Psalms 8:1 and I’ll include 31:1-4.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 1 Corinthians 8. The Mind of the Spirit spoke to the spirit of my mind in the opening verse:

1 Corinthians 8:1 ¶ Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

The sentence that drew me into meditation with the Spirit is “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth” (1 Corinthians 8:1b). The word translated puffeth up is φυσιοῖ (Foo-se-o’-ee). It means to blow, to inflate. It is used to describe one who is made proud and haughty. Verily, Eve was provoked to pride in her pursuit of it in the Garden (Genesis 3).

Knowledge is almost universally extolled as a good thing throughout Scripture. Here are a few examples: Proverbs 1-3, 5, 8-15, 17-24, 28, 30; the word knowledge, or know appears 55 times in Proverbs alone, the book of wisdom alone.*

The most famous testament to the importance of knowledge is “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” (Hosea 4:6).

Along the still waters: When Paul says “knowledge puffeth up,” he is talking about knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Like Eve, for all who pursue knowledge to elevate themselves, it puffeth up. Knowledge is a crown, but many foolish, prideful, and wicked men have worn crowns. Knowledge without humility becomes an armor for arrogance. It provides a cloke for every evil that is resident in the deceitful heart. It drapes the shoulders of a malicious soul with a “coat of many colors.” It increases the danger of a bad man. But when knowledge increases in a humble heart, it makes a servant more useful, and a friend more valuable.

Knowledge is good; it only puffs up the proud. It humbles the God-fearing soul because Truth is the provenance of knowledge and inherent in the nature and being of Christ (John 14:6).

The contrast to the knowledge that puffs up, that the Spirit expressed through Paul, is charity (agape). Charity edifies, that is, it builds, promotes, encourages, and exalts others. Knowledge in the charitable heart is employed and deployed to edify. Loving others humbles you to their service. It’s impossible to love without humility. Charity is the natural expression of authentic humility.

In the valley, I knelt in the shadow of the most profound and complete demonstration of love in the history of Creation, past, present, and future. I was carried by the Word into the throne room (Hebrews 4:16), where I saw the lamb, as it had been slain, standing there, with its seven eyes seeing me and through me, and I was humbled to see the eternal memorial to the death, burial, and resurrection of my Shepherd. And suddenly, I was overwhelmed at the knowledge employed in the majestic work of redemption. Indeed, “We must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him” (2 Samuel 14:14).

Jesus spoke, and His words communicated the knowledge that lightens the path He calls us to trek: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

This is the knowledge of the holy: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

At the table, my Shepherd anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy ran to catch up and followed us into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v78jqqg-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Here are some samples:

It’s good to “Know”:

Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

Proverbs 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

To fear God is the beginning of knowledge:

Proverbs 1:7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Fools hate knowledge:

Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

God gives knowledge:

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Blessing comes to those for whom knowledge is pleasant:

Proverbs 2:10 ¶ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Proverbs 8:10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

The wise gather knowledge:

Proverbs 10:14 ¶ Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Knowledge delivers the just:

Proverbs 11:9 ¶ An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

It is the promotion of the prudent:

Proverbs 14:18 ¶ The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

It is the fruit of the lips of the wise:

Proverbs 15:7 ¶ The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

It is sought by the wise in heart:

Proverbs 15:14 ¶ The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Proverbs 18:15 ¶ The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

It’s not good for a soul to be without it:

Proverbs 19:2 ¶ Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

It is more precious than gold or rubies:

Proverbs 20:15 ¶ There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

God’s eyes preserve it:

Proverbs 22:12 ¶ Te eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

God instructs us to heartily seek it and our ears to hear it:

Proverbs 23:12 ¶ Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

It is by knowledge that we may prosper:

Proverbs 24:4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

It gives us strength:

Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

We are exhorted to know the state of our business:

Proverbs 27:23 ¶ Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

Men of understanding and knowledge may prolong the state of a land burdened by transgression:

Proverbs 28:2 ¶ For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

And that’s only from a sampling taken from one book. Clearly, knowledge is a good thing.]