Hosea 4:6 (new century version)

6 My people will be destroyed,
because they have no knowledge.
You have refused to learn,
so I will refuse to let you be priests to me.
You have forgotten the teachings of your God,
so I will forget your children.

A second part of the book of Hosea begins here (4:1-9:9). There are three important *sins that Hosea writes about:

· There is no truth.

· People are not loyal to God.

· There is no knowledge of God.

The main idea from Hosea tells the people this. Everything that he says comes from God. The message is for everyone who lives ‘in this country’. God is taking his people to a ‘court’. The people will have to give an answer for their *sins. The first of these *sins is that the people are not ‘true’. The people do not know God. This is something that is important to Hosea. It was part of the *covenant between Israel and God. There are six *sins that break the *commandments (Exodus 20:7-15 and Deuteronomy 5:5-19).

In verse 2, to ‘swear’ can also mean a *covenant between two people where they use God’s name. ‘Lying’ means people who are not being true with each other. This could be about business. Life will slowly come to an end (verses 3 and 4). God will not let anything live. The second word for ‘die’ can also mean a woman who cannot have any children. God (verse 4) does not have one *priest that he is thinking of. He is thinking of all the *priests and *prophets in Israel. The word ‘falling’ perhaps means that they cannot see. They are weak. They ‘fall’ against each other (see Deuteronomy 28:28-29). The *priests can only blame themselves for this. Israel used to know God in a way that was part of the *covenant. But the *priests did not want to know God. They forgot him. So God will not accept them as *priests. God will forget the *priest’s children too. In the book of Hosea, the word ‘forget’ is the opposite of ‘know’. It can also mean ‘not obey’.

The *priests became rich when Jeroboam 2^nd was king (verse 7). They gave help to the rich people and leaders. The *priests did not try to correct them. The *priests, too, were earning money at the *sacrifices (verse 8). The *priest could have a part of the animal *sacrifice (Leviticus 7:28-38). But it is probable that the *priests forgave people too easily. The *priests did this if the people gave them money. So the *priests lived from the people’s *sins This is what the word ‘eating’ means. But the food will not be enough.

In conclusion, the reading is very important toward us who are expecting from G-d. He is delivering a word of knowledge to the body of Christ. In those that have been faithful or for those who will humble themselves before Him. In Jesus Name+++