Year of Realization - Day 27: Some people don’t know what they don’t know.
- Feb 5, 2023
- 3 min read
“Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning.”
Esther 4:5 NLT
Have you ever heard the term “fool’s paradise?” The phrase dates back to medieval times when used in a letter between members of a well-to-do family; but it’s probably best known for being spoken by one of the characters in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The phrase basically references a state of happiness or contentment based on ignorance or denial of how a situation really is.
Donald Rumsfeld (former Secretary of Defense) made a very interesting statement:
“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.”
Yes, it’s the latter state of mind, “things we don’t know we don’t know,” that gets so many people into trouble.
But Donald Rumsfeld wasn’t the first to speak of the danger of not knowing that you don’t know. Warning is seen all through the Bible concerning people who were oblivious to the severity of their situation.
“Rise up, you women who are carefree, And hear my voice, You confident and unsuspecting daughters! Listen to what I am saying. In little more than a year You will tremble [with anxiety], you unsuspecting and complacent women; For the vintage has ended, And the harvest will not come. Tremble, you women who are carefree; Tremble with fear, you complacent ones! Strip, undress and wear sackcloth on your waist [in grief],”
Isaiah 32:9-11 AMP
In the above scripture we see an example of warning those who are complacent and unaware of the coming judgment. Here the warning is toward complacent women—the daughters of God‘s people—who didn’t know about the devastation in their near future.
As difficult as it is for those who do know what’s going on to believe, there are those who are oblivious to the reality of very dire situations.
In our opening scripture we see that although a decree has been sent over all the empire ordering the extermination of the Jews, Esther—living safely in the king’s palace—is totally unaware of what has been done. She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know; but she’s about to find out. We will talk more about that tomorrow.
Dear friend, we are living in treacherous times and there are a lot of things going on of which many people are unaware. Even many Christians are unaware that we are living in the Last Days before the coming of Jesus Christ!
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.”
Luke 21:34-35 NLT
Some don’t know what’s going on because their own lives are so full of drama that they don’t have time to think beyond how they’re going to make it through the current day.
““Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!””
Isaiah 56:12 NLT
Others don’t recognize what is going on because they have chosen to deny reality so that their lives will be uninterrupted.
[Jesus speaking] “You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!”
Matthew 16:3b NLT
Others are unaware of what’s going on because they don’t have any spiritual discernment.
We all need to ask the Lord to help us to see things as He sees them. He has promised to let those who are His know what we need to know, to know what time it is. But for that to happen we need to make sure to “watch and pray.” In so doing, the Holy Spirit of God will make sure that we not be caught off guard.
“Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.””
Luke 21:36 NLT
And—once we know what we need to know—we have a further responsibility that we will also discuss tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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