It is a common misconception that individuals are always willing to learn. In Hosea 4:1-4, we discovered a judicial setting. God was approaching like a judge, and He was going to pass judgment on His people Israel for their sins. First, we must consider the following in this passage:
1. Deluded People and Priests in Hosea 4:4- 9.
Both the general population and the clergy in charge of leading Israel’s people have been fooled and duped into idolatrous, self-centered worship. Hosea 4:4 is addressed to the entire nation of Israel. The entire population had had turned their backs on the real God.
They are not to bring a charge or an accusation against another person while they are here. They are not to make any accusations or charges against anyone else while they are here. The people of God thought of themselves as righteous. They thought they were right and everyone else was wrong. They did not want to hear the person who sought to bring them moral guidance – they spoke out against the clergy, who were to teach them God’s ways. This verse reminds the audience that those who bring accusations against a priest are deserving of death, as stated in Deuteronomy 17: 12.
In Hosea 4:5, stumbling for these Israelites was a full-time job without the light of the Word of God to guide them.
The prophets were faltering along with the rest of the community. Whatever visions they were claiming to receive were fake. They had neglected God’s genuine wisdom and revelation in favor of announcing things that pleased the people while pretending they were from God.
We can see what is prompting these individuals to stray in Hosea 4: 6.
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests.
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
Yahweh informs these people that they are being destroyed due to a lack of wisdom. This isn’t your average understanding of a broad subject. Rather, it alludes to a profound and necessary understanding of God.
Proverbs 9:10 states the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests, Jehovah continues. Priests were supposed to be the ones who lead God’s people to a greater notion of God and His ways.
Malachi 2 :7 states
For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction—because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty.
We must be cautious because our knowledge and comprehension of God influences our relationship with Him and our obedience to Him. The amount of time, we dedicate about God via Bible study will decide how far we walk with Him in holiness and obedience as He asks us to.
Brothers and sisters, we should be saddened if we ever see preachers who have been trained and tasked with teaching God’s deep truths and preaching God’s entire counsel going away today.
We must be grieved when we witness swarms of people gathered around persons only to teach them what their ears desire to hear. These people decided to go head-to-head with God. Remember Jehovah never accepts false worship. This, my friends, should ignite our enthusiasm in evangelism and gospel proclamation.
2. Deserved Punishment. Hosea 4:9-10
God promises that he will not let a deliberate abandoning of knowledge of Him go unpunished. It’s one thing to exist without God for only a brief period. It’s one thing to experience the ephemeral joys of false worship for a short period. It’s one thing to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of false worship for a time. But what will you do in the end? Israel abandoned the knowledge of God revealed through the law and writings and had gone astray. They only cared about themselves. All they could think about was themselves, their own development and success, which they planned to achieve through means that were not in conformity with God’s ways. Therefore, Jehovah would give them a deserved punishment. We must continue to seek to understand God, His methods, and His decrees in Scripture. So frequently, we can begin to wander down our own pathways, ignoring God’s methods and mandates. We must be cautious not to wander in these paths. The ways of God are pure and holy. The methods of God are correct. Is Christ the priority in our lives? Is it more important for us to know Him and obey Him as a result? We must worship God and seek His righteousness first, then trust Him to add to our life as He sees fit, based on His amazing kindness and mercy.
Unfortunately, God’s people perish because of their ignorance. The reference here is to rejecting God’s Word as knowledge. The principle applies to all aspects of humanity; however, ignorance of God’s Word is the costliest. If a person rejects the Word, he or she will suffer from a lack of knowledge, which might lead to ruin. What we don’t know has the capacity to cause hurt and destruction, whereas what we do know has the potential to prevent this. In John 8:32, Jesus asserted that knowing the truth will make us free. Many people have been denied the opportunity to experience God in their life because of a lack of comprehension of the truth. Even though none of us deserve God’s love, accepting it or rejecting it leads to redemption or destruction.
Does the same mentality of denial of Divine knowledge today as there was in Israel’s time? Unquestionably! Many individuals have accepted Satan’s lies as truth, rendering God’s word useless because they have refused to listen to or obey divine wisdom. Oh, the consequences of rejecting divine wisdom and authority and being isolated from Jehovah is not worth it!
Many modern Christians are uneasy about Satan’s existence and the biblical descriptions of Jesus Christ’s confrontations with disturbed spirits, whom the Bible refers to as demons. But, sooner or later, we must accept the veracity of Jesus’s personal testimony in Luke 10:18. The false god of this world has blinded its inhabitants through his many deceptions as stated in 1 John 5:19. Nonetheless, we are assured that heavenly deliverance is at hand.
So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. Revelation 12: 9. These two Bible chapters describe the devil’s creation and rebellion: Isaiah 14 12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-16.
. The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5 :19.
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11: 3.
Our creator provided actual spiritual knowledge to Adam and Eve. Then, in the form of a serpent, Lucifer deceived Eve into doubting the integrity of their Creator. She convinced her husband to partake in the subsequent act of disobedience, which was the consumption of the forbidden fruit. “You should not have listened to the voice of your wife,” God had effectively told Adam. Genesis 3:17. Satan had lied about God! He lied to Eve about what would happen to her in the end. You will not certainly die, the serpent answered.
For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5.
Much of Satan’s deception of Eve is accurate. Their eyes were awakened to see the difference between good and evil. Then the LORD God said, Behold the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil. Genesis 3:22.
This tragic pattern of rejecting God’s direction, which began at the dawn of human history, has persisted unabated until this day. There is truth and error in the world, as well as good and evil. The devil cleverly combines right and bad. Many people are unable to distinguish between the two. It must be revealed by God. His Word is necessary for that revelation. All true knowledge is built on this foundation!
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
WHY DIE WHEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE FOREVER?
If you are evaluating your path, or have gone astray, REPENT AND TURN TO Jehovah Jireh NOW! All we have to say is LORD, WE NEED you! I ask each one of you to become acquainted with the Lord! Get to know the Lord!
If you haven’t turned to Christ in repentance and trust, I urge you to do so, as the prophet Isaiah says:
Isaiah 55: 6 – 7
Seek the Lord while he may be found.
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Those who are familiar with Christ should continue to grow in his grace and knowledge. his is our sole opportunity to have a genuine relationship with God. Our haven is knowing God and comprehending His word.
May God instill in every one of us a desire to learn more about Him so that we might live lives that bring Him great credit and glory!
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father. In your holy name, we pray for clarity and understanding of your Word in every aspect of our lives. May we remember that every word of Scripture is God-breathed and beneficial in revealing the truth, exposing our rebellion, assisting us in correcting our faults, and directing us to live a lifestyle that is right for us, daily.
Amen.