Book Review: The Knowledge of the Holy

Okay, I'm just going to start from the very beginning by saying this:

There is NO WAY I can "review" this book!

A. W. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy only has a little over a hundred pages. But in those few pages are now splattered every ounce of "gray matter" that used to reside inside my cranium. 

There are twenty-three short little chapters with titles like these:

• The Self-existence of God
• The Immutability of God
• God's Infinitude
• The Love of God
• The Holiness of God
• The Divine Transcendence

Are you beginning to get the picture? Do you now understand why I can't do a "book review" here?

I have posted this quote before, when I first began reading this. But I want to include it again here because it helps explain the inexplicable nature of the task before me:

"When we try to imagine what God is like we must of necessity use that-which-is-not-God as the raw material for our minds to work on; hence whatever we visualize God to be, He is not, for we have constructed our image out of that which he has made and what He has made is not God. If we insist upon trying to imagine Him, we end with an idol, made not with hands but with thoughts; and an idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand."  (pg. 8)

So I would tend, at this point, to ask myself the question, "Then why try to understand Him?" Tozer replies to my question with this:

"The yearning to know What cannot be known, to comprehend the Incomprehensible, to touch and taste the Unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man. Deep calleth unto deep, and though polluted and landlocked by the mighty disaster theologians call the Fall, the soul senses its origin and longs to return to its Source."                                      (page 9)

The last chapter of the book is called "The Open Secret." After going through and discussing the incredible characteristics of our Holy God, Tozer explains the urgent importance of His Body truly being able to bring Him Glory. To do this, we must "Acquaint thyself with God."

"To regain her lost power the Church must see heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God."                 (page 114)

Tozer goes on to explain the conditions that must be met to be able to receive the "knowledge of the Holy." The conditions, however, are not easily met because our sin nature will war against that knowledge, so that it may continue its sway over us. 

The book concludes with a charge to Christians:

"There is a glorified Man on the right hand of the Majesty in heaven faithfully representing us there. We are left for a season among men; let us faithfully represent Him here."                         (page 117) 

I cannot comprehend Him, but He will reveal Himself to me. The question is how much of Him do I really want? Am I willing to stand in the purifying fire of His Revelation? Or am I content with my happy little life, holding Him at arms' length until I "need" something?

It's not an easy read. But it is such a powerful one. We, as His children, should long to gaze intently into His Face. This little book stirred up that hunger in my spirit. I am so thankful.


This is #15 in my quest for 52 in 52.