Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Hosea 4: 4-6)

God's people are destroyed by lack of knowledge. The Hebrew can also be translated as "God's people are cut-off by lack of discernment."

The Hebrew da'ath is much more than what we usually mean by knowledge. When we say someone is smart, we do not automatically mean someone is wise.

To have da'ath is to be perceptive, skilled, knowledgable, discerning, and wise. It is not just to know the parts, but to understand the whole.

The priests are accused of having rejected da'ath. The priests have misled the people. Both priests and people are in need of redemption.

Historical and archeological evidence suggests priests of the Northern Kingdom were receptive to external cultural and religious influence.

Any close reading of scripture acknowledges a diverse religious heritage. Much of what we think we know of God has its origins outside scripture.

What is essential to our understanding of God? How do we discern God's intention? How do we distinguish God's preference from our own preferences?