September 23 Daily Devotional

My People Are Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge

the Rev. Henry Huenemann

My people are destroyed (Hebrew, cut off) for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children (Hosea 4:6).

Bible Reading

Hosea 4:1-11:

¹Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
²By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
⁴Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
⁵Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
⁷As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
⁸They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
⁹And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
¹⁰For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
¹¹Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

Devotional

God says, "My people are destroyed." Why were they destroyed? For lack of knowledge. The prophet does not speak here of mere natural knowledge, but of the knowledge of God. God had revealed himself unto them. He had given them his word. They had rejected it. Both priest and people had become remiss and guilty before God. But to reject God's Word means death, eternal death. To know God means eternal life. Jesus said in his high priestly prayer, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Therefore it was so important that "the priests' lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he was the messenger of the Lord of hosts." That is why Paul admonished Timothy, "Preach the word." That is why a preacher today should preach nothing but the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.

We must not forget that, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." To know God is to know him as He has revealed himself in his infinite love in Christ Jesus. How we should apply our heart to such knowledge! But also, what a great sin it is to refuse such knowledge, or even to hate it! Should not a righteous God visit such perverseness ? The apostle Paul "counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord."

"How precious is the Book divine, by inspiration given!"

Prayer.

O God, help us to love Thy truth, to study Thy Word, to teach it to our children. Give unto us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Thee. Help us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture in Devotional: John 17:3; Mal. 2:7; 2 Tim. 4:2; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10, 17; Jer. 9:6; Prov. 1:29; Phil. 3:8.

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