Obedience

“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).

God said the land was lacking three things: categorical truth, finished work mercy, and no specific conviction about the truth of God. The consequences of a nation living in this manner were swearing, lying, killing, stealing and the committing of adultery (verse 2). These external things occurred because the people of Israel did not first think with God in categories of doctrine. Unfortunately, this condition produced a mourning in the people. They rejected what the priests tried to teach them through the Word (verse 4). God then made this pronouncement to them, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me” (verse 6a).

The key thing that believers can learn from these verses is the vital importance of knowing and obeying God’s thoughts in their daily lives. Do not stop obeying God’s Word! An example of this would be on the job. Every Christian should be an example of Ecclesiastes 9:10a to his employer. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” May God challenge every Christian to become firmly rooted in the Word of God, to be grounded in God’s finished work mercy, and then to develop convictions that they will live by each day.