Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes, but that might not necessarily
be true. Maybe you have heard of the scammer calls where someone tells you that
your computer has a virus and they need remote access to your computer to fix
it. My hope is that no one actually falls for this, however there are probably
some people who have fallen victim to this type of con. So let’s think about
this a moment. What did the person on the other end of the phone say that
sounded so convincing? It is a crime against the innocent, and those who
swindle and steal from the innocent still have a judge to face after death.
Likewise, within the Body of Christ we have swindlers who steal the money and
time of the innocent because they sounded convincing. We have a problem with
some people attempting to attach a spiritual significance to a physical
happening, such as the blood moons. It used to be in the Old Testement that a
prophet would declare an event would happen, then it would happen and that is
how people knew that person was a prophet. Today, we take an event and try to
attach a “prophetic” meaning to it. That is backwards from the way it should
be. The moon is not our prophet. Consider Solomon’s words.
Wisdom 13:1-2 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are
ignorant of God, and could not out of the good things that are seen know him
that is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster;
2 But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the
stars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which
govern the world. KJV
We need to take a close look at the word ignorance in the context of the past,
the present, and the future and the provisions humans have to atone for
ignorance. It is okay to have fallen victim to a shyster’s shtick but we should
not fall for it a second time. We must remember to go easy on the innocent,
they are where they are because of a lack of knowledge. We cannot despise
people for where they are in their walk, we instead can teach them, in order to
help build up the Body of Christ. There are a couple of words in the Bible for
ignorance, and there are two phrases used; the
sin of ignorance to which people are to make atonement for with an offering for ignorance.
Again we come across the idea of two minds, the mind of the
heart and the mind of the head. We will explore these words a bit and look at
how we can get led astray. It is interesting that Paul wrote these things in
Ephesians, but usually we miss the message of the thoughts of the heart and the
thoughts of the mind. If someone schmoozes us we may fall victim to an ignorant
idea because we feel good when someone complements us. This is the idea of the
heart leading us astray because the thoughts and feelings of our heart somehow
dominate logic and reason. Here in Ephesus the church was being schooled to not
walk like the unsaved who have callousness in their hearts. That is the
opposite of the idea of feeling good and making a decision. Here the people had
become hard in their hearts and made decisions based on their logic and reason
alone. The problem is, Jesus lives within us, it is a heart relationship that
we have with Him, and therefore if we become callous we will be blind to His
presence in our lives. Let’s explore.
Eph 4:17G3778This G3767then G3004I say G2532and G3143testify
G1722in G2962the Lord,
G3371for
you to no longer G1473 G4043walk G2531as G2532also G3588the G3062rest G1484of the nations
G4043walk, G1722in G3153the folly
G3588 G3563of their mind, G1473
18G4654being
darkened G3588in the
G1271mind, G1510.6being G526separated
from G3588the G2222life G3588 G2316of
God, G1223through
G3588the G52ignorance G3588 G1510.6being G1722in G1473them, G1223through
G3588the G4457callousness
G3588 G2588of their heart; G1473
19G3748ones
who G524being
numbed, G1438delivered
themselves up G3860 G3588to G766lewdness,
G1519for G2039a work
G167of all
uncleanness G3956 G1722inG4124a
desire for wealth.
NT:3563 nous (nooce); probably from the base of NT:1097;
the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by
implication meaning: KJV - mind, understanding. Compare NT:5590. (Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1271 dianoia (dee-an'-oy-ah); from NT:1223 and NT:3563;
deep thought, properly, the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication,
its exercise: KJV - imagination, mind, understanding. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:2588 kardia (kar-dee'-ah); prolonged from a primary kar
(Latin, cor, "heart"); the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or
feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle: KJV - (+broken-) heart (-ed).
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Before we look at the word for ignorance let’s take note of what Paul is saying. Remember there is
no word Gentile in the Greek. The
Greeks did not have a word that called themselves heathen dogs as compared to
the Jews. We know that the word Gentile is a distortion and mistranslated
throughout the Old and New Testement. The word is correctly translated
“nations” which denotes people other than Jews. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/12/gentiles-all-jews-are-goyim-multitudes.html
Paul says, do not walk like the other people in the world,
in the pointlessness of their reasoning faculty, being dark in their intellect.
People are separated from the life of God because of ignorance in their
calloused hearts. This is Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians who were
surrounded with many religions and the lure of wealth to draw the people away
from God. First, we have folly in their mind, then we have darkness in their
intellect, and last we have callousness in their heart.
It seems that these three methods enter into people to draw
them away from the life of God. People pointlessly reason what they know and
perceive about the Bible instead of simply studying what is in the Bible.
Because of this, their intellect is darkened; whereas studying would enlighten
their understanding. Next, due to this ignorance, their hearts become callous. But
Jesus lives inside the saved, which means by this process we can shut Him out. We
have to undo this process so that we won’t become like the unsaved. That means
we really have to think through what is being said and shared with us.
Logically inspect with the thoughts of our heart and our mind.
Is it life-giving to tell people that they are going to be
beat up by the very God they are supposed to worship? Is that really what
Yahweh does? Is it life-giving to tell people that Yahweh is going to punish
His own innocent redeemed followers along with the evil Yahweh rejecters? That
is blasphemy, as we have studied that blasphemy is attributing something to
Yahweh that he is not doing or does not do. Ignorance enters the heart because
people don’t study the entire Bible. That is the issue. Aren’t the redeemed
actually redeemed? If one were to actually study the redeemed, one would see
they end up someplace other than earth and watch Jesus open the seals. The
redeemed cannot be on earth and watching the seals being opened. Isn’t this why
we are not to be ignorant like other people 1 Thess 4:13-ff. Why would we have
hope but then have no hope? This is the dilemma of ignorance. In our heart we wish instead of know, and in our mind we don’t examine rationally. Ignorance
develops a callous that separates us from a life-giving God. Eventually, we
become disappointed in God because we do not know him, we develop a callous
over our heart. Then instead of our heart being opened, our heart becomes closed.
Ignorance causes damage to our heart and our heart relationship with Jesus.
When we don’t have knowledge, we are ignorant. Sometimes it
is willful blindness. As we see Thayer’s 1a, ignorance especially of divine
things. Yahweh made a provision for the sin of ignorance. Let’s explore this from the Old Testament.
52
LSJ Gloss: ἄγνοια want of perception, ignorance
Dodson: ἄγνοια ignorance ignorance, inadvertence, sometimes
with the idea of willful blindness.
Thayer:
1) lack of knowledge, ignorance
1a) esp. of divine things
1b) of moral blindness
1a) esp. of divine things
1b) of moral blindness
Isaac told Abimelech that Rebekah was his sister, just as
Abraham did with Sarah in Egypt. Abimelech (senior) was a close friend of
Abraham, but this Abimelech (junior) did not know Isaac.
Genesis 26:9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said to
him, Is she then thy wife? why hast thou said, She is my sister? And Isaac said
to him, I did so, for I said, Lest at any time I die on her
account. 10 And Abimelech said to him, Why hast thou done this to us?
one of my kindred within a little had lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest
have brought a sin of ignorance [52] upon us. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Genesis/index.htm
Abimelech considered that this mistake that he could have
made was a sin of ignorance. Isaac knew the truth but didn’t tell Abimelech
until it was almost too late. Abimelech did not know Isaac was keeping a secret
from him at first, but when he found out, he was upset that he could have made
that mistake. Isaac was the one with the knowledge and was withholding
important information. We have had a religious history of certain groups of
people who have withheld important information from others, whether it was
science, or prophetic books such as Wisdom by Solomon, or even the attempted
erasing of Jesus from the Old Testament by the Masorete’s. There seems to be a
problem with some people forcing others to be intentionally ignorant. It would
seem that every so often in many different groups there is a dominant ruling
class that decides what the others should or shouldn’t know. In Isaac’s defense
he was trying to spare his own life, but usually that is not the case. So the
sin of ignorance is something one does when he does not have all the facts.
Leviticus gives us a remedy for that. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/12/erasing-jesus-intentional-sabotage.html
Lev 5: 17G2532And G3588the G5590soul G3739who G302ever G264should
sin, G2532and G4160should
commit G1520one trespass
G575from G3956all G3588of the
G1785commandments
G2962of the lord,
G3739which G3756[3not
G11632must G41601he]
do, G2532and G3756does not
G1097know, G2532and G4131.2should
trespass, G2532and G2983should
take the guilt for G3588 G266his
sin; G1473
18G2532then G5342he
shall bring G2919.1[2ram
G2991an
unblemished] G1537from
out of G3588the G4263flocks,
G5092the value
G694of
silver G1519for G4131.1the trespass offering
G4314to G3588the G2409priest.
G2532And G1837.2[3shall
atone G40124for G14735him G35881the G24092priest]
G4012for G3588 G52his
ignorance G1473 G3739of
which G50he was
ignorant of, G2532and G1473he G3756did
not G1492know. G2532And G863it
will be forgiven G1473him,
19G4131.2for he
trespassed G1063 G4131.1a
trespass -- G4131.4it is a
trespass offering G1725before
G2962the lord .
I like that there is provision for absolution for one’s own
ignorance. Notice the word variation of #52 ignorance;
#50, which is to not know through lack of
information or intelligence. Forgiveness comes after the trespass offering.
Once again in Leviticus, ignorance and an offering.
Lev 22: 14G2532And G444a man G3739who G302ever G2068should
eat G39holy things
G2596according
to G52ignorance;
G2532then G4369he
shall add G3588 G1967.1his
fifth part G1473 G1909unto G1473it, G2532and G1325shall
give G3588to the
G2409priest
G3588the G39holy thing
There really is only one problem here. There is no Temple.
Therefore this is not applicable for us to make this offering to receive
forgiveness. I bring this up from the law to show that Yahweh was not a harsh
task master who enjoyed beating people up. Yahweh made provisions for sins of
ignorance. Today however, it is less cumbersome to receive forgiveness if one
is a believer in Jesus as Messiah. Asking Yahweh for forgiveness is how we
receive absolution for sin. That is what Jesus came to earth for, to take on
all our sins because we could never have paid the price for our own sins
ourselves. Here David asks Yahweh not to remember his sins of ignorance.
Psalm 25: 7G266[3 the sins
G35034of my
youth G1473 G25325and G526my
ignorance G1473 G33611Do not
G34032remember]!
G2596but according
to G3588 G1656your
mercy G1473 G3403mention
G1473me G1473to
yourself, G1752because
of G3588 G5544your
graciousness, G1473 G2962O lord!
Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth,
nor my sins of ignorance: remember me according to thy mercy,
for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Psalms/index.htm
Unfortunately, when we are young we are bound to make many
mistakes because we do not have enough knowledge. David was aware that Yahweh
is merciful and gracious, so asking for Yahweh to forget his sins of ignorance
was not an egocentric request but a normal request made between friends.
Ecc 5: 6G3361You
should not G1325give G3588 G4750your
mouth G1473 G3588 G1814.2to
lead [2into sin G3588 G45611your
flesh]; G1473 G2532and G3361you
should not G2036say G4253before
G4383the presence
G3588 G2316of God
G3754that, G52It is
in ignorance; G1510.2.3 G2443lest G3361 G3710[2should
be provoked to anger G3588 G23161God] G1909at G5456your
voice, G1473 G2532and G1311should
utterly destroy G3588the things
G4161made G5495by
your hands.G1473
In context here, Solomon suggests that we do not say and do
things that are sins and then say ‘ooops I did it by accident’. James says
something similar. (James 4:17 So any person who knows what is right to do but
does not do it, to him it is sin. AMP) The idea is that one cannot claim
ignorance if he knows what he is doing is wrong. That is a situation that is
not true ignorance. Ezekiel has a few references of an ignorance offering for the future age.
Eze 40: 39G3704so
that G4969they
should slay G1722in G1473it G3588the things
G5228for G266a
sin offering, G2532and G3588the things
G5228for G52an
ignorance offering .
Eze 42: 13G2532And G2036he
said G4314to G1473me, G3588The G1825.1inner
chambers, G3588the
ones G4314towards
G1005the north,
G2532and G3588the G1825.1inner
chambers, G3588the
ones G4314towards
G3558the south,
G1510.6being G2596in
front G4383 G3588of the
G1292intervals,
G3778these G1510.2.6are G3588the G1825.1inner
chambers G3588of the
G39holy
place, G1722in G3739which G2068[6eat
G15637there G35881the G24092priests
G3588 G14483approaching
G43144to G29625 the lord],
G3588the G39holy things
G3588of the
G39holies;
G2532and G1563there G5087they
shall put G3588the G39holy things
G3588of the
G39holies,
G2532and G3588the G2378sacrifice offering,
G2532and G3588the things
G4012for G266a
sin offering, G2532and G3588the things
G4012for G52an
ignorance offering; G1360because
G3588the G5117place G39is holy
The future millennial temple will accommodate ignorance
offerings along with sacrifice offerings and sin offerings. It seems it will
cover all the bases. This tells us that human ignorance does not go away once
Jesus is reigning on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. There will be a
need for some to make these sacrifices to receive forgiveness. Again, according to our dispensation, and the
fact that there is no temple, we have a different way to be cleansed from
ignorance. Peter uses this same word which is the phrase sin of ignorance or ignorance
offering when speaking to the Jews from Solomon’s Porch in regards to the
lame man’s healing.
Acts 3: 17G2532And G3568now, G80brethren,
G1492I know
G3754that G2596according
to G52ignorance
G4238you
acted, G5618as G2532also G3588 G758your
rulers. G1473
Peter gave the people an out, so to speak. He allowed them to claim ignorance for wanting a
murderer freed and killing the Prince of life. The temple was still intact and at
this point anyone could make the ignorance offering if they so desired. Seeing
the lame man healed probably caused some people to question what they were led
to do in demanding Jesus be crucified. We know that the religious leaders
inspired the people to do something that they should not have done, and in that
moment on Solomon’s Porch, people may have realized what they went along with
was done in ignorance. Rarely do the masses follow a leader when they know
beyond a doubt that that leader is corrupt and evil. However if the people are
unaware of all the facts, and important knowledge, like the people who rallied
for Jesus’ death, the people follow along in ignorance. That was a big mistake
but still atonable by the ignorance offering. We have religious groups that
rally alongside religious leaders who are corrupt and who lead people astray
intentionally. We also have religious groups that rally alongside ignorant
religious leaders and cause serious divisions within the Body of Christ. Both
situations are due to ignorance. But Paul gives the Greeks at Athens some good
news. Let’s look at a couple of translations here.
Acts 17: 30G3588[3the
G33031Indeed
G37672then] G5550times G3588 G52of
ignorance G5237[2having
overlooked G3588 G23161God], G3569at
present G3853exhorts
G3588 G444all
men G3956 G3837everywhere
G3340to
repent;
31G1360because
G2476he set
G2250a day G1722inG3739which G3195he is
about G2919to
judge G3588the G3611world G1722in G1343righteousness,
G1722by G435a man G3739in
whom G3724he
confirmed, G4102[2belief
G39301having
furnished] G3956to
all, G450having
raised G1473him G1537from G3498the dead
Acts 17:30-31 Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is
true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people
everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to
amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins), 31 Because He has fixed
a day when He will judge the world righteously (justly) by a Man Whom He has
destined and appointed for that task, and He has made this credible and given
conviction and assurance and evidence to everyone by raising Him from the dead.
[Ps 9:8; 96:13; 98:9.] AMP
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent: KJV
Acts 17:30-31 "God overlooks it as long as you don't
know any better — but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's
calling for a radical life-change. 31 He has set a day when the entire human
race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the
judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language ©
2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
The former ages of ignorance, the ages when Yahweh was not
known and when Jesus was not known, God winked at because people didn’t know
any better. It is quite interesting how much knowledge we actually have at our
fingertips and yet we find many people too consumed with other things to dive
into the Bible. Everyone will be judged at different times and places. The
redeemed are judged differently than those who reject Jesus. These are mysteries
contained within the book, and it is our job to search them out. Teachers need
to teach from the Bible not the moon’s position on a feast day.
1 Peter 1:13G1352Therefore
G328having
girded G3588the G3751loins G3588 G1271of
your mind, G1473 G3525being
sober, G5049perfectly
G1679hope G1909upon G3588the G5342[2being
brought G14733to you
G54841favor]
G1722in G602the revelation
G*of
JesusG5547Christ!
14G5613being as
G5043children
G5218of
obedience, G3361not G4964conforming
to G3588the G4387former things
G1722in G3588the G52ignorance
G1473of
your G1939desires.
15G235But G2596as G3588the
one G2564calling
G1473you G39is holy,
G2532even G1473you
yourselves G39[2holy
G17223in G39564all G3915 your behavior
G10961become]!
Here we come back to the mind and its role in our ignorance.
We are to gird up our loins, hike up the procreative power of our deep
thoughts. To gird is to “pin up like a
robe so that one can walk or run easier”. The loins were the place that people thought of as the place semen
resided. The idea is that in our mind, we need to collect up and bind any or
all things that are loose around the life giving area of our deep thoughts. In
our deepest most part of our intellect, the place of life, we are to fix any
loose thoughts and be circumspect. This is the center of creative thought and
problem solving. This is the place of creative solutions rather than going with
the standard procedure. Callousness covers this place in our lives.
We are not to conform to the old ways in ignorance due to
our yearnings and longings. This is not only confronting lust, as in sexual
desires; but also in not conforming to the old laws to show others how
knowledgeable and spiritual one is. Or conforming to the old traditions just to
look religious and pious is something we should not do. All of that is
ignorance, as Jesus changed the dynamic of the age when he rose from the dead.
Now we are to follow His ways and be holy as He is holy. We might think of being holy as being religiously “good”
with no sin, but Jesus’ blood cleansed our sins, and he made us righteous,
redeemed, sanctified, and justified. If we believe on Him we really can’t miss.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians gives us some practical
advice regarding our mind and heart.
Philippians 4:6G3367Let no
one G3309be
anxious, G235but G1722in G3956all G3588 G4335prayer
G2532and G3588 G1162supplication
G3326with G2169thankfulness
G3588 G155[2your
requests G1473 G11071let]
be made known G4314to G3588 G2316God!
7G2532And G3588the G1515peace G3588 G2316of God,
G3588the
one G5242surpassing
G3956every G3563mind, G5432shall
guard G3588 G2588your
hearts G1473 G2532and G3588 G3540your
thoughts G1473 G1722in G5547Christ
G*Jesus
Here we have the intellect being at peace, and the heart
and thoughts guarded when we pray with thankfulness. This is a remedy to what
Paul told the Ephesians about how not to walk in the pointlessness of their
reasoning faculty, being dark in their intellect, and separated from the life
of God because of an ignorant calloused heart. Prayer, supplication,
thankfulness, and requests are ways in which we talk to God. When we do this,
His peace surpasses our minds and guards our hearts and thoughts. I would much
rather have my heart and thoughts guarded in peace by Christ than for my heart
to become calloused, separating my heart from our life-giving God. As Peter
suggested, we also need to catch our loose thoughts and be circumspect in our
deepest places of seed thoughts.
Yahweh has provided ways throughout history, and into the
future, for the innocent people who have been ignorant to atone and be made
right. The key for us today is that we come close to him and ask forgiveness if
we find we have been ignorant. We have to remember not to be harsh on people
who are ignorant as everyone is on a journey. True teachers will share and help
people to learn. We can never stop learning and growing. What we want to do is
guard against darkened minds and a calloused heart because callouses in our
heart separate us from the life giving Messiah, Jesus.
