One thing that stands out to me about Hosea 4:6 is this: God was not talking to strangers. He was talking to His own people.
That should make us pause. It is possible to belong to a church, hear sermons, sing worship songs, and still not truly know God’s Word or walk in His ways.
Several years ago, I felt the Lord put these words on my heart: “My people do not know My Word, nor do they know My ways.” Those words stayed with me. They made me think about how often the gospel is talked about but not fully understood, and how often God’s Word is heard but not obeyed.
Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” This does not simply mean people did not have information. It means they did not truly know God, honor His Word, or live by His instructions. They had turned away from Him, and that turning away brought pain, confusion, and destruction.
God also said, “Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests.” That is a serious warning. The problem was not that God had hidden His truth from them. The problem was that they rejected what He had already made known.
The priests were supposed to teach the people God’s law and help guide them back to Him. Instead, many failed in their responsibility. When leaders do not teach truth, and when people do not desire truth, everyone suffers.
God said they had forgotten His law. Forgetting God’s Word is more than misplacing a Bible or missing a few days of reading. It is living as if His Word does not matter. It is making decisions without seeking His heart. It is choosing our own way and still expecting His blessing.
The sad part is that spiritual ignorance does not stop with one person. It can affect families, churches, and even future generations. When parents, leaders, and believers do not know God’s Word, the next generation may grow up without a clear example of what it means to follow Him.
Not Knowing God’s Word Is Dangerous
When we do not know God’s Word, we become easy to mislead. We may believe anything that sounds spiritual, popular, or comforting, even if it is not true. We may call wrong things right and right things wrong. We may follow feelings, culture, or tradition more than we follow God.
This is why God’s Word is so important. Psalm 119:105 says His Word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” In plain words, God’s Word helps us see where we are going. Without it, we are walking in the dark.
The danger is not only outside the church. Hosea reminds us that God was correcting His own people. Jeremiah also said, “My people are foolish; they do not know me.” That is a hard word, but it is a loving warning. God does not correct us to destroy us. He corrects us to bring us back.
This Message Is for All of Us
It is easy to hear a message like this and think about someone else. We may think, “That is for unbelievers,” or “That is for people who do not go to church.” But Hosea shows us that this warning is also for those who call themselves God’s people.
We can know church language and still not know God’s heart. We can quote a few verses and still not surrender to Scripture. We can be busy with religious activity and still be far from obedience.
That is why this message should humble us. It should make us ask honest questions: Do I really know God’s Word? Am I obeying what I already know? Am I teaching my family and others by my words and my example?
Jesus warned about blind leaders leading blind people. When leaders do not know the Scriptures, they can lead others into error. When believers do not know the Scriptures, they can be carried away by confusion. That is why we must return to the Bible for ourselves.
God’s Word is not just for pastors, teachers, or “serious” Christians. It is for every believer. It teaches us who God is, who we are, what sin does, what Jesus has done, and how we are called to live.
How Should We Respond?
The answer is not to feel condemned and give up. The answer is to come back to God. Open His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand it. Read with a humble heart. Obey what God shows you. Let His truth correct you, comfort you, and change you.
We should also pray for our churches, our leaders, our families, and ourselves. We need more than religious routine. We need truth. We need understanding. We need hearts that love God’s Word and lives that show it.
Hosea 4:6 is still a reminder for the church today: God’s people must not live without God’s Word. If we have drifted, we can return. If we have forgotten, we can remember. If we have ignored His ways, we can repent and follow Him again.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026