My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
Hosea 4:6 (ESV)
David’s Wednesday Word:
I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries. I even have multiple bookcases in my home office filled with books. I wish I could say that I have read them all. I still have years of reading ahead of me.
I guess it is no surprise that I have all these books. I have also spent much of my life attending schools. A PhD is called a terminal degree. Sometimes I think I have learned enough, and the next step for me is whatever comes after terminal!
The entire text of Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
That seems harsh.
But is it?
Hosea observed that the people in his day had “forgotten the law” of God. I see something similar in many people today. I recently read an article about people who claim to follow Jesus but rarely, if ever, gather with other Christians.
How can that be? How can followers of Jesus grow in their knowledge of how to follow Him without the benefit of others?
The danger is not simply that we do not know enough. It is that we can reject the knowledge God has given us by neglecting His Word and separating ourselves from others who are also seeking to follow Him.
That choice has consequences. It can even affect our children and grandchildren. That makes sense to me. If I do not seek God, it becomes much harder to expect my family to seek Him.
So how do I handle this?
For me, I pursue the knowledge of God by pursuing His Word. I encourage people to read God’s Word cover-to-cover every year. I also encourage people to learn from others who are faithfully following Him. That shared experience allows me to benefit from what the Holy Spirit is teaching others.
I do not want to reject God’s knowledge.
I want to embrace it.
Prayer: Almighty God, I realize that my knowledge is so limited. It is only through pursuing You that I can know how to live the life You desire for me. Thank You for giving me Your Word and other believers so that I can remain a lifelong learner before You.
— David Beauchamp
Temporary Ministries
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