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Is Ignorance Innocence?

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Robert Browning once wrote “Ignorance is not innocence but sin.“

In the book of Nehemiah an incident is recorded regarding the ignorance of the children of Israel and the Feast of Tabernacles. A remnant of Jews had returned to the Promised Land of Israel after being in Babylonian captivity only to discover that they had ignored the commandments, instructions, and teachings of the Lord. Once Ezra, the priest, began reading from the Law – the first five books of Moses (meaning instruction, or teaching) – and its hearers understood, they immediately responded in compliance and obedience. Ignorance did not imply innocence, nor excuse their guilt and sin. The good news was that 70 years of exile had done its work in changing the way they thought about sin. The bad news? Many died in Babylonian captivity never having changed their minds, or lifestyle.

Nehemiah 8:13-18 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

In a song titled “The Lumber Song,” by Eli, the lyrics describe a man who had lived his life in ignorance finally dying and arriving in Heaven for his eternal reward. Peter guides the newly arrived citizen of heaven to his “mansion” only to discover it is a shack. The man replies, “How can this be?” and Peter replies, “That’s all the lumber you sent.”

The symbolic meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles is clear, What materials are you using that are of eternal value? Ignorance is not innocence – it is sin (missing the mark). Is your life missing the mark or are you learning to fix your mind on things above, not on the things of this earth?

The Pharaoh, Akhenaten, led Egypt in Religious revolution, when he proposed there was only one God. During his spiritual reform he wrote: True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.

Hide and Seek

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A pastor phoned the home of some recent visitors to his church, and a voice on the other end of the phone answered with a whispered “Hello.” The pastor said, “Who is this?” The whisperer said, “Jimmy.”  The pastor said, “How old are you, Jimmy?”  “Four.”  “Well, Jimmy, can I please speak to your mom?”  “She’s busy.” “Well then, Jimmy, can I please speak to your dad?”  “He’s busy.” “Jimmy, are there any other adults in your home?” “The police.” “Can I speak to one of the police officers?”  “They’re busy.” “Jimmy, who else is there?” “Firemen.” “Well, Jimmy, can you put one of the firemen on the phone?” “They’re all busy.” “Jimmy, what are they all busy doing?” “They’re busy looking for me.”

1 Timothy 6:16 states: Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). On the other hand Psalm 18:11 He made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Psalm 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

On the surface this appears to be a contradiction. God dwells in unapproachable light, and clouds and darkness surround Him? Which one is it? It’s actually both. One describes the manifestation of God – the Light, and the other the hiddenness of God – the Dark. We’ve been exploring meeting Jesus outside the camp through prayer and seeking. Yet one aspect of the seeking is to realize that you will eventually have to encounter the horrors of the cross. Scripture records that It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o’clock in the afternoon), While the sun’s light faded or was darkened; and the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired. (Luke 23:44-46)

Jesus found Himself in the darkness. What’s more, Matthews Gospel records what Jesus was experiencing: Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (three o’clock). And about the ninth hour (three o’clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?—that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]? (Matthew 27:45-46) Jesus was experiencing what some would call separation from God as the sacrificial Lamb of God, took on the sins of all mankind. This is a great mystery. How can Jesus, the Second Person, be separated from the Godhead? He can’t – but His flesh, soul, or carnal man can. His soul man felt the estrangement, but it is my belief that His Spirit Man knew where the Father dwelt. And it is through His Spirit Man that He prevailed by faith over His soul, or flesh.

Graham Cooke has spoken, and written extensively, on the hiddenness and manifestation of God. He states: A key part of God’s nature is the fact that He moves in two ways: hiddenness and manifestation. When we come to terms with this truth, we are set free spiritually to ebb and flow with whatever God is doing. We begin to acknowledge that there are times when God reveals Himself to us and times when he hides. And he has reasons for doing both. I think we all love times of manifestation. I love it when God is right in my face, speaking into everything He can.  But for every time of manifestation, there is a season of hiddenness, where God seems to move away from us. When God hides from us, He is trying to draw us into His presence. So while manifestation takes place in our reality; hiddenness happens in His. And hiddenness is what draws us into a new place in the Spirit.

If, and when, you are experience what St. John of the Cross called the Dark Night of the Soul (La noche oscura del alma) – know that your spirit man (or woman) is being drawn to where Jesus is. The conscious awareness of separation, or distance from God, is simply God’s way of making you aware that He is drawing you to where He is. It’s this understanding that allows you to cooperate with God instead of fighting Him off through it. Understanding is the key to growing through this process, and faith is the handle that will pull you through to the other side.