Seek the Knowledge of God

[audio]

Hosea 4, 6, and assorted other scriptures

Preached 10/4/2014

 

INTRODUCTION

In the book of Romans, Paul, when confronted with the magnificence of God’s sovereignty, writes this line as he breaks into a hymn of praise:

Rom 11:33   Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Interestingly, this thought is the capstone of the doctrinal part of Romans and is the stepping-stone into the second part of the book, which is filled with instructions on how to live as a Christian.  The knowledge of God is deep and rich, and it is unsearchable and inscrutable by us for two very important reasons:  (1) We are finite, and God is infinite, so even if we were perfected it would take us an eternity to apprehend it (let alone comprehend it), and (2) we are currently broken in sin and, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians,

1 Cor 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Nonetheless we are expected to seek that knowledge (as Paul mentioned to the Athenians in Acts 17) and are accountable for getting it right.  As Paul mentioned in Romans 1 the wrath of God abides on the human race for suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.

As members of a “bible-believing evangelical protestant church” ™ we pride ourselves on being devoted to the Bible and doctrine, and we naturally look down on those who have weaker theology or who don’t study or even use their Bibles.  In fact, as a Grace Brethren church we even have the motto “the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible”.  But are we worshipping Bible study, or just the concept of the authority of scripture, or are we really hungry to get to the knowledge of God? Do we love the concept of knowing the Bible more than we love the search for more of the knowledge of God? 

Another question – why should we be interested in the knowledge of God anyway?  Is it practical, or is it a highbrow activity for those ‘advanced’ people that seem to have been called by God to decipher and decode the arcane and obscure bits of theology.  In other words, it is just the pursuit of “bible geeks”, in the same way that some people follow sports teams and others movies or tv shows or celebrities or comic books or science or cars or literature or history or any of hundreds of other eclectic human interests.  In other words, is it just a field of study for aficionados, experts and professionals, equal (or somewhat superior) to and in parallel with any other human specialization?

It’s just for the experts, right?  I go to church once a week to listen to the experts, and I learn the answers to the spiritual questions, but it is really not my job to specialize in that field.  Right?  Also, it’s for the ‘special’ people because it’s too hard for me (and maybe not very interesting also), right?

 

HOSEA – “My People are Destroyed for lack of knowledge”

While few of the OT prophets had what we would be called wonderful, happy ministries, there are probably three who stand out as having some of the most awful jobs.  Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was the voice of judgment for a people doomed for judgment, who was told to preach to them and also told that they would not listen.  Ezekiel, a contemporary of Jeremiah, was given a series of awful object lessons to act out to show the Israelites about the coming judgment.  Hosea, however, had to live out in his personal life an object lesson about Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.  He was told to marry a prostitute and then to take her back after she left him to ply her trade to illustrate the loving care of God for a nation that “commits flagrant harlotry”.  The first three chapters of Hosea give the story of Hosea loving his unfaithful wife, Gomer.  The direct message to the nation begins in chapter 4 with this call:

Hosea 4:1-3a ¹ Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; ² there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. ³ Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, ... 

According to this word, the children of Israel were missing three things.  The first two (faithfulness and steadfast love or lovingkindness) are given all over scripture as two of the most cherished qualities possessed by God.  His lovingkindness is everlasting and his faithfulness to all generations!  In other words, they were ungodly.  They were worshipping idols, and they had become like their idols.  Why were they not becoming like God?  The reason given is that there was NO KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THE LAND.  It is hard to become like Somebody that you DO NOT KNOW.  In case this connection is missed, God goes on in verse 6:

Hosea 4:6   My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Their lack of knowledge had completely destroyed their relationship with God.  Note that this was not passive – God says that they had “rejected knowledge”.  For this reason God had rejected them. How had they ‘rejected’ knowledge?  (v7-9) they had gloried in shameful things rather than God, feeding their desires by unrighteous means, and their so-called spiritual leaders led them in this;  (10) they stopped listening to God, instead loving the world; (11-19) they had worshipped idols, including literally false gods and also fleshly pleasure (intoxication & immorality).

For this reason, God had rejected them and would punish them severely (ch5).

Chapter 6 is a sad and heart-rending telling of the story of an insufficient response from the people and God’s broken heart over their sin.  In verses 1-3 the people say “Come, let us return to the Lord,” and gives their expectations that everything will be alright and hunky-dory once again.  But God’s response reveals their hearts, which had NOT returned to him:

Hosea 6:4  What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. 

So God was going to judge them still.  Why?  What did God want from them?

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 

Note that this ties in with the initial indictment at the beginning of chapter 4.  A dependable, deep love for God and KNOWLEDGE OF HIM is what he wanted, not just the trappings of temple worship.

The rest of Hosea goes through their rejection of God and his rejection of them, until their eventual restoration and blessing is described in the last chapter.  Their problem is certainly a heart-problem, and their seeking of God is not real. Especially telling is the last verse of chapter 7:

Hosea 7:16a They return, but not upward…

In other words, they were returning, but it was not a return to God, but to something else.

Why was it so important to God that they would seek and have knowledge of Him? Consider:

• Would you marry someone not knowing anything about them and not wanting to learn? It makes no sense to love somebody you don’t know. 

• We are to have faith, and Rom 10:16-17  ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

• God-pleasing faith comes not just from knowing he exists but from knowing who He is: Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

• God sent his Son not just to save us, but so that we could live with, enjoy, and glorify Him forever.  He will be our eternal study, and wants to reveal himself to us!  We were saved for this.  Why wait until heaven?  It makes no sense, and is an insult to his gift of himself!

I’m sure you can think of many other reasons.  They are so self-evident that it seemed silly to give any, but most of us spend so little time doing it in this world that we needed to at least bring up the point. 

So what does “the knowledge of God” bring us?  Is it practical, or just obligatory?

THE GLORIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

First of all, realize that in our fallen, unsaved state we cannot know God (as we already read earlier in 1 Cor 2:14).  In fact, we are spiritually blinded to truth about God.  Our salvation begins when God breaks the stranglehold of sin and supernaturally reveals himself to us.  It is not our doing!

2 Corinthians 4:3-7   ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶ For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

The knowledge of God includes knowing his glory, and the glory of the Son of God.  This knowledge is revealed to us, not figured out by us.  It is supernaturally given.

The second thing to recognize is that, as a member of the body of Christ, you have a special gifting.  Between being made a new creation and having the indwelling Holy Spirit, you were made to know God, and to be able to learn the knowledge of God:

1 Corinthians 1:4-5  ⁴ I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 

That means that the door is open, and the ball is in our court.  We are not quite “there” yet.  The church is a means to that end, however, and God has given additional gifts to some to help us:

Ephesians 4:11-13   ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 

In this passage we see that the unity of the body is connected with having a full knowledge of the Son of God, and that it is our goal in the local church to bring everybody to as full a knowledge of God as possible.  Without it, we are not mature.  Our goal is no less than “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.  Can we be complacent at any stage before that?

Is the knowledge of God mentioned anywhere else?  And what benefits are there from having the knowledge of God?  If we read the next couple of verses from our previous passage we see several benefits: 

Ephesians 4:14-16   ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 

As we see from the pen of Peter, this is not just a “that would be a nice extra credit project” in scripture:

2 Peter 3:17-18   ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Growing in the knowledge of our Lord is a command.  It is not for “super saints” and it is not something we stop in, or get enough of at some point.  To grow is the command.  We are not allowed to rest on our laurels.  There is always something else to learn.  Benefits? Stability and protection from being carried away by error.

Let’s turn to Colossians. In 1:9-10 Paul speaks of praying for them to grow in this knowledge 

Colossians 1:9-10   ⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

The knowledge of God includes knowledge of His will, not just technically (a list of rules) but with spiritual wisdom and understanding.  We need this to be able to walk worthily.  Are only some Christians required to walk worthily of the Lord?  OF COURSE NOT.  Therefore we must all seek to know him more fully.  Benefits: being fully pleasing to him and bearing fruit in every good work!

Going back to 2 Peter, a couple of chapters before the previous verse, we get a big dose of glory.  First Peter talks about our great allotment of grace at salvation, all in, well, you know:

2 Peter 1:4  ² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 

Grace and peace, the very element and fruit of salvation, are “multiplied” in the knowledge of God!  That knowledge includes his divine power, his glory and excellence, and his “precious and very great promises”.  Glorious!  Knowing his glory and divine nature tells us who we should be in our living, and knowing his power and promises will encourage us in our growth.  Then he gives a therefore: 

2 Peter 1:5-7  ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Another inescapable command, which we either will obey or disobey.  How much work is “make every effort”?  Does “every effort” stop at listening to a preacher once a week?  Listening to a Christian song now and then?  Quickly reading a few bible verses every day?  Attending a Sunday school class and saying “well, I have actually done extra.  That is surely what ‘every effort’ means.  Besides, I have been going to church for years and years, and it is only new Christians who need to learn about God. I ‘know the score’ already!”  Or does it mean memorizing scriptures, teaching your kids about theology, reading books by challenging authors about theology (the study of God) and comparing notes with other believers at church?  Where does “every effort” end?  Does it end?  Is there a retirement age?  Is there a retirement age in marriage?  If not, why would there be one in our relationship with God?  Peter continues with a wonderfully encouraging finish: 

2 Peter 1:8-11 ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Benefits?  Effectiveness, fruitfulness, spiritual sight, steadfastness, salvation!  Wooo!

In another passage in Ephesians, we see that Paul OFTEN prayed for Christians’ knowledge of God to increase:

Ephesians 1:16-21  ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

We must pray for this knowledge.  If we plow through some canned devotions in the power of the flesh, our efforts are doomed.  The glorious knowledge of God is given by Him in response to our eager prayers “I want to know you” and our urgent, diligent efforts to learn this knowledge.  They go hand in hand.

Finally, the result from our knowledge is the blessing of others:

2 Corinthians 2:14  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

 

CONCLUSION

Why?  Eternal destiny, God's command, current benefits.

How?  Salvation grace, the Holy Spirit & diligent hard work.

Benefits: Stability and protection from being carried away by error, being fully pleasing to him and bearing fruit in every good work; Effectiveness, fruitfulness, spiritual sight, steadfastness, salvation, and blessings spread everywhere.  Have you prayed for any of these things?   Seek the knowledge of God!

 

What is your plan?

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