The Lack of Knowledge

Richard Thetford

Hosea wrote: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame” (Hosea 4:6-7). God became very angry with the children of Israel because they continually rejected the knowledge, the law that they had received by God. As a result of this rejection to do what was right, God destroyed the children of Israel.

God Laid Down the Law

Long, long ago, God laid down the law for man. From Adam to Jacob God had taught Israel through the Patriarchal law. In Genesis 18:17-19 it says: “And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” We can see where God gave instructions (knowledge) to Abraham on how he was to command his children and his household after him. Abraham was to make sure they kept God’s way, ensuring that they were doing what was right. Later, God laid down the Mosaical Law that was in effect from Moses all the way until Christ died on the cross. We learn from Galatians 3:23-24 that the law was the teacher to bring man up to the point of Christ. “...we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” However, during these two periods of law that were given by God, man did not always heed God’s commands and therefore, many were destroyed because of their lack of knowledge!

Lack of Knowledge Displayed By Actions

In the Old Testament we can read in several places things that God’s children did that showed a lack of knowledge. In Proverbs 22:6 we can read where the parents did not train up their children properly. Parents, we have been given knowledge today on how to raise our children. Children are to be brought “up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). Have we learned anything from God’s people of old? Are we taking the knowledge that God has given to us and using it properly in this area, or are we lacking? In Judges 6:13,25 we can read where they had idols in their homes. Do we have idols in our homes today that keep us from gaining Bible knowledge? We can read earlier in Hosea 4:1-3 that the families were too involved in the affairs of life, and did not gain the knowledge to do what was right, even though it was offered to them. Are we ignoring God’s word to us and getting caught up in the affairs of life? In Second Chronicles 34 we can read where God’s people “lost the book!” How in the world could they gain knowledge if they didn’t even have “the book?” Can you find God’s book in your home today? Is it put aside on Sunday and looked for diligently just before you run out the door on the way to services on Wednesday evening?

In many ways God’s people today are not much different than His people of many years ago. In both cases many have a lack of knowledge of God’s commandments because they do not WANT to set the time aside to learn and practice God’s will. What happens to individuals that are lacking in knowledge? They are destroyed! Friend, if your actions say “I’m rejecting knowledge”, then you need to change before it is everlastingly too late! Gaining the knowledge of God is not a mystery. We are commanded to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).