What a great game again! The word for this week is "ignorance". We find it in the New Testament in these portions of Scripture:
Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance [not aware of what you were doing], as did your rulers also. AMP
Acts 17:30 Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins), AMP
Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. KJV
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: KJV
1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: KJV
The first 4 examples are all the Greek word "agnoia". Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: want of knowledge, ignorance, especially of divine things. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: want of knowledge or perception, including the idea of willful blindness. The Theological Dictionary says: while used of specific ignorance, could also denote ignorance in general as the opposite of wisdom as well as knnowledge. In the last example we see the Greek word "agnosia". Vine's Expository Dictionary says: denotes "ignorance" as directly opposed to gnosis, which signifies "knowledge" as a result of observation and experience. In 1 Peter 2:15 reprehensible ignorance is suggested. From the beginning there have always been those who had a great desire to really know God and His Word, and those who did not. Regardless of our choice here, we will all be held responsible for the knowledge of His Word because He has made His Word available to us and given us the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. That is the reason for the statement above regarding 'reprehensible ignorance', with the dictionary definition of reprehensible being: deserving of censure or condemnation. With all of the available resources, we are all without excuse for NOT knowing God's Word, which is His will! I have also found that the greatest blessing of pursuing knowledge of God's Word is that with each new bit of knowledge comes a better understanding of God Himself, and of who we are as His children. One of the things that I have learned recently is that there is SO MUCH MORE to know! There is no end to what we CAN learn, as long as we keep desiring more. These two verses are very exciting to me, because I believe that we are in those times!
Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. KJV
Habakkuk 2:14 But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
I truly believe that THIS is the most exciting time to be alive! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
