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These three small chapters as the last chapters of the book of Hosea tell us the story of Israel's past, present, and future. Hosea ends this book in the same way he began it - by driving home his three-part theme:
1) Israel's past is stained with disobedience and rebellion; 2) Israel's future holds the ominous threat of complete destruction that can potentially be diverted, and 3) Israel's present condition that demands an immediate desire to turn from the worship of idols made from man's hands and begin living a life of righteousness.
In fact, the last two verses within these three chapters basically tell the whole story, but let's look at the last thing God says as a remedy for Israel. It's found in Hosea 14:9 - "Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them."
Let's break this last verse apart because it reflects back on the past three chapters.
First, God asks a probing questions and then makes the following statement, "Who is wise? Let him understand these things."
Fine, but what things is the Lord referring to? To begin to understand this comment is to go back to the beginning of our reading today - Hosea 12:1-2. Listen to the indictments God throws at Israel and let's break them apart line by line...
First - "Ephraim feeds on the wind. And pursues the east wind. He daily increases lies and desolation." Obviously, God is very plain in His observation and frustration with Ephraim (which is Israel). The people lie and think nothing of it. The moral judgment of the people has waned. It's much like we see in America today! The liberal left doesn't want to utilize the powers of reason and seek the truth, but rather to create a narrative (a lie) that suits their agenda about a certain story and/or event. I was absolutely amazed when one lawmaker in the U.S. Congress started reading the statistics on a hot topic being discussed in Congress when all of a sudden the Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) stood up and said, "I reject your truth!" Really? Reject truth? How does that work?
Well...that's what happened in Israel. They had made a decision to go out of the way to get their own way, and to believe in their own narrative rather than believe the truth about God, morals, and how to live righteously before a God that will one day bring their actions into judgment.
Second - "Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt." God is furious with Israel as they turn from trusting in Him for protection. Sadly, they as a nation are putting their hopes and trust in making peace treaties with other nations - like Assyria and Egypt. They have rejected God for protection and help, and have instead trusted in other people.
Wow! We do the same things today. We trust in our doctors for our healing more than we do our God. We trust in the security of our jobs to provide for us more than what God can do for us in spite of the fact that He promised in Matthew 6:33 which says, "See first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." God is begging us to allow Him to be our provider. When we put Him first in all that we do - our actions, our words, our thoughts - He desires to reward us for our faithfulness to Him!
Third - "The Lord also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us— That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually."
Now the small nation of Judah is starting to becoming like his fellow nation Israel. Israel has for the most part lost its way, but now Judah is beginning to show acts of disobedience in the same way Israel started - by worshipping other Gods and turning God's truth into nothingness. God reminds them of their beginning as He speaks of their ancestorial father, Jacob (who's name became Israel) and how he was a lover of God and fought to seek God's favor.
In the end, God provides the remedy to future punishment - "Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually." In other words, God is begging them to go back to the moral code He established with Moses long ago. It's obvious that mercy and justice were becoming lost. Imagine that! Justice has been lost. And mercy cannot be found in the courts or within the hearts of the people.
At the time of this writing, I see this beginning to happen in the United States. I'm sure it's also happening around the world as well, but the USA was always a beacon of hope and a foundation of people of believed in God and followed His Word. But today, we are beginning to see changes in our moral fabric almost monthly. The worship of ourselves has become the biggest problem. We only want to believe in what "we" believe. We want to be our own god.
Christianity, the idea of following Christ, is fast becoming a malignant tumor in society. Surprisingly, many Congressional leaders are changing their mind about Christianity and what it has to offer. People don't want the truth if it has to do with God's truth. They don't want prayer in schools, even though we know scientifically that prayer works! They don't want the Bible to "infect" people's minds, even though our own Constitution and way of life from the beginning when our founding father's established this country and built it on the back of the Judeo-Christian ethic.
Like the old saying, "If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it."
What do you think? Can you see how society in our world is following in the same immoral footsteps of Israel and Judah? How do you think God feels? What do you think He's going to do about it?
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