Ignorance is Not Bliss

Hosea continued...

Scripture:

Hosea 4:1-6  (ESV)

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;
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land mourns,
    and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
    and the birds of the heavens,
    and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Yet let no one contend,
    and let none accuse,
    for with you is my contention, O priest.
You shall stumble by day;
    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
    and I will destroy your mother.
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.

Devotional:

Matthew 18:6 (ESV) …but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Throughout the bible there are scriptures against false teachings and leading God’s people astray.  The first six verses in chapter four indicate that the priests and profits were not teaching God’s laws to the people.  They had fallen ignorant and slipped away from God.  The problem is that ignorance is not bliss.  God didn’t turn a blind eye just because His didn’t know any better.  Verse six states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge,”.  Because of the priests and profits failed to teach God’s laws and teach the truth to the people God rejected them as well.  God held them to a higher standard, and they failed.  The last half of verse six states “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.” 

Israel became ignorant of who God is and His laws.  The priests and profits had stopped teaching the people.  They slipped and fell away from their first love.  The truth is that ignorance is not bliss.  God did not spare Israel just because they didn’t know better.  The same applies to us today.  So even if we could say we do not know anything about God or Jesus we still have sin in our lives.  Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” yes that includes those who claim ignorance.  Do not be fooled.  Do not let ignorance condemn you or your friends and neighbors…