(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 4:1-19)

In today’s Scripture, the word of the Lord continues to make a case against the northern kingdom of Israel. There is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land.

The land mourns, and all of creation is decaying for lack of knowledge. We also read that the people have rejected knowledge. What is this knowledge that is lacking and being rejected?

The knowledge of God refers not to just knowing about God, knowing facts from the Bible, memorizing Scripture, or living a religious life. The Hebrew Knowledge “Yada” refers to an intimate covenant relationship with God. This intimate covenant relationship is similar to an intimate relationship between a husband and wife, where there is love and commitment, and where in the Bible, knowing leads to producing descendants.

This intimate covenant relationship is missing from Israel, the land mourns, and all of creation suffers. The priests of the Lord have also been rejected, because no longer do they serve as the mediator between Israel and God, but have themselves forgotten the law of God, which is His word.

The lack of knowledge continues to spread throughout the land, and so today’s Scripture ends with a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah not to go up north or they will be lost as well.

The question for us to consider today is if we have knowledge of God? No, again not referring to just knowing about God, going to church, attending worship service, speaking with theological and religious lingo, but do we have that intimate covenant relationship with God in Christ?

Without this, Israel became a shell without a spirit, and we too when we lack “Yada” can do religion, but feel and experience nothing.

Are we blessing creation, or does the land mourn because it is not loved, cultivated, and taken care of? One of the saddest verses in today’s Scripture is verse 14,

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot
Or your brides when they commit adultery,
For the men themselves go apart with harlots
And offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.

The Lord will not punish, because the people are already punishing each other. The Lord does not need to ruin because the people without understanding are already ruining each other. What a sad day it is when the Lord doesn’t need to discipline us, because we are bringing calamity and judgment upon each other, hurting each other, and destroying His land.

Let us get back to an intimate knowledge of the Lord. Let us turn back to Him, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Let us confess our sins, for He is faithful to forgive us of our sins through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is our Savior, not just for one day out of our lives, but for each day that we continue to live and breathe in this world.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Hosea 4