Preferring Not to Know

     The most fateful words ever spoken was, "they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). With those words said, the only innocent man to ever exist died on the cross and his murderers knew not what they were doing, and the mob jeered and ridiculed him. He was made a laughingstock: called "King of the Jews" in derision. The people didn't know what they were doing because they preferred ignorance. Although, they were ignorant of what they were doing, "they were without excuse" (Rom 1:20).
     With those accusatory words, people are required to know the truth. In ignorance, they were still guilty but only if they had known, the deed would never had been done - no one would have murdered, and Jesus would not have died. Mankind would have been set free if they only had known the truth (John 8:32). Mankind is not free, though, because they cared not to learn the truth! Why do people prefer not to know? So they don't have to deal with the truth.
     Truth is inconvenience. Those who accept the truth have obligations that go with it. They must live the truth. That is certainly hard work, but to avoid the work, people conveniently turn their head to truth.:

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Mat 15:14)

     Right this instant, the entertainment industry are the blind leaders. Much of what you care about is propagated by that group of blind people. Few entertainers know God firsthand, and care not to. Their fate is in their own hands. According to scripture, those in that rebellious occupation will surely condemn themselves to Hell. They do that by their unbelief as they are blind to spiritual truths. Not being satisfied with that, they desire to take you with them. The analogy is that blind leaders will lead blind followers to the "ditch". That is mild to say the least for the ditch is really a fiery pit where sinners following  Abaddon - the angel of death - will lead the damned right into it. Hollywood is led by Abaddon and most people follow the entertainment leaders.
     My point is not against the entertainers, but that people just don't want to know the truth. They would rather be entertained that realize what they are doing and to where they are led!
     Truth is profound. It has nothing to do with what we believe. It exists without our opinion or knowledge. It's there whether people know it or not!  The truth will set you free. Free from what? Lies! People have always preferred to believe the lie. The damning lie whatever it is, "you will not surely die" (Gen 3:4)! The truth is that you will indeed die. Like Adam, you may not this instant, but believing lies will eventually cause everyone to die.
     Something did happen after Adam ate of the fruit. He began to slowly die physically, but did not know it, and he died right then spiritually, and didn't know that either! He ate knowing what he did, whereas Eve ate knowing not what she was doing. As can be seen in Genesis chapter three, ignorance was not reason enough to escape punishment. Eve died out of ignorance as Adam died knowing full-well that he was disobeying.
     Could have Eve known? Surely so. Why didn't she know? She failed to ask enough questions of her mate. Adam knew. God had told Adam about disobedience and death. She was quite comfortable and content in ignorance, and was not vigilant:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet 5:8)

     Sobriety is much more than lack of inebriation. It is being aware of what is going on. It's knowing what you and those around you are doing. It's knowing what the Serpent can and will do, and what God can keep you from doing. Why stay sober and vigilant? Because the Devil is stalking you like a roaring lion just waiting to devour you!
     You are food for the false gods, and by not knowing the truth, sacrifice yourselves to the lion. In effect, you hang on a broken cross beside Jesus and the Devil devours you alive. You are the unrepentant thief on his cross because neither do you know what you do. Jesus merely died. The thief was devoured. I prefer to be the other thief who was taken to Paradise that day. He looked on Truth, trusted the truth, and was set free from being devoured.
      Lions who are in no hurry devour their meal slowly. That's the way Satan is. He chews slowly and takes his time killing his prey for he has all the time in the world to do so. Your time is his time! As you read this, it may not be known, but you may be the Devil's "meal" right now. On the other hand, by reading and understanding the cruelty of the devil, and the justice of God, you may be spiritually safe right now. The devil chews at you but can't quite swallow because you are under God's protection. You are appetizing to the Devil but an inappropriate meal because of God's protection.
     What if you don't know the truth? Unbeknownst to yourself, you are in bondage and merely wait on being devoured (Gal 4:3). There are those who want you in bondage (2 Cor 11:20. Why would anyone lead you into bondage? Because they are slaves to sin themselves! They somehow know what punishment awaits them because of their conscience, and want you to share in their fate. Misery does love company, and miserable people want miserable company.
     Now for another point: How would you know? It is your responsibility to find out. Pleasure is there to prevent you from knowing. Generally speaking, it is mankind's nature to love pleasure more than truth, although the former condemns and the latter frees.
     What I write today is boring. It is not meant to be pleasurable reading. Many may quit reading because this commentary is the dissemination of truth. I write what I write for one reason: to save you from perishing. Because you did not know is not reason enough to be saved from perishing, and is not even a viable excuse.
     I am no Jeremiah, but he warned of destruction. No one wanted to listen to him because things seemed to be so great. They were dying but just didn't understand it. Soon, they were destroyed by their enemies and died. They were as good as dead but failed to realize it; not only mortally dead but spiritually dead as well. Mortal death was brought on because they were spiritually dead.
     It was not the Assyrians and Babylonians who caused the Hebrew nation to die. It was the Devil, and those two empires were his tools. Not to give the Devil undue power, God allowed Satan to have his way because he would save some of the Jews in the end.
    Our warning is that only a few will be saved. (Mat 7:14). Ten tribes are lost to oblivion of the twelve. Simple math may provide God's operative equation. How narrow is the way to salvation. (two divided by twelve): 16.666 %. Isn't it ironic that "1" is who God Is, and Satan is 666? God uses numbers quite often for the truth. Is it One God or is it the Beast? Just saying!
    I am dismayed. My daily readership ran as high as 700. Due to the fancy math of Google and Facebook, now my readership has declined because they want that you not know. My commentaries are not gospel but my words do reflect truth. Most out there put up blinders to keep you from the truth.