Bible Question: According to Hosea, what does it mean to know God? |
Bible Answer: Hosea's use of the phrase, "to know the Lord," in 6:3 and 6:6 is da'at Elohim in the Hebrew. It refers to intimate knowledge; that is, having a personal relationship with God. This kind of knowledge is far different than head-knowledge that many unsaved people possess -- including some who are religious. God's love was revealed through Hosea's faithfulness toward his wife and children. God crafted Hosea's life and preaching to be a demonstration of Elohim's love toward Israel (and by application, to Humankind). In this context, "to know the Lord" means that individual Jews were given the opportunity to be in a personal, and meaningful, relationship with the Lord. The Scripture does not record all the ordinary people who took Hosea's message to heart. But we do know from this Book that Hosea knew God intimately, as is evidenced by his continued, lifelong sharing of Adonai's mercy, grace, and forgiveness. |