But doesn't the central question seem to be: what does it mean to know God? Is there anywhere in scripture that God says: this is what it means to know Me? You know what? I was studying something else, and I found it; and then I tried to find another instance of it. To me, I cannot find it. I'm not saying it's not there, I'm just saying I can't find it. I can't find any other instance, in all of scripture, that defines what it means to know God, other than this one, and it comes from Jeremiah 22:16. Listen to this. He took care of the poor and the afflicted, so it is well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me, declares the Lord, your God. So God defines knowing Him as having a generous spirit towards people, who can't possibly do anything to pay you back. Doesn't this seem to fit with Jesus' world, and His message?
Think about Jesus' message: Who is the only person, in Jesus' whole ministry, that Jesus actually said went to hell? Who was the only one? The rich man who overlooked the poor man; like Jesus dealt with all manner of wicked people - a lady caught in the act of adultery, He's like: I don't condemn you, it's going to be alright. There was a lady divorced five times, and she was shacked up with the sixth one. He's like: can I get you a drink, you look like you need a drink, right? There was a tax collector in a tree, and the tax collector in a tree gets so moved with Jesus' compassion he says: look Lord, here and now, I'll give half of what I have to the poor. Jesus said: that's it, salvation's come to you. That's it - he's got it!
Who was the only person in Jesus' whole ministry that Jesus said: God is going to kill you? There's only one. It said there was a guy that God blessed all the works of his hand, and he had all this extra food. Jesus said: hey, there's a lot of hungry people outside, what are you going to do with your extra food? He said: you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to build bigger barns, to store it up for myself, so that my soul can have peace, and I'll know I'll always have food. Jesus said: that's it - God is going to kill you. God's going to kill you! It just seems to fit His whole modus operandi. Is this not what it means to know Me, declares the Lord.
Check out this scripture, Isaiah 1:15-18 says this: When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you. Even if you offer many prayers, I won't listen. Your hands are full of blood. Wash and make yourself clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight. Now listen, this is God having a rant. Now what do you think this rant would be about? Idolatry? Homosexuality? Something really bad like that? Well watch what it is. Watch what it is. It says: stop doing wrong, learn to do right. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the orphan, plead the case of the widow. Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they'll be white as snow. What caused the move in God's heart, from "you wicked people" to "though your sins are like scarlet, they'll be white as snow"? What caused it? Generosity - it was all a generous spirit.
There was this one time, there's this guy, His name's John the Baptist. He's a Baptist! And you guys know Baptists, like they just don't have people skills. I can say that, because I was raised Baptist. Okay, so anyway John the Baptist is out in the desert - like he had no people skills. You read the stories about him, and you go: how did this guy build a ministry? This guy did things like eat bugs, don't bathe, things like this. So he has this rant in Luke 3:7. And John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him: you brood of vipers, who has warned you to flee the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance, and don't begin to say to yourself: you have Abraham as your father, for I tell you, out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham. Is that a way to build a church?
These are people coming out to be baptised by him, and he greets them with this: You basket of snakes. You fatherless people. There's a word for that, starts with a 'b', you don't want to call people that right? This is not really nice. Out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham - and it gets worse. Watch this: The axe is already fallen to the root of your trees, and every one of you that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into fire. This guy's not a Baptist - he's a Pentecostal on speed! It's like: fire, all of you! You fatherless basket of snakes, every one of you, you're on your way into fire! Now what do you think that whole rant was about? You would think, once again: idolatry, sexual immorality, the big one - homosexuality. You would think it would be something huge like that, but what was huge to them? The crowd says: um, what do you want us to do then? And what's His answer? That whole rant, this was His answer: Let the man with two tunics, share with the one who has none; and let the man with food, feed those who don't have food - it was all generosity.