Dwell in the Word: Hosea 8:1-14

Consider these questions as you dwell in Hosea 8:1-14:

1. Pastor Mark highlights Israel's descent into idolatry and consequent punishment. In contemporary times, how can individuals discern and address their own tendencies towards idolatry, even in subtle or modern forms? What steps can one take to refocus their priorities and center their lives on God rather than on created things?

2. The passage describes the consequences of idolatry, where Israel's reliance on fortresses and human-made defenses fails to protect them from destruction. How does this narrative resonate with modern-day attempts to find security in material possessions, accomplishments, or human strength? What lessons can be drawn about true security and reliance on God?

3. Idolatry, both in ancient times and today, involves the elevation of created things above God. How does this passage challenge individuals to reassess their priorities and reorient their hearts towards Christ as the ultimate source of hope, strength, and security? What practical steps can one take to ensure that God remains at the center of their lives?

Transcript:

 Oh, Israel, things are not going well for you and for Judah and for Ephraim. Nothing good is happening here, is it? Even when they make claims that they are following God, God exposes their idolatry and their wickedness. And we see this right as we come to verse 2 here. To me they cry, my God, we, Israel, know you.

In other words, they're saying, hey God, we know you, this is good, but you're saying we don't know you. Yeah, God is not buying it. Notice what we see in verse 3. Israel has spurned the good. The enemy shall pursue him. They are going to be punished, regardless of what they have to say. And so, what is, what is the charge being made against them here as we come to verse 4, that they made kings, but not through me.

In other words, they were not seeking to do things God's way. They did not consult him. They did not consider his standards. Instead, they did their own thing. They set up princes, but God didn't have anything to do with it. And then here's the big one. With their silver and gold, they made idols for their own destruction.

In other words, they have made idols. They have followed the path of idolatry. They have violated God's... Command and we see in verse six for it is from Israel a craftsman made it is not God and we know this we understand this about idolatry, right? And in fact, it's the number one thing that that blows my mind How would I worship something that I know a craftsman made?

Uh, with some wood and a knife or by refining silver and gold and shaping it to what they want. Why would I worship that when I know that it was made by the hands of a man?  But what has God promised? That these, this calf of Samaria that we broke into pieces. And what is the big, uh, big statement here? For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.

They have done this to themselves by their idolatry. And there's been punishment for them. The standing grain has no heads, it'll yield no flower. But if it were to yield, someone else would come in and they would devour it. They would take it away from them. And we see as the passage ends up. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.

As they shall return, to Egypt. Now, what's being meant here?  Are they going to go to vacation in Egypt? Is it nicer there in the spring? No, the idea is that they are going into bondage. They are going into slavery. They are going to be taken away does not necessarily mean that they're going to be in bondage in Egypt.

It's the Old Testament idea of being in slavery Right? And so why is this happening for Israel has forgotten his maker and built palaces and Judah's multiplied fortified cities? So, I send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds.  What is the issue? This idolatry. This thinking that they can protect themselves, that they can reject God, and do things on their own.

Well, God is going to cause people to come in. Even though they have built fortresses to protect from this, they are still going to be punished by these outside forces. They are going to come. They will tear down the cities, they will devour the strongholds. God is going to punish them through these people coming to bring them into exile.

And so as we think about this passage, you know, um, we're not worried about this so much, right?  But we need to take a look at  what we should be considering here, right? We all are guilty of having something in our life that we set up. as an idol. And no matter what that is, it is going to not have the power of God.

We, while we look down at those who maybe had something whittled by someone or had gold or silver formed into something that these people worshiped, everything that we put above God in our life that is an idol is something that we have made, whether we've built it up in our heads, whether we have made it ourselves, or it's something that we've purchased.

Our idolatry is ultimately no different than what has happened here. Now, we're not bowing down and worshiping it, but we are putting it above God. We are making that our stronghold, that where we find our security. And so may we find our security, and may we find our hope in Christ alone, because he is the one who has forgiven us of this sin of idolatry, and he is the one ultimately that can only give us hope.

For he is our strength. He is our salvation. He is our stronghold.