Knowing and Being Known

Today's Reading

Read Jeremiah 9:23-24: "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.'"

Then read John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Reflection

J.I. Packer opens Knowing God with a question that sounds simple but cuts deep: what were we made for? His answer is unflinching: "To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the 'eternal life' that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God."

This is not knowledge in the academic sense — the kind you acquire by reading textbooks and passing examinations. The Hebrew word for "know" (yada) in Jeremiah 9:24 implies intimate, personal acquaintance. It is the same word used for the deepest human relationships. To know God is not to master a set of propositions about Him. It is to be drawn into a living relationship with the God who is actually there.

Packer's concern throughout Knowing God is that modern Christians have confused these two things. We have more Bible translations, more commentaries, more theological resources, and more sermons available than any generation in history. And yet, Packer warns, "we are perhaps the most informed generation about God that has ever existed; yet we may be the least acquainted with God." Information has increased while intimacy has declined.

Jeremiah draws the same contrast. The wise, the mighty, and the rich all have their forms of knowledge — but none of it matters compared to this: understanding and knowing the LORD. The verb Jeremiah uses is not passive. It is active, experiential, relational. It describes someone who has encountered God and been changed by the encounter.

Jesus Himself defines eternal life in exactly these terms: "that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). Eternal life is not merely an afterlife destination. It is a quality of life defined by knowing God — beginning now and extending forever.

Going Deeper

Packer suggests a simple diagnostic: can you say not just that God is great, but that God has been great to you? Not just that God is gracious, but that God has been gracious to you? The difference between the two is the difference between theology and doxology — between studying God and worshipping Him.

Over the next fourteen days, we will explore the attributes of God one by one. But the goal is not to accumulate information. It is to be drawn deeper into the knowledge of the One who made us, redeemed us, and invites us into relationship with Himself.