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Knowing the LORD is the education that matters
- The most important knowledge is the knowledge of God. This is the knowledge Solomon by God’s wisdom is talking about.
- Knowledge does not mean being educated by the American education system. Plenty of people do that and end up under the judgment of God. There were plenty of smart, educated people who the LORD said had no knowledge. The kind of knowledge that is important is the knowledge of God.
- Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
- John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- Negatively stated this way
- Psalms 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?
- Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
- Hosea 4:1-3,5-6 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood… 5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
- Knowing the LORD is the education that matters
- We are backwards in our training of children. When it comes to spiritual matters we say things like, I’ll let them decide if they want to go to church. I’ll let them decide if they’re going to bring a bible. I’ll let them decide if they’re going to pass out tracts with us.
- But,if your child said, I’m not bringing any of my books to school. Or I’m going to skip school today. You’d say, Oh no you’re not. Why? Because you value they’re government school education. But knowing the LORD is not as valuable to you.
- Our belief system is that I want my kids to live in pleasure and deal with things that actually matter about their lives, like morality, knowing God, those get in the way of the pleasures of this life. So I’m going to make sure they are prepared to live in pleasure and I’m not going to take no for an answer. But when it comes to the things of God I’m not going to step on their toes. I’m not going to give any instructions. I want them to decide.
Learning begins with your attitude towards authority
- Solomon is going to start at the beginning.
- If you don’t like sitting at a desk and doing paperwork and memorizing historical events then I have good news for you. The beginning of knowledge is not in a classroom. The beginning of knowledge isn’t even ABCs and 123s. Learning begins with your attitude towards authority. Knowledge begins with how you feel about the LORD who is the absolute authority. Listen carefully: learning begins with your attitude towards authority.
- So you’ll have verses in Proverbs like this: Proverbs 23:13-14 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. If a child is taught at a young age to fear authority and honor authority then that soul has a great chance of avoiding the judgment of God in hell. You’ll never look for the salvation of God if you’re not afraid of God’s judgment.
- On the other hand, if you’ve grown up disrespecting and hating authority, your life is going to be miserable. Plan on being in and out of jail. Plan on making people around you miserable. Plan on hating life. Plan on hating yourself.
- As I’ve said before, we have some real good Sunday School teachers who try to teach your children about God and the Bible. But if your child doesn’t have any respect for you as their parent, there is no way they are going to have respect let alone fear a God they can’t see. The judgment of God is to them as big of a joke as your judgment is.
- If I can destroy authority in your life by telling you how stupid your parents are, or how stupid God is, and I can turn you into a rebel, then I can make it so that you’ll live in ignorance and darkness. I can rob many blessings from you. Because learning begins with your attitude towards authority.
- Satan’s first words, Yea hath God said? What’s that about? It was an accusation against God’s authority that brought death into humanity. (It’s noteworthy that the rebels who end up in authority become the most tyrannical dictators. They love their authority, but hate anyone else’s.)
- Learning begins with your attitude towards authority so verse 8 deals with a soul’s first experiences with authority in the home.
It’s moral decisions that determine what kind of life you have
- Notice how Solomon puts it in verse 9. The ability to listen and obey is what adds value to a life.
- He describes a spiritual crown and spiritual necklaces of the most valuable kind.
- Humility, obedience, honoring authority, are all moral decisions that adorn a soul.
- You thought it was trends and fashions that determined what kind of life you live. No. It’s the instructions of the father that are the real crowns. It’s the law of mothers that is a valuable necklace. These aren’t popular fashions, but they are valuable fashions. These don’t change. These make your life fruitful. These keep you out of sin’s ditch.
