“Let
Us Pursue Godly Knowledge” Hosea
4:3, 6; 6:3, 6 WC McCarter
READ Scripture- This
is the Word of God
Hosea’s
Background
In these verses we are presented with a problem and a
solution. Hosea is preaching during a time when things are economically and
politically prosperous in Israel
Lack of Knowledge
The two verses we looked at from chapter four bring us into
the courtroom of God as He brings charges against the nation of Israel
4:6 tells us the situation point blank, “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge.” There is the problem in a nutshell. The
people would fail because of their lack of godly knowledge. They paid no
attention to the things of God. They gave no thought to His standards. They did
not consider His great love and covenant faithfulness. Their end was
destruction. The northern tribes of Israel
were destroyed and the people led away into captivity never to return again in
722 B.C. by Assyria . What was the charge God
brought against them before that destruction? They lacked knowledge. Now, in
this sixth verse, the focus has changed. God no longer talks broadly of all the
people, but He specifically targets the priesthood. After all, the priests were
the teachers of the people. At any time that the people of God lose sight in
godly things, the leadership must bear the bulk of the burden. The Lord says
that the priests had rejected knowledge. I would say that there is no more
frightful time in the history of a group of people than when the leadership
fails to acknowledge God and seek His wisdom. We cannot help but recall the
words of the Lord in Matt 15:14, “They are blind leaders of the
blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Such strong language is used toward the people and mainly
the priests. Words like destroyed, rejected, and forgotten encapsulate the
problem. There are no accidents here. Destruction will not come upon them by
chance. God is able to pinpoint the very foundation of the problem: the
priesthood. The leaders have rejected knowledge which has led to the people’s
lack of knowledge which ultimately led to their demise as a nation. Through the
prophet, Hosea, the Lord has brought a charge against the land. The people are
guilty. Their sentence is sure. Their end is destruction. As we leave this
section and turn to chapter six, the words of the Lord resound in our minds, “My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
Let Us Pursue Godly
Knowledge
We have been informed of Israel
6:6 is a famous and highly important verse of Scripture. It
teaches us the meaning of true worship. It tells us what it means to live by
faith and have a relationship with the Lord. Christ Jesus uses this verse on a
couple of occasions during His ministry. He truly wanted the people to examine
this verse and understand it. The people during Hosea’s time and the people
during Christ’s time had allowed ritualistic worship to become an obstacle in
their relationship with God. Do we think that our age is any different? Maybe
some of you have allowed tradition and ritual to come between you and your
Savior because you simply go through the motions. God wants more than your
motions. He wants your heart. He wants to change more than your behavior. He
wants to change your mind.
Conclusion and
Application
So, you see, there is a problem and a solution. There is a
warning and an encouragement. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge; therefore, let
us pursue the knowledge of our Lord.
1. Pray for your
leaders in the church and in the country.
2. If you are
going to state a problem, be ready and willing to work on a solution.
3. Do not allow
tradition, ritual, or anything else to come between you and your Savior.