The significance of times and events isn’t always apparent to those observing or living through them. For instance, in spite of the unusual circumstances associated with Jesus’ crucifixion, the Roman authorities in 1st Century Judea saw it as ‘just another public execution.’ No one realized the impact the event would have. Even among His closest followers, it wasn’t really clear that Jesus’ death would only be temporary, much less that it would change not only the course of Israel’s history, but that of the entire world, as well. 

Didn’t See It Coming ~
To bring the idea to our own Western hemisphere, could anyone in Thomas Edison’s day have grasped the impact that his incandescent light bulb would have on the whole world? Or when the first coded message was transmitted by telegraph in 1844, would even the wildest of imaginations ever have conceived of a time when entire libraries could be sent virtually anywhere in the world in microseconds? Much less, could they ever have envisioned the day when artwork, music, and literature could be created, reproduced, and/or counterfeited with little to no direct human involvement? 

Predicting the eventual impact of times and events can seem like engaging in amateur fortune telling and can end up looking foolish and embarrassing. But many, including myself, are convinced that the events unfolding in our nation right now – on so many spiritual, moral, and political levels – strongly suggest that we’re in the midst of one of the most incredibly crucial periods in modern history. And rather than just hoping for the best and leaving it to the historians to determine the significance of these times and pointing out what we should have done, we would rather strive to discern God’s perspective and adjust our responses accordingly. 

A Not-so-Simple Admonition ~
So, for the next few weeks, we plan to take a brief, pointed look at some spiritual admonitions that could be especially significant, not only for us as followers of Jesus, but for our nation as a whole. Our first offering may sound a bit overwhelming, given the limitless volumes of information available in our pockets, because it’s simply this . . . Be informed.  We’re not suggesting, though, that we pull up ChatGPT or some other AI program and start asking questions about whatever issue comes to mind. That would be a rabbit hole we’d never find our way out of. 

Instead, our interest in what it means to be informed grows out of God’s reaction to His people at a time when they had allowed themselves to drift into a condition that, both morally and spiritually, sounds much like our own. God’s response, given through His prophet, Hosea reveals His approach to two connected but distinctive terms – information and knowledge. So, to begin to see how all that unfolds, let’s turn to a passage that forms the crux of Hosea’s message from God: 

For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
Therefore the land will mourn.” (Hosea 4:1-3 NKJV)

History Repeating Itself ~
Can any of us read that charge that God levied against His own people and not recognize how much they sound like conditions currently prevailing in our own country? Some, if not all, of those charges can easily be recognized as part of nearly every daily newscast. Lies, conspiracies, and the deceptive twisting of words are so commonplace these days that most hardly even notice them. And if liars or conspirators are ever exposed, there’s virtually never no confession, or expression of regret, much less a sense of shame. We just accept it as “business as usual.” 

And doesn’t “bloodshed upon bloodshed” sound like it fits us? Do we honestly think the same God doesn’t notice the premeditated slaughter of over a million innocent babies in our country every year? Would God accept the prevailing opinion that those killings are just a cultural phenomenon, and nothing more than people exercising their civil rights? We 21st Century American Christians love to gather in our worship centers to sing praises about God’s promises, but remember . . . He made a promise to His people in Hosea’s day that no one would write a song about. In light of their behavior, His assurance to them was this: “Therefore the land will mourn.”

An Underlying Problem ~
To get back on track toward our objective now, notice this. There was an underlying deficit at the root of all those behaviors that God condemned. Hosea said there was no knowledge of God in the land. And here’s where we begin to see the difference in God’s approach to information and knowledge. 

Information is academic. Knowledge is personal. There was plenty of information among the Jews in Hosea’s day, yet little to no evidence of a personal, functioning relationship with God or His presence in their day-to-day lives. And if we fast forward to our own nation, with its “One Nation Under God” motto, we find the same symptoms, only exponentially worse. Would it not be obvious, then, that those symptoms are connected to the same underlying condition? But the question is what do we do about it?

To answer that question, we must realize that throughout their history, God’s people have understood that the word knowledge conveys a scope and depth much different from the impersonal, academic way we tend to use it now. To God, that word referred to something much more personal. Calling that unique tree in Eden “the tree of  the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17) was profoundly purposeful. God wasn’t interested in His new image bearers learning some detached, impersonal definition of good and evil. He wanted to prevent the painful knowledge of good and evil that comes from personal practice. And to further extend the scope of His approach to “knowledge,” He also used the term in a context we’re all familiar with when He said, “Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived.” (Genesis 4:1)

Addressing the Real Issue ~
Information is academic. Knowledge is personal. And this much is clear . . . Hatred, violence, oppression, anarchy, and death aren’t plaguing our nation because we don’t have enough information. And it won’t be solved by producing more data about God or performing more empty religious rituals. What changes cultures and saves nations is the kind of intimate personal knowledge of God that produces the courage to live in ways that reveal, that inform, others that He is “real.” Hosea lamented that there was no knowledge of God in the land. What they needed then and what we need now is a restoration of that deeply personal and visibly active relationship with the living God that informs us about life, about love, about truth, about justice, and that leads to peace, prosperity, and social stability. And when we live informed lives, we also become instruments through which God informs others. That’s what we mean by our admonition to Be Informed. 

The first step toward being informed is abandonment of any and all of the idols like money, sex, and power that may have drawn us into their alluring, dangerous webs. Then we must come honestly and openly before God. In doing that, we can be cleansed by the forgiveness Jesus offers, and His Spirit will direct us in responding righteously to the flood of information we’re exposed to every day. To encourage us in that direction, God’s prophet added this promise that still extends to all of us today: 

Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1 NKJV)

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Thank you for sharing your time with us today. Our prayer as we wrap up the first installment in this series is that God has made your investment worthwhile. Please feel free to share your comments and/or suggestions and join us next week as we continue to explore admonitions from God’s Word that are especially relevant in the midst of these crucial times. 

TWEETABLES ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through “X” . . .

• • Throughout their history, God’s people have understood that the word knowledge conveys a scope and depth much different from the impersonal, academic way we tend to use it now. To God, that word referred to something much more personal. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
  • Calling that unique tree in the midst of His garden “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was very purposeful. God wanted to prevent the painful knowledge of good and evil coming from personal practice. And extending the scope, He also… @GallaghersPen  (Click here to Tweet)
  • Calling that unique tree in the midst of His garden “the tree of  the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17) was very purposeful. God wasn’t interested in His new image bearers learning some detached, impersonal definition of good and evil. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
  • Information is academic. Knowledge is personal. Hatred, violence, oppression, anarchy and death don’t plague our nation bc we don’t have enough info and it won’t be solved by producing more data about God or performing more empty religious rituals. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
  • What changes cultures and saves nations is the kind of intimate personal knowledge of God that produces the courage to live in ways that reveal, that inform, others that He is “real.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  

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