“Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image—for his molten image is falsehood and there is no breath in them.  They are vanity—the works of error—in the time of their visitation they shall perish.” Jeremiah 51:17-18

When it’s all said and done, it’ll not be what we know that matters; it’ll be Who we know.

Knowledge.

Our world is full of it these days—more so than anytime in the past.  A few years ago only the industrialized nations knew about computers, the internet, cell phones, G.P.S., etc.; now you can find them anywhere—even in underdeveloped nations that are struggling to meet the basic needs of her people.

Yet, today’s Manna. . .written in a day-and-age of unscientific understanding. . . where understanding about nature, biological processes, thought and reason, etc., was as yet unknown. . .is still relevant even in our generation.  We, who are the “enlightened,” may scoff at tribal groups in remote locations who still worship the volcano or tree gods, but the fact remains that we, too, are still “brutish (Heb. ‘ba ‘ar’—‘to kindle, be consumed by, be carried away by, be eaten up with, etc.’) by our knowledge.”

Think about it:

Who is held in higher esteem in most societies—the one with the Ph.d or the farmer who works from sunup to sundown to provide food for us to eat?  Are we not more enthralled by the genius, who can spout astounding facts and figures like a rapid-fire machine gun than we can the quiet grandmother who shares her homespun wisdom with us?

Yes, we are “intoxicated” by knowledge.

But, today’s Manna reminds us that such knowledge—human knowledge—is limited at best.  And, unless it points us to the Source of all Truth, it is useless and will not pass the test of time.

Likewise, we may not carve graven images out of trees and bow down to them, but we are still “confounded (Heb. ‘yabesh’—‘to be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither, etc.’) by our idols” whether it be technology, science, information, etc.  That’s why we’re more up on the latest trends or gossip than we are the Lord’s Gospel and more in tune with trivia pursuit than we are the pursuit of Ultimate Truth.

God’s Word is clear when it says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all they that do His commandments” (Ps. 111:10). The same God Who gave the artificers of the Tabernacle the wisdom to carefully craft their gifts to God (Ex. 28:3; 31:3, 6; 35:26, 31; 36:1-2) is the same One Who gives us the “blessed knowledge” of His Wisdom (Eph. 1:7-23; James 1:5; 3:13-15). May we recommit ourselves today to spend more time studying God’s Word than reading the latest best-seller—for fiction, novels, historical records, etc., are brutish at best and will not help us better know the heart of Jesus and His Will for our lives.

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Morning Manna is a daily devotional publication authored by Rev. Tom Smith. You can see more of Morning Manna by visiting: http://www.fbccoushatta.org/manna/manna.html