"...It seems these days that less and less is known about God and His word and people care less and less for any efforts that try to change this sorry state. They want to have fun. They want a light touch from a winsome preacher. They want to feel good with minimal effort. They don’t want to pursue knowledge because it requires more than they’re willing to give. 'Bible study? Come on! Isn’t that kind of old fashioned? We don’t need that. All we need is John 3:16 and a few religious bestsellers.'"

There is an old saying that goes, "What you don’t know can’t hurt you." There is another one with about the same meaning that says, "Ignorance is bliss."

These old sayings, while well known to most of us, are not always true. Imagine the validity of thinking, "What you don’t know can’t hurt you" when you’re stopped by an officer for exceeding the speed limit. Imagine someone who steadfastly ignores the symptoms of a heart attack or cancer explaining "What you don’t know can’t hurt you. Ignorance is bliss."

What you don’t know can hurt you. Ignorance is not always bliss. This is the case in many areas of life but it is especially true when referring to the things of God. What you don’t know about God can hurt you!

Yet it seems these days that less and less is known about God and His word and people care less and less for any efforts that try to change this sorry state. They just want to have fun. They want a light touch from a winsome preacher. They want to feel good with minimal effort. They don’t want to pursue knowledge because it requires more than they’re willing to give. Bible study? Come on! Isn’t that kind of old fashioned? We don’t need that. All we need is John 3:16 and a few religious bestsellers. Yet the Bible says a lot about the importance of acquiring the knowledge of God and we do well to hear it.

In this message I want to present to you the preponderance of evidence in the Bible that says we need to consistently pursue the knowledge of God’s word. I will go through these very quickly because of the great volume of verses involved. As always, there will be a manuscript of my sermon available for anyone who would like to take more time to verify the things I teach.

Perhaps a good place for us to start this morning is in 1 Samuel 2:3 where Hannah, Samuel’s mother said, "The Lord is a God of knowledge," and she was surely right. Many others in Scripture realized the same thing.

In his famous youthful prayer right after he became king, Solomon didn’t ask for riches or honor. He asked God for "wisdom and knowledge" as described in 2 Chronicles 1:10. He said, "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?" Did God approve of Solomon’s priorities? Yes, indeed. He blessed him more than any other of Israel’s kings. We read in verses 11 and 12 of the same passage: "And God said to Solomon, 'Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you."

Eliphaz the Temanite, though misguided in some of his counsel to Job, inferred the importance of knowledge when in Job 15:2 he incorrectly ridiculed Job as one who answered a question with what he called "windy knowledge."

"Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?" - Job 15:2

It’s the only passage I know in the Bible where someone openly calls someone else a "windbag" because he thought that he had faulty knowledge.

In Job 38:2, God referred to those who speak without right knowledge. He said, "Who is this that darkens counsel

Psalm 92:6 says that the man who lacks knowledge is "senseless" and "stupid." (Sorry. Those words aren’t mine.) Here’s what it says: "A senseless man has no knowledge;

Solomon, the son of David, said in Proverbs 1:4 that among the reasons he wrote, was to give wisdom and knowledge to young people. Later in that same section, in verse 7, he said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Then later yet in the same chapter, in verse 22, he wrote that "fools hate knowledge."

Sounds to me like right knowledge is very important. Sounds to me like the Bible puts a lot more stress on the issue of right knowledge than many modern Christians.

Solomon said in Proverbs 8:10 that one should take instruction in wisdom and knowledge even before he seeks silver and gold. In the next chapter of Proverbs, chapter 9, verse 10 he said that "knowledge of the Holy One is the beginning of understanding." Thus, we conclude from his words that one who doesn’t know about God hasn’t even begun to understand what life is about.

You might recall some weeks ago I brought to your attention a statement made by a well-known speaker whose seminar is currently sweeping churches across the country. The statement was, "The last thing many believers need today is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice."(1)

To see through that very misleading statement, one need only look up and read Proverbs 10:14 which says, "Wise men store up knowledge…."

Proverbs 11:9 tells us that "through knowledge the righteous will be delivered."

Proverbs 13:16 tells us that the "prudent man acts with knowledge."

Proverbs 14:7 tells us that if we hang around with fools, soon we won’t be able to recognize knowledge. "Leave the presence of a fool," it says, "or you will not discern words of knowledge."

Proverbs 14:18 tells us that "the prudent are crowned with knowledge."

Proverbs 15:7 tells us that a characteristic of the wise is that they encourage knowledge. "The lips of the wise spread knowledge," it says, "but the hearts of fools are not so."

Proverbs 15:14 tells us that "The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge…."

Proverbs 18:15 says, "The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."

Proverbs 19:2 tells us that "It is not good for a person to be without knowledge…."

"There is gold, and an abundance of jewels," says Proverbs 20:15, "but the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing."

"Why are you quoting all of these verses about knowledge, Dave? What is your point again?"

I’m doing it because I’m becoming more and more concerned with the "dumbing down" that I see around us (and in some cases, among us.) While belief in God is still very popular these day, knowing anything about Him seems to have fallen on hard times. Even people in Churches of Christ, who used to be known for their solid Bible knowledge, are less and less inclined to critically study even the basics about God. And outside of our circle, I fear that most people’s knowledge about God comes only from television programs and movies like "Touched by an Angel," "Joan of Arcadia," and "Bruce Almighty." I certainly can’t solve all of this problem on my watch, but I don’t want anyone within the sound of my voice or the letters of my writing to get away without knowing how important it is for us to have a good, solid, working knowledge of God through His word.

A small factory had to cease operations when a vital piece of machinery broke down. The firm's own mechanics couldn't get a thing working again so an outside expert was called in. He looked the situation over for a couple of minutes and then took a hammer and tapped the machine in a certain spot and it started running beautifully. When he submitted a bill for $100 the plant owner hit the ceiling and demanded an itemized bill. When he received the itemization of the cost, it read, $1.00 for hitting machine; $99.00 for knowing where to hit it.

The practicality of hitting the machine is surely important. But we need to realize that random pounding on things without knowledge doesn't help a thing.

Moving on…

Proverbs 23:12 says, "Apply your heart to discipline,

And your ears to words of knowledge," and as Proverbs 24:5

says, "A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power."

Our faith, and growth therein, depends upon proper knowledge that is understood. Christianity is a religion based upon knowledge. Other religions are based upon mystical experience in some form or other. Judaism and Christianity are based upon revealed knowledge that can be read and studied in the Bible.

Isaiah, who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah 700 years before Christ, foresaw the effect of waning knowledge of God among his people when he warned them in Isaiah 5:13, "Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge." God had offered to save them from impending disaster if they would just listen to Him, but they didn’t even know enough to care.

God offered backslidden Judah, even on the eve of that exile, according to Jeremiah 3:15, "shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding" if they would only turn around. Of course, they refused so they were ultimately carried away, just like Isaiah had predicted. Notice from this passage that the job of any shepherd of God’s people is to feed them with knowledge and understanding. I consider it my number one task to accurately teach and preach to you the oracles of God as contained in this book, the Bible, Sunday after Sunday. If ever I cease to do that, you should cease to support my work and ask me to leave as you should do to any other like me who ceases this high calling.

Hosea, who lived and preached during the waning days of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, wrote these words in Hosea 4:1: "Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land." The people of the Northern Kingdom didn’t listen of course, and came to be known as the "lost tribes of Israel." They are still lost today, never to be reclaimed.

In the same context, God spelled out through Hosea the grave cost of forgetting the knowledge of God. In Hosea 4:6 we read: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. [Israel here is presented as being a "priest" for the rest of the world.] Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children." What a chilling warning that says a lot to modern day believers who just can’t seem to see the need to pursue the knowledge of God anymore and who want to substitute play for solid instruction.

Hosea even elevated knowledge of God above their worship – probably because they could not properly worship God without knowledge of Him. We read in Hosea 6:6: "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Often I hear people say today that it is the "quality of the worship" and not the focus on God’s word that matters. So they reduce doctrinal content and time spent in the Word to make room for more singing and praising. Don’t misunderstand. Singing and praising God is important. But what good is singing and praising by a people who don’t know God? A juke box or MP3 player can do that!

Malachi laid out the duty of the Jewish priests in Malachi 2:7 with these words: "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." Behind this statement is the requirement that God’s messenger should preserve knowledge and not let it slip away.

I’m telling you all these things so that you can know the importance that God places on correct knowledge of God. I’m telling you so that you won’t be misled by the false instruction that is coming from some circles today that says that knowledge of God’s word isn’t all that important. "As long as you’re sincere, nothing else really matters," they say. It's a lie!

Continuing on in the New Testament, Zacharias prophesied in Luke 1: 77 that Jesus would be one to "give to His people the knowledge of salvation." Knowledge is important if we are going to be saved.

In Luke 11:52, Jesus rebuked the religious lawyers of His day with these words: "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge…." Knowledge of God is the key!

Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:22 that her people, the Samaritans, worshipped God in ignorance. He said, "You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know…" Which worship is acceptable to God, that which comes from those who know God or that which comes from those who don’t? Jesus completed his sentence by saying, "for salvation is from the Jews." It is important for us to worship that which we know and if we are to know God, we must devote ourselves to the word of God.

The Apostles in Jerusalem in Acts 6 refused to get sidetracked from their ministry of the Word by a squabble over the care of widows in the church. They appointed seven deacons so that their study, preaching, and teaching of the word wouldn’t be neglected. Here is what they said in Acts 6:3-4: "But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."

"But it doesn’t really matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere, right?" A lot of people today believe just that – that their sincerity is all that is important. Knowledge is optional. Yet what did Paul say about the Jews of his day in Romans 10:1-2? Speaking of his Jewish brethren who rejected God’s plan of salvation through Christ, he said, "Brethren, my prayer to God and my heart’s desire for them is for their salvation. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, [they were sincere] but not in accordance with knowledge." Right zeal. Wrong knowledge. And because of it they were lost.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul wrote of himself and those who taught God’s word in his day that they were "destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God…." In our day just as in Paul’s day there is an onslaught of man’s speculation raised up against the knowledge of God. Seeing all these verses about the importance of such knowledge helps us realize not only why it needs to be protected and preserved, but that we must be willing to put forth the effort to do so.

In Ephesians 4 Paul stresses the need for unity among believers. He tells his readers (including us) in verse 13 that we should be diligent to maintain the unity of the Spirit "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Notice that it is growing knowledge of the son of God that brings about maturity and the unity of the faith.

Paul prayed for the Philippians in Philippians 1:9 that their love would abound still more and more "in real knowledge and all discernment…."

The same apostle prayed to God in Colossians 1:9 that the Colossians would be "filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…." So that they could, according to verse 10, "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."

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Then again, speaking to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:7, Paul spoke of people who are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Such people are real thinkers and learners, but they major in all the wrong stuff. Somehow they just never get around to understanding the right knowledge of God’s truth.

Peter stated in 2 Peter 1:3 that "all things pertaining to life and godliness" come "through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." Then two verses later (verse 5) he said, "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge…."

And then in the crowning verse of his second letter, Peter admonished his readers in 2 Peter 3:18 to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

John Wesley once received a note that said, "The Lord has told me to tell you that He doesn't need your book-learning, your Greek and your Hebrew."

Wesley answered, "Thank you, sir. Your letter was superfluous, however, as I already knew the Lord has no need for my 'book-learning,' as you put it. However, although the Lord has not directed me to say so, on my own responsibility I would like to say to you that the Lord does not need your ignorance either."

My friends, knowledge is important and what you don’t know about the word of God can hurt you. That’s why we must continue to pursue the knowledge of God that is contained between the pages of this book, the Bible.

We must resist the dumbing down that is going on around us.

Each of us needs to take up the issue of gaining the knowledge of God for ourselves while we can.

Our Sunday school classes, the preaching (both morning and evening on Sundays), the Wednesday evening meeting, our private studies, are all founded on this need to gain knowledge.

May we ever be in pursuit of the knowledge of God!

Footnotes: Use your back button to return to your place.

1. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, p. 231.

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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