Our Daily Scripture – 12/29/24 (Sunday)

SCRIPTURE:  HOSEA 8

ISRAEL TO REAP THE WHIRLWIND (vs, 1-14)

WHAT THE ISRAELITES HAD DONE:

  1. They rejected what is good. (v. 3)
  2. They set up kings without God’s consent. (v. 4a)
  3. They choose princes without God’s approval. (v. 4b)
  4. They make silver and gold idols for themselves to their own destruction. (v. 4c)
  5. They have gone up to Assyria. (v. 9)
  6. They have sold themselves among the nations. (v. 10)
  7. They built many altars for sin offerings but these have become altars for sinning. (v. 11)
  8. They regard God’s law as something alien. (v. 12)
  9. They offer sacrifices given to God and they eat the meat. (v. 13)
  10.  They had forgotten their Maker. (v. 14)

GOD’S RESPONSE TO THE ISRAELITES:

  1. An enemy will pursue them. (v. 3)
  2. The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces. (v. 6)
  3. Foreigners will swallow their grains. (v. 7)
  4. They will be swallowed up by nations and become worthless. (v. 8)
  5. God will remember their wickedness and punish their sins. (v. 13)
  6. God will send fire upon their cities and consume their fortresses. (v. 14)

THOUGHTS:

A trumpet was blown in Israel to warn them of impending battles.  They claimed to know God but disobeyed Him.  They made kings and rulers without seeking God’s will.  They made idols in defiance of the Lord.  An eagle will swap them down and whirlwind come to destroy the famous calf of Samaria.

Israel trusted the gentile nations to protect them and left God out of their plans.  They multiplied altars and fortifications but they will be judged.  At the end, Israel was taken by Assyria while Jerusalem by Babylon.  When we seek security from others except God, we are exposing ourselves to great danger.  God is the only lasting security we can depend upon.

The people of Israel had the ritual of sacrificing offerings to God.  But they were doing it without sincere hearts.  Today, we also have rituals of going to church, taking communion and prayer.  Be careful to think about why we do them.  It must be performed with sincere devotion.

Israel had paced its confidence in military strength, strong defenses and economic stability.  But the inner morality of the people were decaying because they had removed God.  There is also a tendency for us to remove traces of God from our daily life.  Remember that without our Maker, we don’t have the strength to stand firm in any test and trials.