The Pursuit of Knowledge
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)
Knowledge is the information, skills and facts acquired through a process of learning, study and research; it is the formulation of truth.
The Lord tells us that to avoid destruction on the paths of life we must be devoted to knowledge, the kind that produces wisdom in us. Knowledge qualifies us to serve God rightly, and from the scripture above we see that the consequences of ignorance are generational.
God's people must always be in pursuit of knowledge; in effect they must become scientists, discoverers of truth. The word "science" comes from the word for knowing. Its whole aim is to make discoveries in diverse fields to advance humanity further, and the world has benefited greatly from these discoveries. Some would even say that science has done more for the world than religion has.
He is wise who seeks after knowledge. We know well that not all knowledge produces constructive results, so we must seek the right knowledge: knowledge that promotes human life and leads us into our inheritance. The Word of God is a great place to begin our journey of knowledge. Remember that knowledge is only potential power until it becomes executed knowledge.
The world is a reflection of knowledge. The angel Gabriel told Daniel that in the latter days knowledge shall increase, and it is this increase in knowledge that has advanced the human race so greatly. Knowledge runs in parallel, so men of the Spirit should also be advancing in knowledge, as natural men are. Solomon said that "through knowledge the righteous will be delivered." We will never deliver the nations into Zion until we seek the knowledge of God for the times. This takes diligence in researching the Scriptures and Church history to decipher the patterns of God.
If you want to deliver yourself, your family, your community or your nation, knowledge must be your starting point. It must be a voracious undertaking, gathering knowledge in the area of your desire: knowledge of the laws of prayer, of the power of God and of wealth; knowledge of science, architecture, business law and more. It is always better to know more than to know less.
Knowledge gives you an advantage. The Bible says, "Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times." They are good stabilisers of destiny. This is why I am an advocate of education, both formal and self-directed. Even though our education systems may be faulty, the process and system they create in your mind are invaluable. Education is a tool that can make your impact on society and life felt. That there are men who have impacted the world without formal education does not undermine its importance or its value in life; they are the exception, not the rule. All the men and women I have read about had an insatiable appetite for knowledge.
In conclusion, there is one education system that I believe must rise to meet the demands of the times: the education system of the Church of Jesus Christ. We have the best curriculum for the human race, but very few facilities, and few facilitators who have thoroughly mastered it.
God said that because they rejected knowledge, they would be rejected from serving Him, because He knows that an ignorant priest will breed an ignorant generation. Your knowledge qualifies or disqualifies you. Do not forget that you are not learning only for yourself, but for your generation. The curse of ignorance is generational, as is the blessing of knowledge. Let us invest in knowledge: the kind that produces champions and world-class citizens of the Kingdom, the kind that makes kings come to the brightness of our rising, knowledge that crowns us with honour.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV)