AQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM
TEXT: -- "ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee" (Job 22:21).
INTRODUCTION: -- Addressing the Athenians on Mars Hill, the apostle Paul, said, "As I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23). This is just one of the many Scriptures proving that even though our Loving Creator "was in the world, and THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM," the vast majority in "THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT" (John 1:10) -- a sad, and tragic fact!
Yes, some have deeply desired to "acquaint themselves with God," and HAVE come to know Him. In Old Testament days, those like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Moses and the prophets came to know God. In Exodus 33:13-14, the meek Moses, besought God thus: -- "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, THAT I MAY KNOW THEE.." and God replied, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." In New Testament days, Saul of Tarsus met Him on the Damascus Road, and from that hour until Christ took him Home, the cry of his heart was: -- "THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings" (Philippians 3:10).
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01 -- MAN BY INTELLECTUAL WISDOM KNOWS NOT GOD!
Still, after the Fall, the vast majority "DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE," and "God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient" (Romans 1:28). To deceived mother Eve, the fruit of the forbidden tree seemed to be "desired to make one wise" (Gen. 3:6). However, since the Fall, even though "knowledge has increased" (cf. Dan. 12:4), "THE WORLD BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD" (1 Cor. 1:21) -- and STILL KNOWS HIM NOT!
The Bible is replete with Scriptures about this. Please bear with me as below I present examples of this fact:
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From The Old Testament
When Moses confronted Pharaoh, demanding that he let God's people go, "Pharaoh said, WHO IS THE LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I KNOW NOT THE LORD, neither will I let Israel go" (Ex 5:1-2). You know the rest of the story! He soon found out Who Israel's God was, and STILL IS!
The Psalmist prayed: "Pour out thy wrath upon THE HEATHEN THAT HAVE NOT KNOWN THEE, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name" (Psalm 79:6) -- exactly what befell Pharaoh and the Egyptians who knew not God!
However, "not knowing God" is a heart-condition which also plagued Israel following their deliverance from Egypt. After they conquered Canaan, and after Joshua the son of Nun died, "there arose another generation after them, WHICH KNEW NOT THE LORD, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
Later, during the days of the Judges we read in 1 Samuel 2:12, "Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; THEY KNEW NOT THE LORD."
Following this, Jeremiah wrote: "For My people is foolish, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN ME; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge" (Jeremiah 4:22).
Again, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah: -- "Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit THEY REFUSE TO KNOW ME, SAITH THE LORD" (Jeremiah 9:6).
Later yet, the prophet Hosea wrote, "They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE LORD" (Hosea 5:4).
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From The New Testament
In John 7:28-29 we read, "Then cried Jesus . . He that sent Me is true, WHOM YE KNOW NOT. BUT I KNOW HIM: for I am from him, and He hath sent me."
Joh 8:19, "Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, YE NEITHER KNOW ME, NOR MY FATHER: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."
In John 8:54-55, ". . My Father .. honoureth me . . YE HAVE NOT KNOWN HIM; BUT I KNOW HIM . ."
In John 17:25, Jesus prayed, "O righteous Father, THE WORLD HATH NOT KNOWN THEE: BUT I HAVE KNOWN THEE . ."
St. Paul thus wrote in Galatians 4:8, "Howbeit then, WHEN YE KNEW NOT GOD, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods." Prior to their conversion, Galatian Christians knew not God."
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02 -- GOD PROMISED TO GIVE MAN AN HEART TO KNOW HIM
Jeremiah 24:7 -- "I WILL GIVE THEM AN HEART TO KNOW ME, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people . ."
Jeremiah 31:34 -- "They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, KNOW THE LORD: FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord . ." This verse is also quoted in Hebrews 8:11.
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03 -- IN KNOWING CHRIST WE KNOW GOD AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
1 John 5:20 -- "The Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that WE MAY KNOW HIM THAT IS TRUE, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is THE TRUE GOD, and eternal life."
THIS, is how we may now "ACQUAINT OURSELVES WITH GOD"!
In John 14:7, Jesus said to Thomas and Philip, "IF YE HAD KNOWN ME, YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO." Then, after Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, He replied, "Have I been so long time with you, and YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"
Jesus said in John 17:3, "This is life eternal, THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Praise FOREVER! be to the MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS! Though I am Oh, SO UNWORTHY! -- through repentance and faith in Christ's blood, I KNOW GOD, JUST NOW, and I also know that He saves and cleanses me from all sin as I walk in His glorious light! Hallelujah! Reader, this is also YOUR GLORIOUS PRIVILEGE, if you repent and give your ALL to Christ Jesus!
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04 -- TRAGICALLY, GOD IS STILL UNKNOWN BY MILLIONS TODAY!
Many of them claim to be Christians. However, "THEY PROFESS THAT THEY KNOW GOD; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16)! 1 John 2:4, "He that saith, I KNOW HIM, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
The world today is awash "in the lust of concupiscence, even as THE GENTILES WHICH KNOW NOT GOD," and who make no profession of knowing Him (1 Thessalonians 4:5)!
The apostle John tells us why humble and true Christians are being persecuted in today's antiChristian world: -- 1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore THE WORLD KNOWETH US NOT, BECAUSE IT KNEW HIM NOT." John 16:3, THESE THINGS WILL THEY DO UNTO YOU, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE FATHER, NOR ME."
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05 -- WHY WE MUST ACQUAINT OURSELVES "NOW" WITH GOD!
READER, BEWARE! -- Beyond it being our glorious privilege to KNOW GOD NOW, it is the only way we can escape the Divine wrath to come! The Word of God warns us that at His Second Coming "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, "IN FLAMING FIRE TAKING VENGEANCE ON THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:8)!
Therefore, dear unsaved reader, through repenting of all sin and faith in Jesus' blood, "ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, and be at peace: THEREBY GOOD SHALL COME UNTO THEE" when Jesus Comes Again! -- Duane V. Maxey, November 18, 2015.
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