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"...and he went out, not knowing..."

by Jimmy Ned Collins  
1/14/2015 / Devotionals


May The Lord bless us all this coming Year by birthing in our hearts His Divine Expectation. Which Expectation lasts not one, or until, one natural day; but is brought to fruition each dawning in our hearts of His Eternal Day Whom Christ Himself is.

I would like to begin by saying that though short as it is, the following is an awesome phrase found in the scripture, "...and he went out, not knowing..." and as awesome as this is, I believe that we can more fully understand its implications.

The emphasis has always been about "knowing." From childhood schooling to universities and colleges, trade-schools, on the job training etc., the emphasis has been "knowing." Even after being Born Again, "knowing" has been at the forefront. Preachers preach, teachers teach and rightfully so, that there be a knowledge of God and of His Salvation. Even the apostle Paul prayed for the Church, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know..." (Ephesians 1:15-19). This "knowing" that Paul mentions in his prayer for the church is a very particular type of knowing. It is not God handing out knowledge i.e. "now "I" have knowledge" etc., but it is God's very knowledge working in His body the church. It is the knowing of God, it is God's knowing, His knowledge. It is His, not man's.

But have you ever considered that before there is any form of knowing etc., there is the state of ignorance, which is simply not knowing? This is the part that no one (by their own ability) will ever admit and confess to. We would rather be considered wise or knowledgeable by others (maybe even by ourselves "in our own eyes"), than to be considered ignorant in other's estimation of us. This is true both for those who are not Born Again, as well as for those who are. We look at our natural age and conclude that we must know something. Or we look at the amount of time, possibly years, since we were first Born Again and conclude that we must know The Lord in some way etc. And yet with all of this "knowing", there remains the one who is considered "the father of faith", and in this passage that we are considering, it is said of him "he went out, not knowing".

We have read, studied, and heard so much about Abraham that we could probably speak volumes concerning him. But the fact of the matter remains, before he was Abraham he was Abram (this was his name when he was called), and before The LORD Appeared unto Abram in the land of Canaan, he was ignorant. It is not so much that Abram did not know anything. No, Abram probably knew much of the wisdom of the time. Abram was not ignorant concerning the world in which he grew up, found his livelihood in, and had lived in all of his natural life until that time. Nor was he ignorant of his natural family, his relatives, or his natural birth. Abram was not even ignorant of the body of humanity wherein his heart, up to that moment in time, had so found its security and abode. Concerning the things of man, and the things of the natural creation, Abram was probably quite knowledgeable.

Abram had comfortably dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees. During his time, Ur (where he came from) was a highly advanced civilization. Abram might very well had been a highly educated man. Abram was probably schooled in all the wisdom of the Chaldeans just as Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). Though an idol worshipper (before entering Canaan), a highly educated idol worshipper (Joshua 24:1-3). And yet, this education, this knowing was still not the knowing of God. Therefore it says of Abram, "...and he went out, not knowing...".

So then, though not ignorant of the world on the other side of the flood (Josh 24:1-3), Abram was completely ignorant of that which pertained to The Living God. Abram was ignorant of what God had in store, in fact, as we will come to find out, Abram was ignorant of God Himself.

There is no difference for us who are Born Again. At the moment of New Birth (when Christ, Who is the glory of God, first Appears in our soul) we are completely ignorant of The One Who is now present! Please do not misunderstand. Just as Abram and Moses had their schooling in the natural creation in which they had dwelt, we too have had ours. Our knowing, and means of knowing, The One Who is present is just that, "our knowing". Even though "our knowing" can function and excel concerning the things of the natural creation, "our knowing" is absolute ignorance concerning Christ.

Unfortunately and quite sadly, of those of us who are indeed Born Again, many never come to truly know Christ; and of those who do, very few continue knowing nothing but Him. It is so much easier to call "our" knowing the knowing of God, even though it is not. It is no different from calling "evil good, and good evil", from putting "darkness for light, and light for darkness" (Isaiah 5:20-21).

It might take a great amount of time before we can honestly come to this conclusion in our hearts. Of course, in reality, it is only when The Father opens the eyes of our heart to behold His beloved Son that we confess that we have been blind and ignorant. It is also only as The Father reveals His Son that there is found in us a truly grateful heart that declares that if it were not for the tender mercy and ever abounding grace of our God, we would have continued as before: blind and ignorant of His immeasurable Treasure.

But thanks be unto God, that The Holy Spirit is faithful in preparing the ground of our heart for each Appearing of Christ The Son. Until the ground of our heart is prepared, we are simply not able to bear such an Appearing. Consider this, after you were first Born Again (when Christ first Appeared in your soul), you could probably look back and see how The Spirit of God had been moving and directing to draw your heart unto Christ. In effect, this was the ground of our heart being prepared by The Holy Spirit regardless if we were aware of it or not. Concerning the soul of man, God works toward The Purpose for which He created it (The Appearing of His Son). This is not based upon "our knowledge" (ignorance) of His Purpose, but it is based upon the good pleasure of God concerning Christ His Son.

Sadly, this preparation might take up to a natural lifetime, or even worse, it may never come to fruition while in this earthly tent. But when (by the tender mercy and ever abounding grace of God) this expectation is brought to fruition by The Spirit of God, it is as the writer declared: "when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12).

Even as God gave Abraham this One Expectation ("Get thee out... unto a land that I will shew thee") and continued faithful to His Divine Expectation every step of the way, regardless of Abram's shortcomings; so The Divine Expectation for the soul of man remains unto this day. It is The Divine Expectation of God in every generation throughout the ages.

In each generation there is the call of God that goes out to whosoever will, even as The LORD called Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:" (Genesis 12:1). The call is to come to The End, The Purpose for which God created the soul of man. The call is to see that which God desires to show. It is The Divine Expectation of the Appearing of Christ The Son of the Living God. This is Whom God reveals in the heart that has heard The Call, and has turned to see The Voice.

May we be of such that both hear, and turn to see The One Who calls us.

* * *

I give permission to download and copy any and all of my Messages for personal and ministry use, so please feel free to do so. In downloading and copying entire Messages and portions of Messages I ask only that they remain intact and not be altered, and that proper authorship is noted. When downloading and copying Messages for dispersing purposes I ask that they be made available free of charge (Not to be sold) and with this statement included.

And always, if this Message has been a blessing to you, please share it with others.
Freely you have received, freely give.

In Christ,
Jimmy Ned Collins


References:
Hebrews 11:8 (AV) 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Ephesians 1:15-19 (AV) 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Acts 7:22 (AV) 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Joshua 24:1-3 (AV) 1 ‭And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 ‭And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. 3 ‭And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

Isaiah 5:20-21 (AV) 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Proverbs 13:12 (AV) Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Genesis 12:1 (AV) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Jimmy Ned Collins is a bilingual Bible Teacher, writer, and editor at the C.M.I. Bible Research Center in Leslie, Arkansas. For more Christ-centered writings, audio and video teachings from Jimmy Ned Collins and fellow laborers in Christ, visit www.cmintl.org

email at: [email protected]

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