SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW (using mostly Deuteronomy as a paradigm)

  1. The Hebrew word "know" (yada, BDB 393; NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 409-414) has several senses in the Qal.
    1. to understand good and evil ‒ Gen. 3:22; Deut. 1:39; Isa. 7:14-15; Jonah 4:11
    2. to know by understanding ‒ Exod. 3:7; Num. 24:15; Deut. 9:2,3,6; 18:21
    3. to know by experience ‒ Deut. 3:19; 4:35; 8:2,3,5; 11:2; 20:20; 31:13; Josh. 23:14
    4. to consider ‒ Deut. 4:39; 11:2; 29:16
    5. to know personally
      1. a person ‒ Gen. 29:5; Exod. 1:8; Deut. 22:2; 33:9
      2. a god ‒ Deut. 11:28; 13:2,6,13; 28:64; 29:26; 32:17
      3. YHWH ‒ Deut. 4:35,39; 7:9; 29:6; Isa. 1:3; 56:10-11
      4. sexually ‒ Gen. 4:1,17,25; 24:16; 19:8; 38:26; Num. 31:17,19,35; 1 Sam. 1:19; 1 Kgs. 1:4; Luke 1:34 (negated, used of Mary's virginity)
    6. a learned skill or knowledge ‒ Gen. 25:27; Isa. 29:11,12; Amos 5:16
    7. be wise ‒ Deut. 29:4; Prov. 1:2; 4:1; 17:27; 30:3; Isa. 29:24
    8. God's knowledge
      1. of Moses ‒ Deut. 34:10
      2. of Israel ‒ Deut. 31:21

  2. This word is also used in the sense of God testing, so as to know (not in the sense of "Open Theism," but as biblical imagery of humans having the opportunity to exercise faith)
    1. God tests Israel ‒ Deut. 8:2; 13:3; Jdgs. 3:4
    2. Abraham ‒ Gen. 22:1,12
    3. Hezekiah ‒2 Chr. 32:31
    4. Jeremiah ‒Jer. 12:3
    5. a psalmist ‒ Ps. 139:23

  3. Knowledge is a wonderful and dangerous thing (i.e., Genesis 3). God seeks to give knowledge, humans seek to take it! With knowledge comes responsibility (see my fuller not at John 14:6).

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE

SPECIAL TOPIC: AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

age_of_accountability

 

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