I’ve met many people who were at rock bottom. Praise God they met Jesus, and their lives changed. Here is a common and tragic story of some of those people.
Once they get healthy and a good job making money, they leave Jesus behind.
They are not alone. Hosea experienced the same thing with his audience in the 8th Century B.C.
Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars. (Hosea 10.1-2)
God’s desire goes beyond merely solving our problems and meeting our needs. He wants to be our friend and offer the greatest gift of all: a genuine relationship with Him.
When we exchange solving problems and material blessings for this relationship or mix our devotion to Him with devotion to lesser gods, He is compelled to intervene.
The phrase “Their heart is false” highlights the real issue. When we use God for our purposes, we prioritize our needs and desires as the most important aspect of our lives, instead of placing God above all.
The Deception of Politics
It’s astounding to consider that Americans will spend $10 billion to elect a president in 2024. This amount of money reflects the great trust we place in our government officials to provide for our needs.
In Hosea’s time, they didn’t elect their officials; instead, they had a king who was supposed to be anointed by God. The king’s duty was to provide for the nation’s people and ensure their safety.
For now they will say:
“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord,
and a king—what could he do for us?”
They utter mere words;
with empty oaths they make covenants;
so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field. (Hosea 10.3-4)
The things Israel’s kings did are summarized in verse 4. They wanted leadership, protection, and justice from the king.
What they got was a sham. The king talked a lot, made many pledges, and concluded international treaties, but none of this helped the country.
The justice, order, and equity, that the king was supposed to have provided, turned out to be treachery, like poisonous plants in a food-producing field. Where good food was sought, poison was found.
Hosea and Isaiah both understood a crucial truth: human leadership, lacking trust in God, is destined to fail. We must align ourselves with God and His will for leaders to successfully guide us.
While we listen to $10 billion worth of political ads in 2024, we would do well to remember the truth that Hosea and Isaiah present to us.
The House of Trouble
Bethel is supposed to be the house of God. Hosea renamed the place Beth-aven, the house of trouble.
When you erect a substitute for God in the house of God, you make it a house of trouble.
The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
for the calf of Beth-aven.
Its people shall mourn for it,
and its idolatrous priests shall wail over it,
over its glory that has departed from it.
The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
as tribute to the great king.
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol. (Hosea 10.5-6)
The centerpiece of Israel’s sin was a golden calf in the house of God. Israel became more the people of the golden calf than the people of God.
They rejected Jehovah and his demands for social justice and chose whom they would serve: a powerless god, a golden trinket that God would exile along with his former covenant people.
This is the idol they kissed, sacrificed to, and called their glory.
We do well to look at the customs that surround our worship of God. Let’s make sure we are not devoted to a substitute for God instead of the genuine article.
A Chip on the Waters
Isaiah said that the nations compared to God’s greatness like a drop from a bucket. Hosea said the mighty king of Israel was no more than a chip of wood floating on the sea.
Samaria’s king shall perish
like a chip on the face of the waters.
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars.
They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
and to the hills, “Fall on us.” (Hosea 10.7-8)
Israel had a misplaced confidence in their king and the corrupt practice of merging their religion with Baal worship. They were utterly powerless before the mighty God of the universe.
When they recognized God’s greatness, they called to the mountains to hide them, overwhelmed by His might.
This serves as another reminder to prioritize God in our lives. Politicians and political power will not aid us.
Mixing the Gospel of Jesus with American culture is not to our advantage.
When we face God, He is the Ultimate Authority and Concern. It is wise to recognize Him as such today.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 