My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6)
Literally, “for lack of the knowledge.” The particular knowledge that is missing is the knowledge of God, the most essential of all knowledge. Isaiah ascribed the Captivity to such a lack (see on Isa. 5:13). Though God may overlook certain forms of ignorance (see Acts 17:30), He cannot deliberate ignorance of spiritual things (see on Ex. 4:21). The people would inevitably be “destroyed” because of their lack of the essential knowledge. They might have had the knowledge had they put forth the effort to obtain it. Men are held responsible not only for what they know (John 9:41; 15:22, 24; James 4:17), but also for what they might have known had they put forth the effort to obtain essential knowledge (cf. 2 Peter 3:5). There are many who fear that a further investigation of truth will reveal that a change in conduct may be required of them, a change that their sin-loving hearts are unwilling to undertake, and so they deliberately desist from further inquiry. Such willful ignorance God cannot excuse.
Rejected knowledge.
Literally, “rejected the knowledge.” The priest, or perhaps rather the priestly order, is addressed (see vs. 8, 9).
No priest.
This indicates that possibly the principal cause of this ignorance on the part of the people lay at the door of the unfaithful priests, who rejected the knowledge of the true God and His law, which they should have taught the people (see Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:1-9; see on 2 Chron. 15:3).
To me.
That is, to God. The priests whom Jeroboam I appointed when he separated the kingdom of Israel from Judah (see 1 Kings 12:25-33) were not priests of the Lord but priests of the golden calves.