無知而滅亡 Perish for Lack of Knowledge

Cathy Chen, 8/29/2025 

「我的民因無知識而滅亡」（何西阿書4:6）

倘若這句話不是出於聖經，而是任何其他人，我必定脫口而出「這話也太狂妄了吧？」，並忍不住批評此人的傲慢。畢竟社會上的人形形色色，各有不同的學識經歷，誰能說自己無所不知？在一個包容的社會裡，無論知識多寡，我們都該彼此尊重。否則，以自己的「有」來鄙視他人的「無」，豈不驕傲還帶著幾分歧視？所以，當聖經說「無知識」會導致滅亡，我不禁愣住，心想：「有這麼嚴重嗎？」

接著，更讓我震驚的是，我竟然對神的話語起了質疑，「我在反駁神的啟示嗎？」「我不信神了嗎？」不妙了，這念頭像一記警鐘，讓我不得不先停頓下來讓腦袋放空，深呼吸幾口，緩解那翻騰的情緒，待平靜一會兒，我開始問神：

「主啊，我們之間有什麼誤會嗎？否則為什麼我無法在第一時間說『阿們』，反倒狐疑起祢的話語？」

讀經時的誤區

這時，一節經文浮現於心頭：「人非有信，就不能得神的喜悅；因為到神面前來的人必須信有神，且信祂賞賜那尋求祂的人。」（希伯來書11:6）我突然意識到質疑神的話語並不反常——這正是人性的軟弱。我們常以為神若真的了解我們，就會說我們愛聽的話，給我們想要的答案，甚至認為所謂「因無知識而滅亡」指的是「別人」，不套用在我的身上，所以我能用第三者的角度來評估這些話適不適合，然而這正是我們與神關係中的盲區。箴言13:20說：「與智慧人同行的，必得智慧；與愚昧人做伴的，必受虧損。」若我們交朋友時都知道要親近正直、誠信、見識廣博的人，遠離花言巧語之輩，為何面對創造宇宙萬物的神，卻不願相信祂比我們更智慧、更良善、更全知？若我們只想聽奉承話，縱然神親自站在我們面前，我們又怎能被祂造就？耶穌提醒我們：「惟有遵行我天父旨意的人才能進去。」（馬太福音7:21）真正的知識不僅是聽道，更是行道（雅各書1:22）。

當我學會在讀經時停下來，重新整理自己的心態，我發現自己更能降服於神的話語。謙卑看見自己的無知，也讓我更渴慕神的啟示。

聖經中的「知識」

雖然聖經並不否定屬世知識的價值，如但以理在巴比倫的學問（但1:17），約瑟在埃及用智慧管理糧食（創世記41:33-40）。但知識智慧若不以認識神為根基，終究是虛空的。「我的民因無知識而滅亡。」這裡的「知識」並非我們熟悉的哲理思想，也不是投資行情、時事動態、技能學問、時尚穿搭，或名校名牌的資訊，而是指對神的認識，是對祂啟示的真心回應。一個人可能滿腹經綸，卻對神的真理一無所知，在神眼中仍是無知的。反之，一個人就算不擅長世俗的學問，卻因敬畏神、渴慕祂的啟示，並行在其中，反而被稱為有知識的人。約瑟在埃及用智慧管理糧食（創世記41:33-40），正是用知識在榮耀神；而以色列民在曠野因不信神而漂流四十年，則是無知的悲劇。

舊約警告無知識導致滅亡，新約則指出認識基督就是永生。耶穌說：「認識你—獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。」（約翰福音17:3）。處於資訊爆炸的時代，我們如何分辨從神而來的知識與世俗雜音？首先，領受神的話語之前必須先調整自己的心態：

1. 相信神的存在，因為「神是真實的，人都是虛謊的」（羅 3:4）。

2. 相信神的良善，祂對我們有美好的心意（耶 29:11）。

3. 相信神願意啟示祂的心意，因為「真理的聖靈來了，祂要引導你們明白一切的真理」（約16:13）。

4. 謙卑受教，像詩篇51:10所求：「神啊，求你為我造清潔的心。」清空自己的偏見，敞開心迎接神的話語。

5. 積極調頻，讓自己的心思意念與整本聖經一致，去除世俗的雜音，「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明。」（箴言3:5）。

6. 堅定相信，若神的話與我的想法衝突，有錯的必定是我，而非神。

   
   

祈禱：

親愛的父神，感謝祢讓我一次次回到祢的面前，承認自己的無知，並仰望祢無窮的智慧。求祢按著祢的真實和良善，顯明我的錯誤。求主潔淨我的心，不讓世俗的謊言蒙蔽我的眼睛。求祢幫助我謙卑尊祢為大，單純相信祢的話，讓我成為祢真理的器皿與出口，傳揚祢的榮耀。奉耶穌基督的名，阿們！

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Devotion on Hosea 4

By Cathy Chen, 8/29/2025

My People Perish for Lack of Knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

If this statement came from anyone other than the Bible, I would probably blurt out, “Isn’t that a bit arrogant?” and feel compelled to criticize the person’s pride. After all, people in society come with all kinds of knowledge and experience; who can claim to know everything? In a tolerant society, regardless of how much knowledge we have, we should respect one another. Otherwise, looking down on others because of what we “have” is not only prideful but also discriminatory. So when the Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge,” I was stunned and thought, “Is it really that serious?”

What shocked me even more was that I found myself questioning God’s Word: “Am I disputing God’s revelation?” “Do I no longer trust Him?” This thought rang like an alarm. I had to pause, clear my mind, take a few deep breaths, and calm the turmoil within. After a moment of quiet, I asked God:

“Lord, is there a misunderstanding between us? Why can’t I immediately say ‘Amen’ but instead doubt Your Word?”

Misunderstandings While Reading Scripture

At that moment, a verse came to mind: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). I realized that questioning God’s Word is not abnormal—it is a reflection of human weakness. We often assume that if God truly understood us, He would say what we want to hear and give us the answers we desire. We even interpret “perishing for lack of knowledge” as referring to “others,” not ourselves, evaluating the statement from a third-person perspective. Yet this is precisely a blind spot in our relationship with God. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” If we know to choose friends who are upright, honest, and knowledgeable, why do we hesitate to trust the God who created the universe—who is wiser, kinder, and all-knowing? If we only want flattering words, even if God stood before us, how could we be truly formed by Him? Jesus reminds us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father” (Matthew 7:21). True knowledge is not just hearing the Word—it is doing it (James 1:22).

When I learned to pause while reading Scripture and reset my heart, I found myself better able to submit to God’s Word. Humility in recognizing my ignorance also deepened my desire for God’s revelation.

“Knowledge” in the Bible

The Bible does not deny the value of worldly knowledge, such as Daniel’s learning in Babylon (Daniel 1:17) or Joseph’s wisdom in managing Egypt’s grain supply (Genesis 41:33–40). Yet knowledge and wisdom, if not rooted in the knowledge of God, are ultimately empty. “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Here, “knowledge” does not mean philosophy, current affairs, skills, fashion, or prestigious credentials. It refers to knowing God and responding sincerely to His revelation. A person may be learned in worldly matters yet ignorant of God’s truth, remaining spiritually unaware. Conversely, someone with little secular knowledge, but who fears God, thirsts for His revelation, and obeys Him, is considered truly knowledgeable. Joseph managed Egypt’s grain wisely (Genesis 41:33–40) to glorify God; the Israelites wandered for forty years in the wilderness due to unbelief, a tragedy of ignorance.

The Old Testament warns that lack of knowledge leads to destruction; the New Testament shows that knowing Christ is eternal life. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). In today’s age of information overload, how can we discern knowledge from God versus worldly noise? Before receiving God’s Word, we must first adjust our hearts:

1. Believe in God’s existence, because “God is real; people are all liars” (Romans 3:4).
   
   

2. Trust God’s goodness; He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
   
   

3. Believe God desires to reveal His will, for “the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
   
   

4. Humbly receive instruction, as Psalm 51:10 prays: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” clearing biases and opening our hearts to His Word.
   
   

5. Actively align our thoughts with Scripture, removing worldly distractions: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
   
   

6. Be steadfast in faith, acknowledging that if God’s Word conflicts with my ideas, I am mistaken, not Him.
   
   

Prayer

Dear Father,

Thank You for repeatedly bringing me before You, helping me acknowledge my ignorance and look to Your infinite wisdom. Reveal my errors according to Your truth and goodness. Cleanse my heart, and do not let worldly lies blind my eyes. Help me humbly honor You, trust Your Word wholeheartedly, and become a vessel and mouthpiece for Your truth, proclaiming Your glory. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.