The Lord proclaims: The learned should not boast of their knowledge, nor warriors boast of their might, nor the rich boast of their wealth. No, those who boast should boast in this: That they understand and know me. I am the Lord who acts with kindness, justice, and righteousness in the world, and I delight in these things, declares the Lord. (Jer 9:23-23)
I heard Christians boast that when they get to heaven, they can’t wait to see:
- Their mansion, which, as it so happens, is a bad translation of the Greek.
- The streets of gold. Even though there are no streets of gold in heaven or the coming kingdom, God is an allegory for purity.
- Jesus….in that order.
One would expect God to be number one, not eternity’s presumed materiality.
So, back to the Old Testament, the most important aspect of knowing God is not what God has done (stories) or what he has said (word). The thing that God wants most is to reveal the essence and substance of his nature. This is done through the historical, the prophetic, a song or a poem, or even a love story and journal written by Solomon.
Jeremiah tells us not to boast in wisdom, power, or the prosperity that comes as a blessing from knowing God, but to let the very character of God permeate our nature. How does God want to be known? He wants to be known as a God of kindness, justice, and righteousness.
