Huntington Church of Christ

"My 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 also will forget my children." (Hosea 4:6)

Through the prophet Hosea, God plainly explains why Israel was destroyed -- "For lack of knowledge." They had the Law of Moses and the prophets in their midst, but willfully followed the popular religions of their day -- perverted Judaism and heathen idolatry. They had forgotten God's instructions and God determined to reject and destroy them.

We live in a generation that continually rejects God's wisdom, and we, like Israel, will be destroyed for the lack of knowledge. No one wants to read, study or discuss the Bible anymore. Some denominations discourage and even demand their members not to read or study the Bible. They insist the "clergy" do all the studying and teaching while the "Layman" is unable to understand God's word. A greater number of people want to be entertained. We want to play ball or watch videos. We want to party and win prizes. We want to meet singles, learn how to diet or balance our checkbooks. Friend, please listen, man has perverted the church into a social club or entertainment and amusement center. Where in the New Testament do we find the church engaging in such carnal activities? Where is the example of the church offering door prizes for worshipping God or studying his word? Where do we find the church partying and feasting? Maybe 1 Corinthians 11? Paul tells us the church at Corinth had perverted the Lord's Supper into a big dinner party. He condemned them for their fleshly behaviour. "What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I praise you not." (1 Corinthians 11:22) "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17) We live in some of those "grievous times" written about in God's word: "For men shall be lovers of self, ...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore, ...ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:1-7) We live in a time when men don't "endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teacher after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

the masses are biblically illiterate. They don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament. They can't navigate through the Bible. They may remember a few Bible stories from their youth or from movies they have seen, but they don't know the whole Bible story. Paul agrees with Hosea when he writes about the glorious return "of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thess. 2:17,18) We are personally responsible to know God and obey Him (Eph. 5:17). Each one of us must "study to show ourselves approved unto God" and "give heed to reading" (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 4;13). Preachers must preach "the word" and the church must continue to be "the pillar and ground of the truth" (2 Tim. 4;1; 1 Tim. 3:15).

Daniel S. Dow
Huntington Church of Christ