How much does God want us to know, and how much of that is not in the Bible? I get a lot out of Bible Study Group discussions at work and really enjoy our time together! Most of the group are Protestants (Baptists and Presbyterians). The discussion we had last Tuesday, about how to study the Bible, was thought-provoking for me, and I have mused on it all week. We talked about the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament. We talked about knowledge and understanding of the Gospel and the things of God. We talked about how important prayerful seeking of guidance from the Holy Ghost was to understanding the scriptures. A statement was made that there are things in the Bible that God does not intend us to understand. (Which I did not agree with!) We discussed patriarchs and prophets, who obviously have known a great deal about God, but whose knowledge, particularly knowledge of Christ, has not been fully passed down to us through the Bible. Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament and who spoke to God face to face, surely had additional knowledge and understanding. Abraham (God’s friend), Melchizedek (who received Abraham’s tithes), Isaac, Jacob (who saw God “face to face”), Enoch (who walked with God), Jeremiah, and all of the Old Testament prophets had intimate interactions with God and knew their missions, and all were recorders of their prophecies, but not all they knew has been passed down to us in the Bible. For example: -Abraham, whose obedient preparations to sacrifice Isaac, symbolic of the sacrifice of the Savior, must surely have been blessed with more detailed knowledge of the coming of Christ. -Isaiah’s prophecies of the Savior, His suffering and sacrifice and the relation of that sacrifice to the salvation of the people, told with such exquisite sensitivity and empathy, had their basis in clear and coherent knowledge, but were related to the people obliquely, folded into contemporary political prophecies, -Also, there is much of what has been prophesied obliquely about the works of God in the last days, that must yet be made clear. Amos said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) -Also, that much of what Jesus taught and did are not contained in the current Bible: John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. This discussion was an opportunity for me to reassess blessings I have taken for granted, because they have been a constant in my life since my youth. First- God’s desire that we know Him: He says repeatedly that He wants us to know Him, and that choosing to not know Him disappoints Him. ( A sampling of Biblical scriptures saying this are below.) John 17: 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Isaiah 11:9 for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Psalms 25: 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Ephesians 3: 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, Heavenly Father and Jesus really love us and want to draw us close, so that we may know them, become like them, even become one with them (John 17:21-22). I wanted to share with you some of the additional blessings of knowledge and understanding that God has for all of us. In my Church we have been greatly blessed to receive all that is in the Bible, but also more. Jesus said that He would go to “other sheep, not of this fold” (John 10:16) who would hear His voice. We have been given much of the record of the details of a post-resurrection visit, by the Savior, to an exiled branch of Israel, and what He had to say to the more righteous part of that people. I cannot describe how wonderful these events are, but you may read them for yourself (lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne beginning with Chapter 9) We have also been given writings of the early Biblical prophets: Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi: in which they relate their experiences with God in greater detail and teach more fully their knowledge of God and His work). These are wonderful, precious and illuminating, and (of course) consistent with rest of the body of the scriptures, including the Bible. In addition to that, we have been given the experiences of other peoples who God has worked with over the span of human history, which broaden our knowledge of Him and illuminate His goodness, kindness and patience. We have been given, in great detail, that knowledge of the plan of Christ’s salvation was communicated to the prophets from the beginning and that they looked forward to His coming and His great act of charity, with joy and anticipation. Luke 10:24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. In conclusion, let me just cite a statement about ‘knowledge of God’ given by the resurrected Jesus to these “other sheep” : 1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small. 2 And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations. 3 And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away; 4 And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— 5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began. 6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; 7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people. 8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. 9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. 10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. You have heard of the Pew Study, which found that the LDS people know more of the Bible than any other group they tested. We love the Bible. We have been taught from our youth to search all of the scriptures. We also have been taught that: "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth." (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36) We engage our young people in serious scriptural study from early youth, including early-morning seminary classes for the four years of high school. We have studied all of these things carefully, prayerfully, scholastically, and spiritually. These scriptures are not only self consistent but mutually reinforcing, testifying to each other’s truthfulness, amplifying and clarifying the doctrines, and enabling communication through the Holy Spirit. We have been promised that as we accept and live the doctrines that God has given to us, that He will give more knowledge. I consider these to be great gifts of knowledge, which God has said are intended for all mankind, and which are meant to prove the truthfulness of the Bible at a time when it is criticized, doubted, and misinterpreted. So, God has much for us. As we accept what He gives to us, He will give us more, until we will be blessed to know Him personally.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 01:47:52 +0000
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