“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.” Habakkuk 2:1
One of the greatest qualities, and qualifications, for Jesus choosing His disciples, was the matter of teachableness, that willingness to be taught. From a logical standpoint, it is a foolish thing for man NOT to be taught, when that person teaching is God. Job was confronted by this matter when the Lord brought before him the inexpressible, and undeniable enormity of the difference between God and man. The Lord told Job: “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of His cloud to shine?” (37:14,15) In another passage, God instructs Job: “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.” (38:3,4) Isaiah wrote also on this matter: “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor hath taught Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding?” (40:13,14) Finally, the Apostle Paul approaches the same matter, but in a different way: “Nay but, O Man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, ‘Why hast thou made me thus?’ Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make a vessel unto honor, and another to dishonor?” (Romans 9:20,21) The great and central truth that these authors convey is that God IS knowledge, wisdom, and all that pertains to righteousness and justice. All begins with Him, and only by Him coming to man, revealing to man His ways, can man ever hope to know something of that which is truly good, and of heaven. So then, how does man come to a knowledge of God’s ways, not only learning the objective truths of them, but coming to know the power of Christ, by the Spirit, according to them? It begins with the work of God in the heart, bringing the individual to a point where he is teachable, willing to learn, but also to obey. Truth is never truly possessed by man, unless it becomes a part of him. This occurs when he obeys, for in obeying he makes it his own.
There were many throughout Biblical history who were true disciples of Christ, in that they actively sought, prayed for, and studied to know the ways of God, by the revelation of God to their hearts. Moses, in his pursuit of God and His ways, prayed: “Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee.” (Ex. 33:13) David, many years later, having the same passion to know God and His ways would pray: “Shew me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day long..” (Ps. 25:4,5) Again, the Apostle Paul would write to the believers in Colossae on the subject of the knowledge of the will of God: “…(I) do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (1:10) Why does Paul pray in this manner? It is because only God, using the objective truth of His Word, can reveal and communicate his will to the heart. From the beginning of the Bible to its end, we discover that God alone as God, can communicate to men the knowledge of His ways, purpose, and will. He does this by the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” (Eph. 1:17) and this in answer to believing prayer.
Dear Father, Make us truly receptive. In Jesus’ name, Amen.