The search for true knowledge continues to rage on. Millions upon millions of books, websites, blogs, and magazines continue to be published and republished. Some is old, some new. Much of it is regurgitated information with a fresh coat of paint, with new titles, but still the same stuff that was written countless times before, back through the centuries.
Much of the problem exists with those giving out the information. Vast amounts of this supposed “knowledge” comes from individuals wishing to show the world how much they know. Consequently, we have thousands of self-declared “experts” spewing out unverified, untested information and proclaiming it to be true, every day, in multiple venues.
The internet has only complicated the issue. Now anyone with a cell phone can trumpet their authority on anything imaginable, with no cost and no accountability.
No wonder so many today don’t even believe there is such a thing as truth.
But, as the wise Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” And even in the days of antiquity, he stated “… the writing of many books is endless… ” (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
“Wise men store up knowledge, but with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.” Proverbs 10:14
This predicament has an implicit question: if we are warned against the endless pursuit of knowledge, why are we also encouraged to pursue it?
I believe the answer can be found in the very words of the author who asked the question. At the end of Solomon’s work Ecclesiastes, after stating that the search for knowledge can be futile, he says this: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments… “
In Psalm 119:73, the writer says: “Your hands made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” And then, in verse 89: “Forever O Lord, Your Word, is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.”
In Psalm 119:98, he says: “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies… “
Perhaps you can see the connection. God’s commandments, God’s Word, His precepts, instruction, and testimonies… they all lead back to true knowledge.
I believe the case is clear: true knowledge is synonymous with the commands of God. God’s commands are found in the Bible. Therefore, true knowledge is found in the Bible.
For the vast plethora of information available at our fingertips 24 hours a day, one might think the attaining of knowledge was a simple matter. But apparently this is not the case, because people continue their search, day in and day out, for all their lives, seeking to know, and know more.
Why must we hear the same messages, told a hundred different ways, year after year, all through our lives?
It is because the messages we hear ARE NOT TRUE KNOWLEDGE.
True knowledge is the knowledge that comes from God. He created reality, and He created our minds, so how could He not know everything there is to know? The obvious answer is He does know, and He told us what was important in His Word, the Bible.
We all wish to know more. In knowing more, we can make better decisions, with better results. But there is a definite limit to what other people can teach us, because they, like each one of us, have serious limitations.
With God there is no limitation. He knows everything, and He graciously gave us His Word so that we can gain true knowledge and live a better life because of it.
