QT 22 Jul 2020, Hos 4:1;4:6, We have lost our most important weapon, the word of God

Hosea 4:1 (ESV) —

1 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;

Hosea 4:6 (ESV) —

6 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.

NOTE: Israel's problem, like our problem today, is that there is no knowledge of God in the land. We have replaced biblical truth with an empty worldview that has the power to cancel (remove) anyone from any position if they do not agree with the narrative. It is incredible powerful and frightening. And, it is amazing that we have allowed it to happen. We have failed to teach God's word rightly. We have failed to teach morality. It has been slowly chipped away, beginning with creation, and then to absolute moral law, and then sexual design, and then marriage, and now unity of a people. The failure is that people chose not to believe. But the failure of the church body is also not to believe biblical truth and even worse, not to live out that truth. We too have failed. Lack of knowledge is a failure, but lack of obedience to the knowledge is a deception and a failure.

PRAYER: Father, as a teacher of your word, this hurts. I am part of the problem. I have not taught your word fully or strongly encouraged people to obey the word enough. I can say I have done those things, but have I really? Am I obeying your word in my own life? Help me to see where I am a hypocrite. Forgive me for my part in our societal failure.