POP Quiz On Elementary Knowledge
When Yehovah Elohim (God) gave the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, who was He commanding?
A. “the man”
B. His woman
C. Both
And Yehovah Elohim [the lawmaker and judge] commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:16-17)
After the fall, who did Yehovah come to talk with in the garden?
A. “the man”
B. His woman
C. Both
Then Yehovah Elohim called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9)
After the fall who was it that was kicked out of the garden?
A. “the man”
B. His woman
C. Both
So He drove out the man [his woman goes where he goes]; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen 3:24)
Who did Yehovah command the woman to obey.
A. Her man
B. Yehovah
C. Both
To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;in pain you shall bring forth sons; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Gen 3:16)
Eight persons were delivered from the antediluvian world. Why were these people saved?
A. Because Noah walked with Elohim
B. Because Noah’s woman walked with Elohim
C. Because all eight persons walked with Elohim
This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with Elohim. (Gen 6:9)
Then Yehovah said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. (Gen 7:1)
Who entered into the covenant with Yehovah through circumcision in Genesis 17 & 18?
A. Abram / Abraham
B. Sarai / Sarah
C. Both
And Elohim said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. (Gen 17:9-11)
Yehovah often speaks of the covenant that he made with who?
A. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
B. Sarah, Hagar, Keturah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah
C. All of the above
So Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exo 2:24)
If you answered “A.” to all of the above you have demonstrated that you have some knowledge. That is good.
Many Have Worldly Knowledge
Many people have knowledge of higher mathematics, sciences, or the laws of the governments of men to name just few areas. And many also have both understanding and wisdom in their respective fields as well. But this kind of knowledge understanding and wisdom is nothing but vanity. It is all going to burn up in the end.
“For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.” (Ecc 2:21)
There Is A Higher Knowledge That Must Be Obtained
Finding general knowledge is not the goal of a man; learning and doing all of Yehovah’s eternal and unchanging ways is.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear “the Elohim” [the lawmaker and judge] and keep His commandments, for this is “the man’s” all. For “the Elohim” will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecc 12:13-14)
When the proverbs speak of knowledge they are speaking of knowing the words which came from Yehovah’s mouth in particular. For it is when we begin to know Yehovah’s word and ways that we begin to know Him as well. A wise man stores up knowledge to increase his understanding. But a fool wants nothing to do with Yehovah’s eternal and unchanging words.
 “The wise [men] store up knowledge but the mouths of the foolish are near destruction.” (Pro 10:14)
True knowledge begins with the fear of Yehovah. Those who fear Yehovah are the one who seek after knowledge of Yehovah’s word and ways. But those who are foolish hate His word.
“The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Pro 1:7)
As we approach the last days, Yehovah is going to raise up a large group of men who are scattered all over the earth. Their first message will be “fear Yehovah!”
“Then I saw another messenger flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear Elohim [not the elohim, the lawmakers and judges of men] and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’ “Â (Rev 14:6-7)
Search For Knowledge
This is where every man has to begin; finding knowledge instead of rejecting it.
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.” (Pro 1:22)
“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.” (Pro 15:14)
“Go [Yehovah is speaking to men here] from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.” (Pro 14:7)
A foolish man does not know, much more speak, the words of Yehovah.
“The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.”
(Pro 15:2)
There are many who “say” and “think” they are Yehovah’s people but they have rejected knowledge.
“Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” (Isa 5:13)
“My people [He is talking to men] are destroyed for lack of knowledge. because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your Elohim, I also will forget your sons.”(Hos 4:6)
For Years I Thought I Had Knowledge
As a self-proclaimed “Christian” IÂ thought for many years that I was one of Yehovah’s “people.” I thought, having been a “church” man for the vast majority of my life that I had knowledge. But the knowledge that I though I had turned out to be nothing more than the doctrines and traditions of men. I have found that the vast majority of the “knowledge” that I thought I had, was only lies, worthless and unprofitable things. I had to begin, all over, to renew my mind and conform my life to only Yehovah’s good and acceptable and perfect will.
But renewing the mind is tricky business; because what we want to believe, easily clouds the truth. Calling benai Israel the “children of Israel” instead of Israel’s seed is a perfect example of this. By treating women like men we enter into spiritual and mental retardation concerning the obtaining of real knowledge and deeper understandings of Yehovah’s word. What many want to believe does not necessarily coexist with the truth.
As my knowledge base increased I began to see that I was not one of Yehovah’s people and that there are only two kinds of men in His kingdom; the Ger and the Ezrach. He gave His laws to His spiritually born men, His Ezrach.
“One law shall be for the native-born (Ezrach) and for the stranger (Ger) who dwells among you.” (Exo 12:49)
“One ordinance shall be for you (speaking of the Ezrach) of the assembly and for the stranger (Ger) who dwells with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger (Ger) be before Yehovah. One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger (Ger) who dwells with you. ” (Num 15:15-16)
“You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born (Ezrach) among the sons of Israel and for the stranger (Ger) who dwells among them. But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born [Ezrach] or a stranger [Ger], that one brings reproach on Yehovah, and he shall be cut off from among his people.” (Num 15:29-30)
There are no Gentiles in Yehovah’s kingdom. When a Gentile repents, leaves the kingdom of his birth and joins himself (and his family) to Yehovah and His people, he becomes a Ger. This statement is the result of understanding the knowledge given to us in the verses above and many others.
Most men lack knowledge because they despise instruction; we must get knowledge to find understanding. And those new understandings will often lead us into even deeper knowledge and further understandings.
“Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” (Isa 28:9-10)
“Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” (Pro 19:27)
“And you mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed, and say: ‘How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!'” (Pro 5:11-13)
“Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Pro 23:12)
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”‘ (Pro_9:9-10)
Knowledge of Yehovah’s words and ways is the foundation for understanding:Â and true wisdom from Elohim comes from both knowledge and understanding. I have worked very hard on my blog to give both knowledge and understanding to men and women alike so that, with wisdom, they can begin to walk in only His ways.
Next time we will look at understanding; that which must come precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
Here is the overview of this series
Fear Of Yehovah Precedes Knowledge 1
Knowledge Precedes Understanding 2
Understanding Precedes Wisdom 3
Wisdom Is This – Serving Yehovah Wholly – 5