Day 186
Today's Reading:
God cherished Israel as a vine that had once produced fruit. In Hosea 9:13, the Lord said that Ephraim would send their sons off to war, where they would be killed in battle. There was a potential for them to repent and have blessings, but now God rebuked the nation and called for judgment that would bring death to the next generation.
This brings a question about fairness. God does not punish children for their parents’ personal guilt. Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20 both exclaim that the children are not accountable for their parents’ sins. Each person is responsible and stands before God for their own choices.
Yet in Hosea 9, the children of Israel are suffering earthly consequences of their parents’ and society’s sins. The children were sent off to war and caught up in National judgment against Assyria. With Israel, the children were not singled out; it was because society had gone off the deep end. Just like modern parents today, and their mental health issues and drug abuse, their children grow up in poverty and neglect. It is not the child’s fault. When countries make mistakes that lead to wars, both civilians and soldiers pay the price because a whole nation has rejected God.
Even in this moment, grace shines through. God’s ultimate justice is perfect and personal. His love continues to call every generation to repentance and restoration.
Hosea the prophet was called to tell of Israel’s idolatry in deep spiritual adultery, and to pronounce judgment on the leaders, priests, and people. He now shouts of God’s judgment that is imminent, but there was a thread of hope in restoration. It would be a difficult uphill battle to get back to Him. This was a call for repentance. Israel thought that God’s wrath would be short, and repentance would be temporary. They were saying the right words but had no heart.
God wanted to heal them, but the people acted as though He did not see them or remember their sins and adultery. They were having drunken orgies while their kings were being overthrown. In Hosea’s time, four more kings were removed in the Northern Kingdom. Hosea compared it to a baker’s oven. The baker would let the dough rise as the fire builds (passion). Then there were drunken plots that led to assassinations “devouring” rulers. The northern kings, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah were all killed. Foreign powers were draining their resources by paying tribute to Assyria. Israel was like a silly dove, flighty and easily deceived (Hosea 7:11). But God would trap them in judgment. The people would rebel and lie about God. Like a person ignoring warnings, the oven of bad habits would eventually burn down the house.
In chapter 8, Israel claimed to know God, but they were living in rebellion. The calf idol in verse 8:5 referred to the gold calf Jeroboam I set up in Samaria (1 Kings 12). This small foolish act led to destruction. It was all effort for no results. Israel was like a donkey in heat, seeking a mate. They went to Assyria for help but became a vassal, “hired lovers,” committing prostitution, just for protection. God was going to allow Assyria to gather them into exile as the taxes would cause suffering. Building more altars does not equate to holiness. Forgetting God leads to self-reliance.
God was going to cause their agriculture, wine presses, and wheat threshing floor to fail. Their holy days would be meaningless in exile. The people were mocking the true prophets, who faced traps and hatred. Israel was so deeply corrupt that they were like the days of Gibeah (remember the rape of the Levite’s concubine, murder, and civil war from Judges 19-21).
God warned them through the prophets. The nation refused to repent. They were compared to the Flood of Noah’s time, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Babylon. In the New Testament, Jesus knew the world had fallen. Individual repentance is now what matters for eternal destiny. Aren’t you glad that your salvation is not dependent on a rebellious family member, the “crazy neighbor”, or the moral collapse of society! By grace you are saved through faith. How is your city/country living up to God’s expectations? Do you see the failures of those around you? How is the spiritual condition of your family?
Today's Discussion question:
Individual repentance is now what matters for eternal destiny. Aren’t you glad that your salvation is not dependent on a rebellious family member, the “crazy neighbor”, or the moral collapse of society! By grace you are saved through faith. How is your city/country living up to God’s expectations? Do you see the failures of those around you? How is the spiritual condition of your family?
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