By Mike Durrill
[23] For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, [24] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." - Joshua 4:23-24 ESV
Knowledge first. Then fear. Interesting, the order and meanings of these two words.
To know means to perceive and see; to find out and discern; to discriminate and distinguish; to know by experience; to recognize, admit, acknowledge, and confess.
To fear is to be afraid; to stand in awe; to reverence, honour, and respect.
Knowledge of God, in this case - that He indeed is mighty, results in people standing in awe, reverence, honor, and respect of Him, which is as it should be for Him and for us. Therefore, if knowledge of God leads to spiritual health, then it would stand to reason that our flesh and enemy would do everything in their power to keep us from this knowledge!
Yet it is God's will that all nations of the earth know Him. Why? To know God is to fear God. To know God is to reverence, honor, and respect Him. To know God is to worship God. To know God is to be known by Him.
On the flip side - to be ignorant of God is to be ignorant of truth. To be ignorant of God is to know no danger and yet be surrounded by it. To be ignorant of God is to be woefully ignorant of one's self. To be ignorant of God ultimately results in eternal death.
The response one naturally has when confronted with the knowledge of God is healthy fear - Awe. Reverence. Honour. Respect.
Only the fool says in his heart, there is no God.
[23] For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, [24] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." - Joshua 4:23-24 ESV
Knowledge first. Then fear. Interesting, the order and meanings of these two words.
To know means to perceive and see; to find out and discern; to discriminate and distinguish; to know by experience; to recognize, admit, acknowledge, and confess.
To fear is to be afraid; to stand in awe; to reverence, honour, and respect.
Knowledge of God, in this case - that He indeed is mighty, results in people standing in awe, reverence, honor, and respect of Him, which is as it should be for Him and for us. Therefore, if knowledge of God leads to spiritual health, then it would stand to reason that our flesh and enemy would do everything in their power to keep us from this knowledge!
Yet it is God's will that all nations of the earth know Him. Why? To know God is to fear God. To know God is to reverence, honor, and respect Him. To know God is to worship God. To know God is to be known by Him.
On the flip side - to be ignorant of God is to be ignorant of truth. To be ignorant of God is to know no danger and yet be surrounded by it. To be ignorant of God is to be woefully ignorant of one's self. To be ignorant of God ultimately results in eternal death.
The response one naturally has when confronted with the knowledge of God is healthy fear - Awe. Reverence. Honour. Respect.
Only the fool says in his heart, there is no God.
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