 3:5-6, Ephesians 5:15-20).
What Is Knowledge
We’ve all heard that “Knowledge is power,” but that is only half of the truth; it can also lead to pride and other sins (Proverbs 11:2, 1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowledge, like everything else in this fallen world, can be used for good or evil.
Knowledge is defined as “The range of one’s information or understanding; the fact or condition of having information.” In today’s advanced and high-tech world, we can get information from everywhere instantly.
But God’s people are warned not to listen to every teaching they hear (Proverbs 14:15, Galatians 1:8-9, Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 2:8, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 John 4:1). God has given us His Word to equip and prepare us for these last days, which was a full of conspiracy theories and twisted promises of earthly greatness.
That is why the Bible has a lot to say about knowledge, where to get it and what to do with it (Hosea 4:6-7, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 15:34, James 1:5; 3:13). Like the ways of the world, worldly knowledge is different from spiritual knowledge (Isaiah 55:8-9, 2 Corinthians 2:14).
God reveals wisdom and spiritual truth to His people through Scripture, His Spirit, and the prophets (John 14:26, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:1).
God’s people must listen to the ways of God and use His knowledge, not pursue earthly riches and greatness like the evil rulers of this earthly kingdom (Luke 22:25-27, Romans 11:33, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 8:1, Ephesians 1:17, Colossians 2:8, 2 Peter 1:5-7). The apostles remembered their Jewish education about knowledge and what to do with it.
Daʿaṯ
In ancient times, people turned to mystics and idols for knowledge and anything to help them achieve what they wanted in this life. People were focused on an earthly kingdom that was full of temporary pleasures and treasures that only brought temporary happiness, instead of eternal joy and life.
God called the people out of the darkness to be His people and promised to be with them and lead them (Leviticus 20:26, Deuteronomy 7:6, 1 Samuel 12:12). He promised to bless them if they obeyed him and listened to the knowledge He gave them (Leviticus 26:3-13, Deuteronomy 11:13-15).
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for knowledge is daʿaṯ, and it can also mean “Perception, skill, wisdom, understanding, or discernment,” depending on the context it is used in.
That is why God gave His people His Word and knowledge through the prophets (Numbers 12:6, Deuteronomy 18:1-22, Amos 3:7). All these centuries later, Judaism still emphasizes studying God’s word to learn His ways and knowledge:
- Bet Sefer
- Bet Talmud
- Bet Midrash
When God sent the Messiah into the world, He came as a teacher whom many believed was a prophet (Matthew 5:1-48; 21:11, Luke 7:16, John 3:1-36). Jesus came to remind God’s people of God’s ways and teachings are not like this world (John 18:36).
Our Lord warned His followers that he did not come to do away with God’s law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-18). He challenged the religious experts in the law and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees by giving them a new law to fulfill God’s plan (Matthew 23:1-39, John 13:34).
He showed the religious leaders the importance of using the knowledge to do God’s will (Matthew 10:33). Our Lord used His knowledge and power to heal people and heal the weather (Matthew 8:5; 9:35, Luke 8:22-25).
Chattanooga
Late this week, the southeast was hit with another severe round of storms and flooding. Despite numerous flood watches and warnings, people still ventured out into the dangerous conditions.
Floodwaters overran the banks and flooded Interstate 24. A young family was killed when a tree fell on their vehicle, all because they refused to listen to the information passed on to them through the proper channels.
With all of the advanced technology and information we have today, people still choose not to use the knowledge to make better choices in life. I believe we can all agree that technology is good when we use it properly, but bad when we fail to make better choices in this temporary kingdom we live in:
- Impatient
- Unloving
- Unforgiving
The truth is, it is foolish to ignore things just because we don’t like them or they are different from what we believe. That is why it is foolish to ignore the teachings of the Bible. Our Lord warned us over 2000 years ago the weather and people would go crazy in the last days (Matthew 24:6-8, Luke 21:25-26).
The Bible is clear that the wisdom of this temporary kingdom is foolishness to God (Proverbs 3:5-7, 1 Corinthians 1:20-25). God’s people must remember God’s Word is more than just a bunch of head daʿaṯ!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In