Hosea 8 – 14
Verse 8:2 explains on why Israel is facing judgment:
Still Israel calls out to Me, “Our God, we know you!”
But even with your words of worship, you abandon our agreement.
This becomes a problem with all of history, we tend to drift from God. Why? Satan! It’s really that simple, everything used to wedge between us and God is on purpose. Today the biggest wedge is not other gods but rather no God. Think about science and how it’s used to explain away God. Our psyche is being hammered away from any God. Heck since creation has an explanation that can be demonstrated on a lower level, how can there be a God.
As I sit this morning I wonder if we are on the verge of having another punishment. Hosea prophesied against Israel’s drift, why not now? Revelations seems to be lining up in short order.
Verse 9:1 talks about the perceived joy before the fall:
Don’t rejoice, Israel! Don’t shriek in ecstatic joy like the other nations!
You’ve prostituted yourself and been unfaithful to your God.
You eagerly expect that you’ll get your prostitute’s pay at the threshing floors with a rich harvest.
The image of the prostitute is used often when looking at how we all tend to drift away from God. We sell our souls for the next new trinket. We have dismissed family to strive for work. I moved away from my family only to have them follow and just move away again. It’s normal in today’s world. I am not saying moving is prostituting ourselves to Satan, but it has become an “accepted” wedge driven into that unit.
George Bailey could wait to leave Bedford Falls, only to find it was the most important community in his world.
Verses 11:8 & 9 (actually end of 8) shows God’s grace:
My heart is changed within Me,
and all at once My compassion is stirred up.
9 I will not carry out My burning anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim completely.
For I am God, not a human being; I am the Holy One in your midst;
I won’t unleash My anger for an attack.
God has done this throughout history. Heck Jesus is the ultimate gift to mankind knowing He would most likely be rejected. The amazing grace God has is beyond comprehension.