what's so great about knowledge:
reread a few passages from way back:
deut 11:18-21
18 “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them
as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
19 “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along
the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.
20 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your
fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.
in the new testament, you'll see that teaching is central to the church - both in person and through the epistles.
on the positive side, acts 2:41,42
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
knowledge is core to knowing what we need to do.
abstract note: 1 cor 2:3-16 (a spot where wisdom/knowledge used very similarly)
3. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
4. and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5. so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
6. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of
the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
7. but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the
ages to our glory;
8. the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
9. but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
10. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
11. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even
so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know
the things freely given to us by God,
13. which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit,
combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;
and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
15. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
16. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM ? But we have the mind of Christ.
god has revealed things about himself that can only be known through revelation. knowledge of these things
is required to know god.
we need to study them.
we need to proclaim them.
this is in huge contrast to our natural tendency - to believe that enough wisdom is enough.
this is why we believe in missions, in preaching, and in the importance of the bible and inspiration. (rom 10:14,15)
with that as basis, you can see why knowledge is so important to maturity:
col 1:9-12
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask
that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing
fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all
steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
knowledge -> walk in a worthy manner -> bearing fruit -> etc
what it looks like:
james 3:13-18
13. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
14. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy
and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
good decision making: 1 cor 6:1-8 (similar to exodus 17)
1. Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before
the unrighteous and not before the saints?
2. Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you,
are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
3. Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
4. So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges
who are of no account in the church?
5. I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will
be able to decide between his brethren,
6. but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
7. Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another.
Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?
8. On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
job / prov / ecc / song of solomon(?) / psalms(?)
prov 31 esp
an example of it in non-godliness: 2 sam 15:30-37, 16:20-23
30. And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered
and he walked barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went.
31. Now someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David
said, "O LORD, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness."
32. It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold,
Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head.
33. David said to him, "If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me.
34. "But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, `I will be your servant, O king; as I have been
your father's servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,' then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.
35. "Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from
the king's house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36. "Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and
by them you shall send me everything that you hear."
37. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
20. Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?"
21. Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all
Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be
strengthened."
22. So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the
sight of all Israel.
23. The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God;
so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.
1. Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue
David tonight.
2. "I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who
are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone,
3. and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek;
then all the people will be at peace."
4. So the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5. Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say."
6. When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Shall we carry
out his plan? If not, you speak."
7. So Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good."
8. Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are
fierce, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and will not
spend the night with the people.
9. "Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the caves or in another place; and it will be when he
falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, `There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'
10. "And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart;
for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men.
11. "But I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that
is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle.
12. "So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew
falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left.
13. "If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it
into the valley until not even a small stone is found there."
14. Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel
of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom.
15. Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and
the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled.
16. "Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, `Do not spend the night at the fords of the
wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.' "
17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they
would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city.
18. But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of
a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.
19. And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known.
20. Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?"
And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they searched and could not find
them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21. It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David;
and they said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you."
22. Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one
remained who had not crossed the Jordan.
23. Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his
home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.
can the 'unregenerate' be wise? seems like yes.
how does this work with prov 1:7
7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
the fear of the lord is the most important decision to make correctly - the ultimate 'end'.
how to get it:
james 1:5-8
5. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach,
and it will be given to him.
6. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea,
driven and tossed by the wind.
7. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8. being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
the most famous case of someone asking for wisdom is...solomon. 1 kings 3:6-14
6. Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according
as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have
reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7. "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am
but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
8. "Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are
too many to be numbered or counted.
9. "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil.
For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
10. It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.
11. God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life,
nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for
yourself discernment to understand justice,
12. behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning
heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.
13. "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not
be any among the kings like you all your days.
14. "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then
I will prolong your days."
so...ask. regularly and in faith.
also. it is freely available.
prov 1:20-33
20. Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
21. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22. "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
23. "Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24. "Because I called and you refused,
I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25. And you neglected all my counsel
And did not want my reproof;
26. I will also laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your dread comes,
27. When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity 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 not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
31. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.
32. "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33. "But he who listens to me shall live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil."