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Exodus 15:1-3 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
In the aftermath of God's great victory over the Egyptians, Moses and the children of Israel sing this Psalm unto the Lord. It is a glorious treatise on the greatness of our God. In doing so they were exercising a Bible principle described later in the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.This is the principle of "acknowledging" God. I believe that this is a principle that is universal in its application. I believe that it is applicable both to the saved and the lost. In the history of our country we see many incidents where even the lost were blessed by their acknowledgment of the Triune God of the Bible. The following is said to be the words of Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. "In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that 'except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments be Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of the City be requested to officiate in that service."Even though the petition was not received favorably by most of the participants, the principal of acknowledging God was present and God blessed in the drafting of our great Constitution.
As our nation has drifted further and further away from its Christian roots we have become more and more antagonistic to the acknowledging of God. As a result we have drifted down into the abyss of darkness and slavery to humanistic ideas which will only lead to destruction and death.
Just what does it mean to acknowledge God in the Biblical sense?
Webster defines the word acknowledge as, ACKNOWL'EDGE, v.t. Aknol'edge, ad and knowledge.
- To own, avow or admit to be true, by a declaration of assent; as to acknowledge the being of a God.
- To own or notice with particular regard.
In all thy ways acknowledge God. Proverbs 3 & Isaiah 33.- To own or confess, as implying a consciousness of guilt.
I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psalms 51 and 32- To own with assent; to admit or receive with approbation.
He that acknowledgeth the son, hath the father also. 1John 2 & 2Timothy 2.- To own with gratitude; to own as a benefit; as, to acknowledge a favor, or the receipt of a gift.
Thy his gifts acknowledged not.- To own or admit to belong to; as, to acknowledge a son.
- To receive with respect.
All that see them shall acknowledge that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. Isaiah 6 & 1Corinthians 16.- To own, avow or assent to an act in a legal form, to give it validity; as, to acknowledge a deed before competent authority.
So it means to take as one's own, taking, confessing the Lord as your own Lord. So, to "acknowledge him" as in verse 6 of Proverbs 3 means to confess him as real and active in the affairs of the life of a person. This enables one to receive real wisdom and understanding.
However, the opposite is also true. If you will not "own" or "acknowledge" God then real, Biblical wisdom and understanding is hidden from you, and you will wander in confusion and chaos. There are many verses throughout God's word that speaks of this truth.
1 Kings 9:6-7 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Isaiah 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.This is the reason that so many people say and do such insane things. God is not real in their lives, and without God insanity prevails. One man said it this way, "…without God mass murder is normal."
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that the first step that a person must take in order to "acknowledge God" is to confess that "he is."
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.Once a person realizes that God is there is another step that must be taken, and that step is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Then that person will be able to understand the word of God and will be led by the Spirit of God into the truths of the Kingdom of God.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.Do you know the things of God? If not, trust Jesus as your Saviour. Then you will be led by His Spirit into His truth.
