James rightly understood the value of self-examination.
But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
For they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like (James 1.22-24).
When Cassidy Hutchinson, a White House aide during the Trump administration, prepared to testify before the House Committee on January 6th, one of her advisors suggested she take the “mirror test.”
They advised her to look in the mirror and ask herself: “What kind of person do I want to see reflected back at me after I’ve done this?”
Similarly, it is beneficial for us to undertake a mirror test, asking ourselves key questions: “Am I doing God’s will?
“Am I deceiving myself, or am I following the path He is guiding me on? Is this the person I aspire to be in the coming years?”
Both individuals and nations benefit from taking the mirror test. God provides prophets and the Bible as tools to help us reflect on and evaluate ourselves.
Regrettably, God’s tragic assessment of Israel in the 8th century BC serves as a stark example of what happens when we don’t honestly look at our behavior.
God’s Mirror Test
The ruling elite of Israel in the 8th century BC refused to look at themselves and evaluate their behavior. God sent Hosea the prophet to reflect to them what he saw.
When I would restore the fortunes of my people,
when I would heal Israel,
the corruption of Ephraim is revealed,
and the wicked deeds of Samaria,
for they deal falsely;
the thief breaks in,
and the bandits raid outside.
But they do not consider
that I remember all their wickedness.
Now their deeds surround them;
they are before my face.
By their wickedness they make the king glad,
and the officials by their treachery. (Hosea 7.1-3)
The false prophets claim that we can continue in sin and still receive God’s blessings and well-being.
However, God knows this to be untrue and sends His true prophets to declare the necessity of repentance for healing.
God desires to heal humans, but He cannot do so as long as they remain in their sin. Healing without repentance leads to the dangerous belief that sin has no consequences when in reality, it is disastrous.
Israel refused to look in the mirror and examine their behavior, yet their attitudes and actions were always in full view of God.
Corruption deeply infiltrated Israel’s government, with priests and prophets siding with the elite in oppressing the vulnerable.
A notable example of this corruption was the frequent assassination of their rulers, one after another, from 760 BC until 722 BC, when Assyria ultimately destroyed the nation.
Like an Oven
Once again, let’s look at the counsel of the Lord’s brother.
You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,
For human anger does not produce God’s righteousness (James 1.19-20).
Human anger does not produce God’s righteousness. In fact, it usually produces just the opposite.
Hosea reflected on the anger of Israel’s leaders.
They are all adulterers;
they are like a heated oven
whose baker does not need to stir the fire
from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
On the day of our king the officials
became sick with the heat of wine;
he stretched out his hand with mockers.
For they are kindled like an oven; their heart burns within them;
all night their anger smolders;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven,
and they devour their rulers.
All their kings have fallen;
none of them calls upon me. (Hosea 7.4-7)
Hosea pictured the anger of the nation’s leaders using the metaphor of a hot oven.
This anger simmered during the night, fueling their thoughts of revenge and preventing sleep. It consumed them, driving them to join with mockers.
In the Bible, the term “mocker” or “scoffer” is the strongest label for an enemy of God’s purposes. Not only do mockers commit wrongdoing but also incite others to do the same.
Intense anger led these leaders to collaborate with mockers. In addition, they refused to call on the Lord for guidance.
Our Response
The first step in responding to Hosea’s message is to take a moment for self-reflection.
Let’s look in the mirror, and evaluate our lives, “Is this the person I want to become? Will my current behavior lead to the kind of life God intends for me?”
The second step involves considering the nation we live in. While we may not have the power to change the nation ourselves, we can communicate with God about its issues.
Let’s be in prayer to entrust the concerns of our nation and the world to the Lord.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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