“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 4:6 ESV).
In the days of the prophet Hosea, God delivered a piercing word of accusation and warning to the priests of Israel. He charged them with failing to fulfill their sacred calling to know His Word, believe His covenant, and teach His truth to His people. This neglect was not a minor oversight—it was a national crisis. Israel’s downfall was not first political, military, or economic; it was profoundly spiritual. They were being destroyed because the very knowledge that defined them as God’s covenant people had been abandoned. The priests rejected God’s law, and as a result the people stumbled blindly into idolatry, immorality, and injustice. Even the children were growing up without any awareness of who God was or what He required, because those responsible for guiding the nation spiritually had forgotten Him. Hosea’s generation stood under judgment because their internal spiritual collapse led to the decay of the entire community.
We can see ourselves mirrored in this prophecy. As those who now belong to God’s royal priesthood (cf. 1 Peter 2:9), we share a sacred responsibility to know, believe, and proclaim God’s Word. When we neglect Scripture, spiritual ignorance spreads like a disease in our families, churches, and communities. We see people aimlessly searching for identity, truth, and hope, yet stumbling because they have never been taught the knowledge of God. We see children growing up without a biblical foundation, not because God has forgotten them, but because we have not given them the Word of life. If we want to see renewal in our homes and revival in our communities, we must return to the Scriptures with humble hearts. Let us reclaim our calling by pursuing the knowledge of God and faithfully teaching His Word, so that none around us are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that we have often neglected Your Word and failed to steward the truth entrusted to us. Restore in us a hunger to know You more deeply and a passion to teach Your Word faithfully. Strengthen us to lead our families, churches, and communities toward You, so that none are lost through spiritual ignorance. In Jesus’ name, amen.