“For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal” (Hosea 2:8).
TEXT — Hosea 2:1-8
Message
It was a puzzle that stumped not just the three Jeopardy contestants but everyone watching the programme. The moderator had thrown a line worth $200 which none of the three contestants answered. The line from Matthew 6:9 read: “Our Father, which art in heaven,’ this ‘be thy name”. The contestants were expected to give what looked like an easy answer: hallowed, but all three of them were ignorant of the Lord’s prayer and never attempted to answer the question. As perplexing as that may sound, it represents how God felt looking at the ungratefulness of the world. Under cross examination, majority of people in the world will fail woefully if presented with similar easy-answer tests regarding the providence of God. Ignorance, it’s often said, is no bliss.
In our text, God laments to Prophet Hosea the ignorance of Israel represented by Ammi (nations, people, kindreds of the world) and Ruhamah (love, compassion). According to the Almighty, Ammi and Ruhamah (representing nations of the world), though beloved by God, are sorely ignorant of His compassion, love and provision freely bestowed on them. They continued in whoredom, adultery and waywardness. Worse still, they did not know, neither acknowledge God’s constant and continued provisions for them. Rather, they were even utilizing God’s benevolence to advance their evil agenda and purposes. For this reason, God promised to punish them and bring them to public shame.
Not knowing what God expects us to know is a very dangerous foundation to build upon. All of God’s dealings with man is so that he might know Him, the true and living God. God delights in curing us of the disease of ignorance. He wants us to always remember His dealings with us and why! Israel suffered terribly in the wilderness for their ignorance. Many believers are suffering today for lack of knowledge. Such must not be our lot. The knowledge of God is the beginning of kingdom living. Ignorance is the root of godlessness and perdition.
The blessedness of knowing God goes beyond material possession. Many are lost in the darkness of the world today. We must focus our minds on studying God’s word to know His mind, His provisions and precepts. We must come to Him with an open and willing heart.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
