“You do not understand the war that you are in. If I were to show you the vast array of weapons that your adversary has, allow you to see in the spiritual realm the might of the forces that have been sent against you, and show you how incapably you have engaged in the war that is yours, you would cease to exist. Your presence on the earth would be a dim memory. You need to remember something. You are engaged in a war. It is not an option for you. You either join with Me to do battle My way, or you do battle your way and lose, just as you have been doing for so long.

"Your battle is spiritual, and it must be fought with spiritual weapons to have any effect. Most of you have never even done so much as examine closely My intended use for the weapons that I have provided for you. You have only observed the flailing gymnastics that have been purported to be My power at work. Those foolish gyrations have done little to stem the darkness. In fact, because of their ineffectiveness, many of My people have walked away from the battlefront in disgust. They have been nullified because of the false power portrayed by so-called leaders.

"You, My people, have become numb to the real focus of your lives and hamstrung by your perceptions of what that life is all about. Now, if I were to show you My power in comparison to that of the enemy, you would never be the same. If you will spend the kind of time with Me that I desire, I will show you the real war and the overwhelming power that I possess. I would also show you how to succeed My way.”

 2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV

15) When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.

16) “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17) And Elisha prayed, “Oh Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Hosea 4:6 AMP 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge…

The verses in 2 Kings are self-explanatory. They portray the provision for the people of God, if only they would open their eyes.

Hosea 4:6 is not so self-explanatory and has been misquoted and misused for centuries. Satan has blinded the church for many years with his interpretation of the intent of the verse.

The common use for the verse is the part, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” It has been used for everything from gaining more wisdom, to seeking the Lord more, to making sure that you spend more time in the Word. All of these have their place.

However, God intended the verse to have a different impact. He was chastising His people for their rejection of knowledge, which caused helpless, unknowing people to perish. His heart was breaking for those who had no knowledge because His people - who were supposed to teach them - could share nothing with them because they had nothing to give. They had rejected real knowledge.

It is the same today.  You and I are being trained to reign as priests and kings. We are supposed to be utilizing our privilege of coming before our Lord’s throne of grace to receive the grace needed for everything. We are called to learn absolute truth from Him. Instead, we learn from those who spend little time with God, traditions, and mythical stories. People are perishing in the church and in the world because we, the priestly nation, have the real source of knowledge but never really go to the well to drink.

May Your thoughts and Your ways be ours, O God,

Jim Corbett