“Hear the word of the Lord, O children of
Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants
of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no
knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing,
and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows
bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who
dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of
the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken
away. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you
is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the
prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your
mother. 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...”(Hosea 4:1-6 ESV)
The context of this passage found in Hosea was spoken almost
3000 years ago; however, it reflects a principle that is just as applicable
today as when it was written. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge
because they have rejected the knowledge that God has made available to them
through His Holy Scripture. Let us
consider the context of the text for better insight.
Before the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the
Assyrians (722 B.C.), the prophet Hosea focused upon one of the main causes of
Israel’s impending destruction, Hosea said “People of Israel listen to
the Lord’s message. The Lord has something to say against those
who live in this land: “The people in this land are not honest or loyal. They
don’t really know God. They are always cursing, lying, killing, stealing,
and committing adultery. They murder one person after another.” (4:1-2)” Why?
Ignorance was a fundamental problem “My people are destroyed for lack of
Knowledge.” (4:6).
Clarke's Commentary put the text in this manner “My people
are destroyed for lack of knowledge - They have not the knowledge of God, or of
sacred things, or of their own interest, or of the danger to which they are
exposed. They walk on blindly, and perish. Because thou hast rejected knowledge
- So they might have become wise, had they not rejected the means of
improvement.” Israel’s lack of knowledge
was not mere ignorance, but active sin against God: The opening verse of the
chapter4:1-2, states that Israel failed to acknowledge the LORD as their God,
which offers a deeper understanding of the passage. They had “rejected”
knowledge. (God’s Law), God would “reject” them. Because Israel had “forgotten”
God’s Law, He would “forget” their children (He would remove His future
blessing from the nation). As a result of God “rejecting” and “forgetting” Israel,
they would be destroyed. Hosea’s message is in line with Moses’ warning to the
nation that God would remove His blessing from a disobedient people
(Deuteronomy 28).
In a similar line, Isaiah, speaking for the Lord, warned the
southern kingdom of Judah of a coming time of punitive devastation: “My people
are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge” (Isaiah 5:13). The prophetic
curse was fulfilled in the Babylonian Captivity (606-536 B.C). Since the great
truths of the Old Testament serve for our learning (“For whatever was written
in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”(Rom. 15:4), surely
we can conclude that a sustained ignorance of God’s knowledge can bring nothing
but disaster to the people. Hosea says “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine
help." Hos
13.9
In eternity
past, God created everything with perfect order and law to function most wisely for his own glory,
whatever comes to pass in time: and in a most holy and infallible manner
executes all his decrees, without being author of the sin of any creature. Bible
says “The LORD is the one who made the world by his power, who established the
earth by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.” God originally made everything from
nothing, perfect. He made our first parents, Adam and Eve, the root of mankind,
both upright and able to keep the law written in their hearts. This law they
were naturally bound to obey upon penalty of death. God was not bound to reward
their service, till he entered into a covenant or contract with them, and their
posterity in them. He promised to give them eternal life, upon condition of
perfect personal obedience. If they failed they would die. This is the covenant
of works. Both angels and men were subject to the change of their own free
will. God alone is unchangeable. Many angels of their own accord fell by sin
from their first estate, and became demons. Our first parents, being enticed by
Satan, broke the covenant by eating the forbidden fruit. By this action, they,
and their posterity, became not only liable to eternal death, but also lost all
ability to please God. They became by nature enemies to God, and to all
spiritual good, and were only inclined to do evil continually.
This is our original sin, the
bitter root of all our actual transgressions, in thought, word, and deed. So the first man having brought himself into
this woeful condition, is neither able to help himself, nor willing to be
helped by God out of it, but rather inclined to lie still, insensible of it,
till he perish; yet God, for the glory of his rich grace, has revealed in his
word a way to save sinners, that is, by faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son
of God, by virtue of, and according to the tenor of the covenant of redemption,
made and agreed upon between God the Father and God the Son, in council of the
Trinity, before the world began. For the accomplishment of this covenant of
redemption, and making the elect partakers of the benefits of it in the
covenant of grace, Christ Jesus was clothed with the threefold office of
Prophet, Priest, and King: made a Prophet, to reveal all saving knowledge to
his people, and persuade them to believe and obey the same; made a Priest, to
offer up himself a sacrifice once for them all, and to intercede continually
with the Father, for making their persons and services acceptable to him; and
made a King, to subdue them to himself, to feed and rule them by his own
appointed ordinances, and to defend them from their enemies.
The Bible
is the story of God’s speaking to man to reveal His plan of redemption through
His Son, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews wrote to Jewish Christians
who were going through intense persecution. Some of them were tempted to
return to their past religion. The writer of Hebrews encourages
them and us today to listen to God’s final Word! “In the past God spoke to
our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but
in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed
heir of all things, and through whom also he made the
universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful
word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:1-3) Jesus Christ is God’s
last word for us. Not only He is the creator and sustainer of all that is, He
also made purification for sins. His life of total
obedience and reverent fear of the Lord made Him the only one capable of being
a sacrifice for our sins. He willingly and obediently obeyed His Father
and offered His body and blood to atone for sin. His sacrifice was
sufficient and provides the only way to be cleansed from sin.
Bible
declares that “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created
through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together.” (Colossians 1:16, 17)
Jesus
said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John
8:32.) Jesus himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life; and the sense
is, that we should know more of him, of the dignity of his person, of the
nature and usefulness of his offices; of the efficacy of his Death and
resurrection, the Excellency of his righteousness, and the fullness of his
grace, and that for themselves: and the truth shall make you free; from ignorance.
Today our world is changing rapidly. Long established
foundational systems are changing in all over the world. This is the generation
of knowledge and power. Man has been able to explore space, as well as the tiny
invisible human cell. He has created “smart bombs” that destroy targets with
pin-point accuracy, and he has developed technology to instantaneously transmit
voices and images worldwide. At the touch of key, vast realms of knowledge that
would fill thousands of volumes is available on the Internet to millions of
people in their homes. Life on earth holds no greater
challenge than the complicating daily demand of choosing among competing
alternatives for our limited time. Our life is the sum total of all the
decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our
priorities.
Most people
in the world are driven by wrong priorities that occupy & control their
whole lives. Psychologist Abraham Maslow, who after studying the motivations of
human behavior, concluded that all human behavior is driven by the same basic
“hierarchy of needs”: water, food, clothes, housing, protection, security,
preservation, self-actualization, significance. However, Jesus affirmed God’s
number-one priority for all human being. He said “…Do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more than food, and the body more than clothes...But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well” (Mat 6:25,33).
The word
“first” is of utmost importance in this passage. To place something first
means it must be the first in time and number, first in rank and
value – the most important. Jesus’ first commandment to us is to seek first the
kingdom of God (Mat 6:33). To seek is to be engrossed in the search,
persevering and giving strenuous effort to obtain something. We must earnestly
pursue that which God has promised us in order to fulfill our destinies and
enjoy our lives. Kingdom of God" is usually God's active rule over his
creation, especially in saving his people from their sins and the consequences
of those sins. The kingdom of God is not only God's rule over his obedient
subjects, but includes his victory over their spiritual adversaries. Jesus said
to His disciples “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of
heaven has been given to you, but not to them.” (Matthew 13:11)
God’s
Kingdom is His invisible government over each of us and over the whole world.
It addresses exclusively His Lordship over our lives. To Seek The Kingdom Of
God above all else means to put God FIRST in our life, to fill our thoughts
with HIS DESIRES, to take HIS CHARACTER for our pattern, and to SERVE and OBEY
HIM in EVERYTHING! “Righteousness” means: To be in right-relationship with God
or right standing with God. As people of faith, we do not live in the
realm of unbelief, therefore, worry is unreasonable. Cease worrying by seeking
God and trusting Him to provide for our needs. When we are walking in alignment
with God, our appetite for spiritual things is constantly growing. Rightly an
aligned believer has a hunger, a thirst, desire, passion, an appetite for the
things of the Kingdom of God.
Kingdom Knowledge is a part of a never ending process for the individual
success. Real Knowledge transforms the human heart and the transformed heart
transforms the world. Knowledge empowers people and it is the true wealth of
the community. Knowledge of God is hope for the future & destiny. If we can
pick up the Bible and read and Ask question and learn all that we can about
principles, laws, dogma and standards, then we can change our life and
circumstances. By nature we are lazy and will do anything to avoid stretching
our minds to seek study and read. If it’s not on iPod, mobile phone, TV or on
the computer we avoid it. Most people want information spoon-fed to them and
will not take steps to work for the information that can change their lives.
Remember everything in this
world is liable to change! Health may give place to sickness, pleasure may give place to pain, plenty may give place to poverty, love may give place to enmity, honor may give place to disgrace, strength may give place to weakness, and life may give place to death. Change is inevitable. He who rejects change is the architect of decay.
If we don't like something, change it. If we can't
change it, change our attitude. We must become the change we want to see in the
world. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to
the past or present are certain to miss the future. The best changes often
start as single, simple thoughts of God’s word. Think God’s way, and discover
how to make our vision real.
The apostle Paul charged the Ephesians in the name and by the
authority of the Lord Jesus, that having professed the gospel, they should not
be as the unconverted Gentiles, who walked in vain fancies and carnal
affections. They were void of all saving knowledge; they sat in darkness,
and loved it rather than light. So Paul said in Ephesians 4:22-32 - put
off the old man. Put on the new man. Substitute Good Habits for Bad Ones.
Putting off the old and putting on the new is the principle by which the
possibilities that are in Christ can become evident in our experience. Note the
examples: Speak truth instead of falsehood (v25), work and give to others
instead of stealing (v28), speak good instead of evil (v29), show kindness and
forgiveness instead of anger and bitterness (v31,32). Knowledge of God is the
most powerful weapon which we can use to change ourselves and the world.
Paul says the former manner of life is corrupt—decayed,
dead, foul, selfish, unhappy, restless. These are the things that have made
life unhappy or miserable. He points out we can recognize these attitudes by
the way they operate. They are deceitful lusts. When we believe in Jesus
Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, we are renewed in the attitudes
of our minds. The new self is in the likeness of God: it is the life of God; it
is the image of Jesus Christ; it is His life lived in you. So put on that kind
of life, because it is available to you.
The
human mind is an amazing creation of God. Nothing on earth can match its
capabilities or creativity. It controls feelings, thoughts, words, attitudes,
and behavior. Who we become and what we achieve are largely due to how and what
we think. Wouldn’t it make sense to let the One who created us guide our
thought processes? In our pride, we tend to think
we’re able to manage without God.
But With each
passing year, the instability in the world seems more and more obvious. Natural
and man-made catastrophes claim countless lives; political balance shifts;
wealth and status come and go. It all causes us to ask, Is anything
unshakeable? Consider
what could happen to our next
generation
if we stopped sharing the truth about Jesus with our children: the next generation
would exist with no biblical foundation. As we see in Psalm 78, we have been
given divine instruction to teach the truth to our children. We do this by
modeling a godly life, teaching the Word, and sharing our testimony of the
Father’s provision and leading. Our obedience concerning the training of
children will determine the future moral character of our nation.
God’s command is still relevant
for us today. He has given us the work of telling all nations about redemption
through Christ’s blood and resurrection. I recall 70’s and 80’s my childhood and my parents. It was
common for people to take their children to church and read the Bible and family prayer aloud
every morning and evening at home in Kerala, India. As time went on, though, most
of the Christian families became affluent and busy, pushing the godly values
and traditions aside. Are you a parent or grandparent? Or are there other
children within your circle of influence? Think about ways that you are
purposefully teaching them how to walk with God. There is no task quite as essential or fulfilling as
investing in the lives of the next generation. All believers have an important role to
play in this—from the Sunday school
teachers who instruct directly in a classroom to the volunteers who drive
children to youth group. Parents in particular have the enormous responsibility
to train their daughters and sons in righteousness.
Instability can create feelings
of insecurity and fear unless we focus on truths we can stand upon with
certainty. The Bible refers to Jesus as a rock and firm foundation (1 Cor.
3:10-11; Eph. 2:20). And we know that God is unchangeable and sovereign;
nothing can undermine or move Him. His Word is truth, and it will last forever. As Christians, we know that our
eternal relationship with God is secure. We’ve been adopted as His children,
and nothing can rob us of this position. What’s more, believers are assured of
an eternal home with Him. Though we may at times feel unsettled by our
circumstances, we can rejoice when trials bring us humbly to the cross of
Jesus—there, we will find true peace and safety.
The context of our
text relates to the people of Israel and the failure of the priests. The
knowledge which the nation of Israel so desperately lacked was the KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD. To no surprise, this is exactly the same knowledge. God has clearly
stated in the Bible that He is NO respecter of persons. God always honors
repentance, whether it be an individual or a Nation. If a Nation is to be
saved, then she must seek and regain the knowledge of God. Today people
are increasingly walking in darkness. Most people live in darkness without the
knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is TRUTH. As people deteriorate
spiritually, they naturally become more selfish and self-centered. No message
or word of man has the power to change your life, but the Word of God, if it is
heard and received and believed and acted on, has the power to change your
life, for that is how you get or got saved to begin with. It was because you
heard the Word and you were brought to conviction and repentance and so were
born again by the Word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 says “For you have
been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will
last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” In John
17:17 Jesus
Prays for His Disciples “The
power of God is in His Word.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” When that logos becomes rhema in our
spirit, then the Spirit of God uses it to make a change and transformation in
us.
God
says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” - i. e., the only
knowledge, and the knowledge of the Creator. So Isaiah mourns in the same
words, "therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no
knowledge". They are destroyed for lack of it, for the true knowledge of
God is the life of the soul, true life, eternal life, as our Lord Jesus said,
" “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). The key, then, to eternal
life is to know God the Father and Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ requires
a different kind of knowledge. Knowing Him is more than knowing His
doctrine and certainly more than professing His doctrine. The more we know of
Jesus, the more we will love Him. The more we know of Jesus, the more we will
trust Him. Bible says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me.” (John 10:27.)
To be continued…………
