Real Knowledge

(Proverbs 12:1) “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

Knowledge (“general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles") a commodity as precious as gold, but only if used for God’s glory! How on earth have I arrived at such a conclusion one may ask? Miscued knowledge was the downfall of man! Adam and Eve both ate from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before they were entitled to it! But after eating they understood that they were naked and covered themselves with fig leaves. Because of their mistake, all of mankind has been thrust into learning from their own inaccuracies. We will all need to learn from our blunders along life’s mission; it helps us gather information that will in turn support change in our conduct, making us wiser. It is only the fool who rejects knowledge! “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15)   

The longer we live the wiser we should be; however it isn't always the case; in fact the reason that God shortened the lifespan of man was because they degenerated instead of becoming wiser; “Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."” - And the reason for His decision was this; “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them."” (Genesis 6:5-7) - Nevertheless, if we learn to appropriate God’s wisdom into our lives, it is obvious we will finish far wiser than most.

Solomon teaches us that if you “give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” But just as life had a beginning for all, so too must the beginning of wisdom spring from the right foundation; we will by default all try to gather information, it is part of our design. However if we start with the wrong information without ever correcting it we will all end badly. Where must we start if we want to end well? Here is the key to wisdom; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10) – Now the systems of the world do not teach us this truth, it propagates education, degrees and doctorates as wisdom, they will only puff one up with carnal knowledge that will end badly if the fear of God is not our first focus.

Why we are initially told to fear God? Because he has it in His power to condemn a man to hell for all eternity; He is Sovereign and has it in His control to do whatever He pleases with His creation. He is the potter and we are the clay! We are the created!

The world has a system that teaches carnal wisdom (the wisdom of men, those who have been created) and those who propagate their message are doomed to pass away. Here is the Apostle Paul’s message; “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Corinthians 2:5-8)

Therefore any message that does not carry with it the message of the cross is a message full of folly! “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:1-2) – The sooner we learn to build upon the Lord Jesus Christ in every area of our lives the wiser we will become.

God’s message, in and through the finished work of Calvary is a message full of hope and anything outside of this wisdom will only ever condemn; “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

God help us to embrace this valuable lesson, it is the greatest of gifts we could ever give to our children. Whoever you are resolve in your heart to focus on eternity rather than this world and its idiocy as it is passing away!

There was a man named Solomon, King David’s son; who up until then was the wisest man that ever lived. In fact he was so wise that people across the globe journeyed from afar to sit at his feet gathering information from him. His life was a life of searching out wisdom by trial and error; he personally tested just about every possibility known to man and their opinions. After all his searching out he arrived at this conclusion; “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14) 

Signing off

Tyrone