My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” Hosea 4:6 (NIV)
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:6-7 (NIV)
If you have read many of these devotionals, you know I typically go off on some kind of tangent before I land the plane. That is how my mind works, and this one is no different.
I’m going to answer two questions I’m often asked about the Bible Verse of the Day (BVotD):
1. Do you actually get up every day and send it, or is it automatic?
Yes. On a normal morning, it is one of the first things I do.
2. Do you just randomly pick a verse to post and send it?
No. Usually, the way I come to a verse is when I’m reading the Bible and a scripture stands out to me. I add it to a list in Google Keep. Then, each morning, I send the next one in the list.
So today you learned a little about the BVotD.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what that has to do with knowledge. I woke up this morning with the Lord telling me to read a specific chapter of scripture. After doing so, I was preparing to send the BVotD, and that led to the realization that today is Palm Sunday—the Sunday before what is known as Easter or Resurrection Sunday.
I was on the Bible Gateway site looking for scriptures to send for this week, and I came across the term "Maundy Thursday." I like to think I have a very average vocabulary, but I realized I had no idea what maundy means.
So, as one does, I googled "Maundy" and got the following definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: The word “Maundy” comes through Middle English and French from the Latin mandatum, meaning “command.” The name is traditionally connected with Jesus’ words in John 13:34, where He gives His disciples a new commandment to love one another. The same chapter also records Jesus washing His disciples’ feet as an example of humble service.
If you read John 13 along with the Last Supper accounts in the other Gospels, you see service and love placed side by side. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and then explained the example in John 13:14-15. Later in the chapter, He commanded them to love one another as He had loved them in John 13:34-35.
Hosea 4:6 is much more serious than a general warning against not knowing random facts. In context, God is rebuking His people, and especially their priests, for rejecting the knowledge of God and ignoring His law. I can still draw a broader lesson from it: we should not be comfortable rejecting truth or remaining spiritually ignorant when God has given us His Word.
If you already knew the meaning of Maundy, congratulations, you were ahead of me. If not, now we both know a little more. We live in a time when we can look up unfamiliar words, study historical context, compare passages, and dig deeper into Scripture with tools that are available in seconds.
So, I encourage you: as you read through scripture or walk through everyday conversations, take a moment to look deeper into the things you don’t understand. The scriptures remind us to pursue knowledge, to seek wisdom, and to never stop learning. There’s always more to discover in the Word and in the world around us.
Heavenly Father, our God, thank you for the free gift of knowledge and understanding. Lord help us to understand Your will for our lives better as we seek knowledge. Let us know how to love and serve. In Jesus' name. Amen.