The Bible in some homes is like a stack of pamphlets discovered by some maintenance men at the University of California at Berkeley that had been eaten through by termites. The pamphlets were entitled, “Control of Termites.”
Ignorance is a dangerous threat to our homes and churches. Ironically, many of the homes and churches ignorance is eating away are full of Bibles that warn of the dangers of ignorance.
Take the book of Hosea, for example. In Hosea 4:1, the prophet says, “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.” What effect was this lack of knowledge having on the nation? Hosea says in verse 6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….” In Hosea 6:6 the Lord through Hosea says, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Please don’t misunderstand what the prophet is saying. “Knowledge” in the biblical sense goes deeper than mere facts. Knowing God is not just understanding him; it’s having a relationship with him. We’re talking about the difference in saying, “I know about that person,” and, “I know that person.” God desires for us to know him intimately as our Father in heaven.
How can we know God and prevent the kind of destruction Hosea foretold in his prophecy? I could share a number of suggestions with you, but I will emphasize just one: love the Lord.
I once heard about a young lady who read a book and commented on how dull it was. Later she fell in love with the author, read the book again and thought it was the greatest book in the world. If you love God, his Word will never seem dull or tiresome to you.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt. 22:37). Maybe loving God comes first because once you love him, you will follow every other commandment. You will study the Bible, worship him regularly, be good to your fellow man, and repent of sin.
Love the Lord, and you will never find it difficult to study the Bible.
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