Knowledge: Friend or Foe?

And certainly knowledge can be considered vain or useless.

Job 15:2 “Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge and fill himself with the east wind?

Proverbs 2:1-6 encourages us to desire and seek for knowledge, that by doing so; “…the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”

The Bible tells us there are the big four: wisdom, knowledge, discretion and understanding.

Proverbs: 2:10-12 “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you to deliver you from the way of evil.”

Understanding prompts us to seek knowledge.

Proverbs 15:4 “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fool’s feeds on foolishness.”

Strength comes with knowledge.

Proverbs 24:5 “A wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength…”

Knowledge is sweet (Verse 24) “…eat honey because it is good and the honey comb which is sweet to your taste; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul.”

And there is a downside to knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 1:18 “For in much wisdom is grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

Knowledge can be narcissistic.

Isaiah 47:10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you. And you have said in your heart, “I am and there is no one else besides me”.”

We read some profound thoughts from individuals considered to be intellectuals, yet even these lofty thoughts are pale next to God’s.

Isaiah 59:19 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways. And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Knowledge should be acted upon.

John 13:17 “If your know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

The difference between knowledge and love: 1 Corinthians 8:13a “Knowledge puffs up but love builds up…” And, 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies they will fail; whether there are tongues they will cease; whether there is knowledge it will vanish away.”

The Apostle Peter leaves us with a “tall order”.

2 Peter 1:5-7 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; to virtue knowledge; to knowledge self control; to self control perseverance; to perseverance godliness; to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love.”

The positive aspects of knowledge include:

* Pleasure

* Province

* Power

* Existence

* Protection (against the world)

* Only good

* Preserver of liberty

* Treasure

* Reward for labor

* Prosperity often follows

* Strength

* Sweet as honey comb

The negatives include:

* Painful

* False

* Death

* Excessive knowledge causes downfall, danger, stubbornness and unruliness, increases doubt and is a curse.

* Arrogance leading to narcissism

And a few facts about knowledge:

* Our knowledge is limited compared to God’s

* Knowledge gives way to conceit; love gives way to encouragement

* Knowledge needs to be acted upon

* Love lasts, knowledge vanishes

There you have it a crash course on knowledge. I trust this content won’t be like the story about the little girl who had to do a book report on a book about birds. She quite simply said, “This book told me more about birds than I ever cared to know.”