Week 40 The Joy of Knowing God
I can't know it all, but I can always know more
“People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Today’s Passage
23Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;
24but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
25“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised—
26Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
Jeremiah 9:23–26 (NASB95)
Background
Quotes are summarized from Wikipedia. Passage summaries are from Biblehub.com by Jay Smith, with permission. Scripture comes from LOGOS software under license.
Quote-Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen[pronunciation?] (January 24, 1932 – September 21, 1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and community. Over the course of his life, Nouwen was heavily influenced by the work of Anton Boisen, Thomas Merton, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, and Jean Vanier.
After nearly two decades of teaching at academic institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School, Nouwen went on to work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the L’Arche Daybreak community in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Passage-The book of Jeremiah is Prophetic Oracle and Narrative History, although not completely in chronological order. The prophet Jeremiah wrote it sometime during his ministry about 626-586 B.C. Key personalities are the many kings Judah, Baruch, Ebdemelech, King Nebuchadnezzar, and the Rechabites.
Its purpose was to warn of the destruction that they were about to face and to urge Judah to return and submit to God. Jeremiah was a priest who God calls to be His prophet. Jeremiah identifies their sins and treachery, as he wants them to realize the serious condition of their sinful ways. He then gives prophecies of the coming king and the New Covenant that would be made.
Opening Statement
Prodigals may internalize the quote a little more than those who grew up in the church this week. However, those who grew up in the church might know more about how God does things. In both cases, we can find joy in learning from each other.
Ask: The title of this week’s lesson is about joy. Do you see joy or sorrow in Today’s Passage?
Point: Verse 25 specifically talks about punishing everyone.
Ask: How is that joyful if we recognize that God is saying He will punish everyone?
Point: God also says He only punishes the ones He loves. Please read the following:
6For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”
7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Hebrews 12:6–8 (NASB95)
Proverbs 3:12
Ask: Nobody likes to be punished/chastised/disciplined so how is it joyful to identify that God Himself is punishing us?
Point: Because verse 6 above tells us God only does that to the ones He loves, which means when I identify God chastising me I have also identified that God loves me.
Ask: Is that the only source of joy in Today’s Passage?
Point: No, it is not. Please Re-read verse 24 from Today’s Passage:
24but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:24 (NASB95)
Ask: Where is there joy in knowing God in that passage?
Point: Knowing and understanding that God is a god of love, justice, and righteousness right here on Earth.
Ask: “I don’t see justice and love all around me. How can God be a God of love, justice, and righteousness on earth if I don’t see it?”
Point: Because we see with the eyes of a human limited by the sight of the flesh. God sees the spirit unfettered by human limits. Please read the following:
6When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:6–7 (NASB95)
Ask: How is it that we can be happy about seeing what we think is unjust but knowing God doesn’t see as we see?
Point: Because we know that God understands the full picture of why things are the way they are. Please read the following:
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2“Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
3“Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Job 38:1–4 (NASB95)
Ask: How does accepting that we don’t understand everything, but God does, bring us joy?
Point: Because with that knowledge we understand that He understands how it all fits together for good things. Please read the following:
6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
7Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:6–11 (NASB95)
Ask: What does the above passage mean for us as Christians if we are to find Joy in knowing God?
Point: As the quote for today suggests we know God’s punishments exist, we suffer through them, we hope to learn from them, but where we do not understand them we know that He does.
Ask: “I really want to understand how all this works but I don’t and I struggle with that.” How do we deal with this situation when it arises?
Point: We deal with it through trust in God. Please read the following:
1My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;
2For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.
3Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:1–6 (NASB95)
Closing Statement
As with Job, God isn’t interested in prideful claims of control or understanding. He knows full well how things work, and we do not. However, our scripture from Today’s Passage tells us boasting in understanding God and His plan is fully acceptable, while all the rest of the earthly and fleshly boasting is not. No one fully understands God, His plan, or all of His Word, but we can understand more of it today than we did yesterday. The more we understand of God, the more we know of Him, and the more we know of Him, the more joy we have understanding how we should behave as we walk His path for our lives.
Tasks for the Week
Task 1 Read all of Job 38-42 (the end of the book).
Task 2 Consider and contemplate how God is demonstrating His all-powerful understanding of what He has made far more than we do as a small part of His creation.
Task 3 Read all of Proverbs 3.
Task 4 Consider and contemplate how Proverbs 3 interacts with the reading of Job above.
Task 5 Make a list of all the things you find joy in that are connected to God.
Task 6 Make a separate list of the things you could find joy in connected to God and the steps to take to attain that joy.
Definitions
All definitions come from Dictionary.com
All Greek entries are from James Strong as listed in the LOGOS software attributed as WORDSearch 2020
Joy
[joi]
noun
1. The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.
She felt the joy of seeing her son’s success.
Synonyms: rapture
Antonyms: grief, sorrow, unhappiness, misery
2. A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.
Her prose style is a pure joy.
3. The expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. A state of happiness or felicity.
Synonyms: bliss