“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6)
The Hebrew word for “destroyed” can be translated as “perish” or “cut off”, “brought to silence” or even, “undone”.
How often have your hopes been dashed, your dreams cut off, your reserves destroyed or perhaps you were just brought to silence? You had no response, even though you knew the other party was in the wrong.
Yes, sometimes silence is golden. Sometimes, silence is a strategy. (Jesus did not answer his accusers – Matthew 27:14). But oftentimes silence is because we simply don’t know what to say or do. And that silence often leads to being run over.
The “knowledge” Hosea is speaking of, is not a casual knowledge or vague familiarity with the subject matter. It really is more about expertise or mastery in an area.
The Hebrew word Hosea uses is "da'at". The "parent root" consists of two letters, which in the ancient pictographic language represented a tent door that moves back and forth and an eye.
The idea being an eye that moves back and forth, closely examining something. The door also indicates an entering into and leaving from, as opposed to simply passing by.
It is a thorough, in-depth kind of knowledge, not a
surface or shallow level of knowledge. It is deep and thoroughly studied.
Sadly today, a large swath of society wants a “tik-tok” education. They want it all in brief soundbites, preferably in an entertaining video, never entering into the meaning and the substance of subject matter that will actually help them.
As a result of that reluctance to “enter in” to knowledge, they are destroyed, whether by catastrophe due to a foolish mistake or simply by slowly dying on the vine due to lack of knowing what to do, while watching others pay the price, consume the knowledge, master it, make fewer mistakes and seize the prize.
Ignorance is one of the biggest causes of lack, harm, and failure that I know of and yet it is so easy to remedy. On average college grads with a bachelors degree earn about $1,000,000 more in their lifetime than high school grads. That’s no coincidence! And quite honestly, most college degrees are severely lacking.
As I mention often, my friend and mentor Peter J. Daniels never passed a single grade of school and at age 26 was illiterate and broke. See the connection?
When he taught himself to read, he says he “ate books”. He had a voracious appetite for knowledge. He set aside one day a week to be at the library to read and think, deeply digesting and entering into what he was learning.
He went from being one of those people in Hosea 4:6 who were perishing for lack of knowledge to becoming very knowledgeable, earning 5 honorary doctorates and gaining considerable wealth which he used to impact the culture. (See my interview with him here.)
That's probably why I now spend my life educating people - because I am trying to help folks grow in faith, make fewer mistakes and prosper in all they set their hand to. What I have learned in my 40 years of study and application I have summed up in God’s Best Kept Secrets, which Peter Daniels said after reading them twice, “has no equal!”
Whether you choose to learn from me, Peter Daniels, or someone else, make it your goal to “enter into” knowledge at a deep and intimate level, so that you may acquire mastery and set your life on a solid foundation for success, regardless of where you are in life now.
In tomorrow’s message, I’m going to show you the role of entering into knowledge in negotiating, and whether it’s best to go first or last when negotiating price, etc.
Until then dear friend, I am making a concerted effort to give you as much value as I can in these blogs, as often as I can. I would love it if you would share and comment on this post, join the FREE Jesus School of Business Facebook Group, and like and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
In Him Always,
Thanks for sharing these steps. I agree and enjoy every piece. Waiting for more .
Thanks God for your big heart Michael.
What a blessing Stephen! Thank you for posting a comment!
Hello Michael, when you bring in the Hebrew translation there is the added depth that helps us understand the deeper meaning of the scriptures. There are times when there is no equivalent word in English so when you bring in the pictorial Hebrew it brings in a solid foundation.
Thank you
Richard M
Vancouver
So true!!
Thank you Nathania, it reminded me of our visual spectrum and that in the dark if we use infrared eye ware we can see in the dark.
Most excellent again Bro. Michael
Thank you my brother!
I used to not know how to respond and by nature quiet, absolutely dreadful when in conflict with other people. Reading has always helped me to either escape my environment or just learn something I didn’t know. When I met Jesus, I started learning how to respond correctly or say something. Sometimes it would take me a whole weekend to figure out my response, because I wanted to do it right. It helps when one cries out to God about it. So grateful for learning and still learning. The path for success is right in front of me!
We are all hopefully on a continuous learning adventure, growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.