It was on this day in 1601 that all Hebrew documents, manuscripts and books were confiscated by the Catholic Church and burned. This was a feeble attempt to rid the world of what the Church disagreed with. It could be argued that some of the confiscated commentary and literature contained information that was unscriptural and, perhaps, deceptive. However, it can also be argued that some Christian commentary contains things that fall under the category of deceptive and unscriptural. 

The pursuit of knowledge has always been troublesome for mankind. It was a forbidden fruit that promised the reward of knowledge which led to man’s downfall in the first place. Knowledge and understanding is a powerful resource that can be beneficial to mankind. On the other hand, the wrong kind of knowledge can be as destructive as the right knowledge can be a blessing. Through the prophet Hosea, God said:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6)

Let us propose that the most important knowledge is the knowledge of the One True God – His Words, His principles and precepts. Those who reject this knowledge will find themselves perishing, because without proper knowledge, people perish. Consider that, today, there are precious few of the younger generation who have the proper knowledge of their American heritage and history, especially as it relates to the role of Providence in our conception. For decades, people have removed important information from textbooks and the classroom, replacing it with the wrong kind of knowledge and alternative history. How did they get away with this ? Because at some point in the past, there were some Americans who began rejecting the knowledge of the One True God, His Word, and His principles. We became a nation who paid lip service to Him and here’s what the Word of God says about that:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” (Isaiah 29:13)

Today, our culture has not yet devolved into book burning rallies, but the most important book, the Bible, is being attacked from every angle. The knowledge, understanding and wisdom it contains is continually maligned and mocked by wicked men. For those who would grasp hold of it, the Bible is the greatest source of knowledge a person could ever hope to find, equipping us to overcome the attacks of wicked men. The Word of God is a powerful source of knowledge because it contains knowledge of the One True God.

The power brokers of our time would have us believe that His Word is a ridiculous fairy tale and myth. But our Father in Heaven calls upon us to stand against this mindset. by standing on and in His Word, in spite of the circumstances. It is our responsibility to uphold the truth of His Word regardless of how much we are persecuted or pressured to abandon this stance. God has placed us upon the earth to stand against the forces that would attempt to eradicate His Word and the knowledge it contains. That is our charge, and we must commit ourselves to being faithful to it.

Shalom.