Knowing God

(Some are my own personal bible study but many parts are compiled from many sources) * God is primarily about Relationship and may not about Achievement Mat 22: 37- 40 !" #esus replied$ %&!ove the !ord your God 'ith all your heart$ soul$ and mind() his is the *irst and +reatest commandment( he second most important is similar: &!ove your nei+hbor as much as you love yoursel*() All the other commandments and all the demands o* the prophets stem *rom these t'o la's and are *ul*illed i* you obey them( ,eep only these and you 'ill *ind that you are obeyin+ all the others(.hil 3: /-00 1,#2 8 3et indeed 4 also count all thin+s loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord$ *or 'hom 4 have su**ered the loss o* all thin+s$ and count them as rubbish$ that 4 may +ain 5hrist 9 and be *ound in 6im$ not havin+ my o'n ri+hteousness$ 'hich is *rom the la'$ but that 'hich is throu+h *aith in 5hrist$ the ri+hteousness 'hich is *rom God by *aith7 10 that 4 may

8no' 6im and the po'er o* 6is resurrection$ and the *ello'ship o* 6is su**erin+s$ bein+
con*ormed to 6is death9 * God even re:ect any sacri*ice i* the one 'ho o**er the sacri*ice has some un*inished problem in relationship 23 ;o i* you are o**erin+ your +i*t at the altar and there remember that your brother has somethin+ a+ainst you$ 24 leave your +i*t there be*ore the altar and +o( <irst be reconciled to your brother$ and then come and o**er your +i*t( Mat =:23-24

>hat happen i* 'e re*use?re:ect to 8no' 6im

My people are destroyed *or lac8 o* 8no'led+e7 because you have re:ected 8no'led+e$ 4 re:ect you *rom bein+ a priest to me( And since you have *or+otten the la' o* your God$ 4 also 'ill *or+et your children( @6os 4:AB My people are destroyed *or lac8 o* 8no'led+e( "ecause you have re:ected 8no'led+e$ 4 also 'ill re:ect you *rom bein+ My priest( ;ince you have *or+otten the la' o* your God$ 4 also 'ill *or+et your children( @6os 4:AB .riest is one o* the very important position in the bible C Dne o* the priest primary duty is *or ma8in+ peace 'ith the !ord$ 'or8in+ in the altar and responsible *or mana+in+ the o**erin+ to the lord( 5hristian are called as royal priest hood( "ut 'e 'ill be re:ected *or bein+ priest i* 'e re*use to 8no' 6im( ;o$ 'e 'ill 1ot be in peace 'ith the !ord and most probably be treated as enemy( ;o in the sense9 God is an+ry to those that don)t 8no' his la' God is the 'ay C to 8no' God is to 8no' his 'ay God is 6is 'ord and 6is la' C so9 to 8no' God$ study his 'ord and his la' ,1D>41G GDE C A"DF >6A G 64; >DR,sG 64; >A3;G 6ebre' 3: 7 - 00 7 here*ore$ :ust as the 6oly ;pirit says$ % DEA3 4< 3DF 6HAR 64; 2D45H$ 8ED 1D 6AREH1 3DFR 6HAR ; A; >6H1 6H3 .RD2D,HE MH$ A; 41 6H EA3 D< R4A! 41 6H >4!EHR1H;;$

9>6HRH 3DFR <A 6HR; R4HE Me "3 H; 41G Me, A1E ;A> M3 >DR,; <DR <DR 3 3HAR;( 10% 6HRH<DRH 4 >A; A1GR3 >4 6 64; GH1HRA 4D1$ A1E ;A4E$ & 6H3 A!>A3; GD A; RA3 41 6H4R 6HAR $ A1E 6H3 E4E 1D ,1D> M3 >A3;)7 11A; 4 ;>DRH 41 M3 >RA 6$ & 6H3 ;6A!! 1D H1 HR M3 RH; ()he "ene*its o* ,no'in+ God 0( 3ou become li8e 'ho you 8no' "irds o* a *eather *loc8 to+ether 2( 3ou 'ill be at peace 'ith 6im because you 'ill be 6is priest 3( 3ou 'ill be blessed$ 'ill be rich and honored be*ore the !ord 4( 3our 5hildren 'ill be protected$ blessed$ and have privile+e and *avor ;ho' me your *riend and 4 'ill sho' you your *uture HIDEF; 0J: 0A-2= HIDEF; 20: 4n HKodus 20:20 there is a verse that has al'ays intri+ued me( 4t)s 8ind o* a culmination o* an encounter the 4sraelites had 'ith God9or$ more accurately$ an encounter they %didn)t- have 'ith God( As the children o* 4srael 'ere on their :ourney to the .romised !and$ Moses 'ould +o to the mountain and spea8 to God and tell the people 'hat God had said( Dn this occasion in 5hapter 0J$ Moses told the people to prepare themselves$ @puri*y themselvesB *or three days and then they 'ould all +o to+ether to meet 'ith God( As they approached the mountain it 'asn)t eKactly an invitin+ situationL !isten to 'hat happened( HKodus 0J:0A- 2= tells the story( !i+htnin+$ thunder$ smo8e and earthMua8es accompanied this meetin+ bet'een the children o* 4srael and God as 6e +ave the en 5ommandments( HKodus 20: 0/-20 tells us that the people 'ere a*raid and dre' bac8 sayin+$ %Moses$ *rom no' on$ you +o to God and tell us 'hat 6e said$ but don)t let God spea8 to us anymore lest 'e die-( he people *led *rom this encounter 'ith God( he verse that catches my attention is HKodus 20:20(( %And Moses 'ent to the thic8 dar8ness 'here God 'as$ but the people 'orshiped *rom a*ar(Moses 'ent to the %thic8 dar8ness- 'here God 'as( 6o' many o* you are +oin+ throu+h thic8 dar8ness ri+ht no' in your li*eG 3our thic8 dar8ness may be *inancial$ physical$ emotional$ spiritual or relational( And because o* your challen+in+$ *ri+htenin+ situation$ you have chosen to dra' bac8 *rom God and have become more com*ortable 'orshipin+ *rom a*ar( 6ave you ever thou+ht that this is eKactly 'here you 'ill *ind God9(in the middle o* the %thic8 dar8ness- o* your seemin+ly hopeless situationG 1o' is not the time to dra' bac8( 4* there 'as ever a time 'hen you needed to dra' near to God$ it)s in the middle o* your dar8est hourL 4n the dar8ness you 'ill *ind 6is com*ort$ 6is provision$ 6is healin+$ 6is love$ 6is *or+iveness( ;on+ by Eon Moen 4 :ust 'ant to be 'here you are$ d'ellin+ daily in your presence( 4 don)t 'ant to 'orship *rom a*ar dra' me near to 'here you are(

6ebre's 4:0A9-come boldly to the throne o* +race 'here you 'ill *ind mercy and +race to help in time o* trouble(

Exodus 33 N !"" #he #ent of $eeting

71o' Moses used to ta8e a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance a'ay$ callin+ it the %tent o* meetin+(- Anyone inMuirin+ o* the !ord 'ould +o to the tent o* meetin+ outside the camp( 8And 'henever Moses 'ent out to the tent$ all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents$ 'atchin+ Moses until he entered the tent( 9As Moses 'ent into the tent$ the pillar o* cloud 'ould come do'n and stay at the entrance$ 'hile the !ord spo8e 'ith Moses( 10>henever the people sa' the pillar o* cloud standin+ at the entrance to the tent$ they all stood and 'orshiped$ each at the entrance to his tent( 11 he !ord 'ould spea8 to Moses *ace to *ace$ as a man spea8s 'ith his *riend( hen Moses 'ould return to the camp$ but his youn+ aide #oshua son o* 1un did not leave the tent( 1o one even mentioned that #oshua 'as there( 4n all o* MosesN 'ritin+s he does not say that he as8ed #oshua to accompany him( he "ible does not say that either Moses or God ever ac8no'led+ed #oshuaNs presence durin+ their dialo+ue( "ut$ 4 *ind it prophetic 'hen Moses says that #oshua remained( 4n the ent$ #oshua learned to sit in the presence o* God( 6e eKperienced 'hat GodNs voice sounded li8e even thou+h 6e 'as not spea8in+ to him( 4n the ent$ #oshua learned that althou+h your leader +oes home$ God is there( 4sa ==: A ;ee8 the !ord 'hile he may be *ound7 call on him 'hile he is near( #ames 4:/ Era' 1ear to God and 6e 'ill dra' near to you9 5ome near to God and he 'ill come near to you( >ash your hands$ you sinners$ and puri*y your hearts$ you double-minded( %&' ( ) * +,-* John 14: 6 (NIV) - I am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the !ather e"ce#t throu$h me. .s/lm 80111 2N,*34 " each me 3our 'ay$ D !ord7 4 'ill 'al8 in 3our truth7 Fnite my heart to *ear 3our name( Exodus 33113 2N5J!4 " 1o' there*ore$ 4 pray$ i* 4 have *ound +race in 3our si+ht$ sho' me no' 3our 'ay$ th/t m/y know -ou and that 4 may *ind +race in 3our si+ht( And consider that this nation is 3our people(%&' ( ) * + *'&$ .ro6 81 + *'&$ &7 %&' 07 %4 love those 'ho love me7 And those 'ho dili+ently see8 me 'ill *ind me( 0/ %Riches and honor are 'ith me$ Hndurin+ 'ealth and ri+hteousness( +h/t +e *hould 3e .roud &f #eremiah J:23-24 1! 23 his is 'hat the !ord says: %Eon)t let the 'ise boast in their 'isdom$ or the po'er*ul boast in their po'er$ or the rich boast in their riches( 24 "ut those 'ho 'ish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly 8no' me and understand that 4 am the !ord 'ho demonstrates un*ailin+ love and 'ho brin+s :ustice O ri+hteousness to the earth$ O that 4 deli+ht in these thin+s( 4$ the !ord$ have spo8enL