To Know the Lord! – Jeremiah 31:34a

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)

“No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:34 (MSG)

“They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow.”

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“And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord.” -AMPLIFIED

“The new covenant brings new relationship with God. Those connected to God by the new covenant have personal, close relationship with God that they did not have before: they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.“ ~David Guzik

The Lord has declared that part of this New Covenant will be that He will write His Laws on the hearts and minds of His people. God’s Message:

“Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” -Jeremiah 31:33 (CSB)

And because God’s Laws will be written on the hearts and minds of every one of His children, there will no longer be a need to teach or admonish one another in the ways of the Lord, because each person will know Him personally, and will know what His expectations are. God’s Message to Israel:

“No longer will people have to teach each other or encourage their family members and say, “You must know the Eternal.” For all of them will know Me intimately themselves—from the least to the greatest of society.” -(VOICE)

“In that day”…we can look back to verse 31, the beginning of this section, and find this reminder of when these things will take place. These things will happen during the Messianic Age.

During this time, there will no longer be a need to teach others about the ways of the Lord. Why? Because each person will “know” the Lord personally. (Remember, this Message is directed towards the houses of Israel and Judah.) The VOICE translation conveys this “knowing” of the Lord wonderfully, “For all of them will know Me intimately themselves…” The children of Israel will finally “know” their Lord fully. Not just a few of them, like priests and prophets, but everyone great and small.

“’All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” declares Yahweh.” -(NOG)

“At that time it will no longer be necessary to admonish one another to know the Lord. For everyone, both great and small, shall really know me then, says the Lord…” -(TLB)

“To know God is to be transformed, and thus to be introduced to a life that could not otherwise be experienced.” ~D. A. Carson 

Once the Lord has written His Laws on the heart of a person, then there comes about a transformation in their life, a change of heart. That person will then desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

“Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.” -Romans 12:1-2 (VOICE)

If we have been transformed and truly want to know the Lord, then we will be obedient to Him. John tells us this is a sure sign of an intimate relationship with the Lord:

“We know we have joined Him in an intimate relationship because we live out His commands. If someone claims, “I am in an intimate relationship with Him,” but this big talker doesn’t live out His commands, then this individual is a liar and a stranger to the truth.” -1 John 2:3-4 (VOICE)

David had the right attitude when he came humbly to the Lord asking Him to teach him to understand and know Him:

“DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One. Teach me to understand so I can follow. EASE me down the path of Your truth. FEED me Your word because You are the True God who has saved me. I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.” -Psalm 25:4-5 (VOICE)

Solomon instructs us that the fear of the Lord, or reverence for Him, is the beginning of our true knowledge of Him:

“Reverence for the Eternal, the one True God, is the beginning of wisdom; true knowledge of the Holy One is the start of understanding.” -Proverbs 9:10 (VOICE)

Paul encourages us to have minds that are ready to know and receive more of the Lord:

“God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.” -Ephesians 1:17-19 (VOICE)

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” ~J. I. Packer

My friend, do you know God, truly know Him? Or do you know about God? He wants us each to have a personal relationship with Him, to know Him intimately. The thing about a relationship is if we are trying to get to know someone, we need to spend time with them. We need to not just talk “at” that person, but “with” that person. I pray that you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

“So hear my final words, my friends. Now that I have warned you about what’s ahead, keep up your guard and don’t let unprincipled people pull you away from the sure ground of the truth with their lies and misunderstandings. Instead, grow in grace and in the true knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Anointed, to whom be glory, now and until the coming of the new age. Amen.” -2 Peter 3:17-18 (VOICE)

“One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there’s always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.” ~Joni Eareckson Tada

My Prayer:

Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I want to know you, not just about you, but you, personally and intimately. I want be known as a friend of God. I desire to know you more and more, to grow in my wisdom of who you are and my knowledge and understanding of you. Lord, I ask that you reveal yourself to me in a deeper way. I hunger and thirst for more of you. Help me to have a hunger so deep for more of you that it is never satisfied, a thirst that is never quenched. More of you, Lord, that is what I need. Please, meet me here as I still myself and sit at your feet. Thank you, Lord.