Context, Context, Context!

Whether a person is buying or renting a house, the old adage rings true:  "Location, location, location!"  In Sydney the closer a house is to the city the more valuable it is.  Small studios command millions of dollars because of their proximity to the Sydney CBD (Central Business District).  The location dictates the value of a property more than the quality of construction, the square footage, or how new the development is.  Location is the primary commodity.  A postage-stamp lot in the city translates to more dollars than acres in the bush.

There is a similar principle concerning "location" in the Bible.  People quote scripture to verify their claims, but the immediate context will show how valuable and trustworthy an interpretation is.  Respecting the context of a passage helps us to know more than what was said but to whom and why it was said.  This has enormous implications in understanding and applying the text to our lives personally.  When Paul exhorted Timothy as a student of scripture to "rightly" divide the Word of truth he implied it can be handled wrongly by ignorance or even deceit.  Even as safeguards are taken when handling necessary and useful but potentially hazardous substances, Christians must be cautious to ensure we consider the context of a Bible passage before we utilise it to validate claims.

I recently saw a presentation which emphasised the importance of understanding the true facts of history some allegedly have tried to cover up.  The narrator quoted from Orwell's 1984:  "Those who control the past control the future."  It was then followed up with a snippet of scripture where God said through the prophet Hosea, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge."  All this was to conclude the value and necessity of all the evidence which had been presented and how important this revelation was for people to know.  Now I have heard this passage quoted many times for various reasons.  The burning question is, what knowledge were the people lacking when the prophet spoke these words?  Was it historical or secret information?  It is the immediate context in scripture which will prove to the discerning mind if it was quoted appropriately in the presentation.  To answer this question, I opened my Bible.  If someone quotes from the Bible to make a point, we ought to see what the context is to verify it.

Let us read Hosea 4:1-6 (bold emphasis mine):  "Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. ² By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. ³ Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away. ⁴ "Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; for your people are like those who contend with the priest. ⁵ Therefore you shall stumble in the day; the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother. ⁶ 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."

From the text there are two specific references to the lack of knowledge which lead to the destruction of God's people:  a lack of the knowledge of God (verse 1) and the rejection/forgetfulness of the knowledge of God's law (verse 6).  It is true God's people perished for a lack of knowledge, but it was not just any kind of knowledge.  God revealed Himself to His people and gave them His laws so they could live.  Because the people did not know God or walk in His ways they were perishing.  The passage does tell us the knowledge the people lacked and therefore reveals the Hosea quote in the presentation was used out of context.  For a Christian who searches the scriptures the partially quoted verse weakens the argument instead of strengthening it.  Looking at the verse in context shows the Orwell quote was much more suitable than the biblical reference.

When it comes to reading and quoting scripture, "Context, context, context!"  Reading passages in context helps us understand what God has said, what He means, and how to apply it personally in my life.  Knowledge of history is one thing, but knowing God is indispensable for life.  Blessed is the man who knows God and His law, the one who walks in His truth, mercy, and wisdom.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 supplies a relevant conclusion:  "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."