KNOWING and KNOWN

 AUGUST 30, 2022

Exodus 29:37-46

37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Philippians 3:7-11

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.


The setting for this passage in Exodus is a description of the role of the priests in the Tabernacle. You may recall that the Tabernacle was constructed because God wanted to be with His people in the wilderness. Our Bible’s reveal to us a most beautiful and strengthening truth, that our God is a “with us” God. From Creation, to the tabernacle to the temple, from the manger to the gift of the Holy Spirit, God demonstrates that He wants to be with us in relationship, and for us to know Him.

The word translated as “know” in verse 46 in Hebrew is the word “ya’da”. It is the same word used in Genesis 4:1, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain…”. It is used over 900 times in Scripture. Its meaning goes beyond a casual knowing to include a knowing that is intimate. Do not confuse this word’s meaning with the phrase “yada, yada” that we often hear today. “Yada, Yada” as used currently means empty words, something akin to “blah, blah, blah”. The use of this word in relational contexts, we find “ya’da” means close connection, an intimate covenant, in which promises are made that are not meant to be broken.

The Apostle Paul writes of a similar knowing in Philippians. He had been a follower of Jesus for many years when he writes, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” (Phil 3:10) The transliteration of the word “know” in Philippians 3:10 is “ginosko”, also a knowing that connotes intimacy. The longing of Paul’s heart was to know Jesus in ever-increasing intimacy.

That is our longing too, isn’t it? We sing in worship at times the words “Knowing you Jesus, Knowing you, there is no greater thing.” To Know him, well to know anyone intimately means time set aside for the other. This time set aside for the discover of a person. It is not any different in our relationship with God. Knowing God means time spent focusing of discovery and learning. So, we need sacred space to meet with God, (a garden, or chair in our homes, maybe even an empty Church sanctuary) part of this meeting place is prayer, bible reading, and fasting, music, these are intentional ways to know God more deeply. Lean in, listen, rest, and wait. God wants you to know Him and remember that our God is a “with us” God.



PRAYER

May the Lord open our eyes to see Him, our ears to hear Him, and our hearts to know Him and love Him more deeply. Amen