During a recent political debate, I was disappointed by the responses of both candidates about the topic of abortion. Both speakers failed to address the reality of someone taking the life of a child. Sadly, things like this have turned into complex debates instead clear-cut statements of what God says. Why is that? I think that many people in our country are more versed in political arguments than what God actually says in the Bible. Like ancient Israel, we are becoming less knowledgeable about God and more tolerant of sin.
Perhaps our study in Hosea will help us to see things more clearly.
- What does it say?
Hosea 4:1-3 – The Lord brought a charges against the children of Israel. There was no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God in the land. The people had no restraint when it came to sinful behavior. Because of those things, the land would mourn and the people, animals, birds, and fish would waste away.
Hosea 4:4-6 – All of the people were corrupt, so they had no right to contend with others. They and their prophet would stumble, and their mother would be destroyed. God’s people were destroyed due to a lack of knowledge. Because they had rejected knowledge, God chose to reject them from being a priest for Him. Because they forgot the law, He would forget their children.
Hosea 4:7-10 – As the population grew so did their sin against God. God promised to change their glory to shame. They were gobbling up the sin of God’s people and were focused on iniquity. Eventually, the people and priest would be the same. So, God would reward their actions. They would eat but not have enough. They would commit harlotry but not increase in number. This would happen because they had ceased obeying the Lord.
Hosea 4:11-14 – Harlotry and drinking had enslaved them. God’s people were seeking counsel from wooden idols. The mindset of harlotry had caused them to stray from God. They offered sacrifices and burned incense on the mountaintops under various shade trees. Because of this, their daughters and brides were immoral. Surprisingly, God stated that he would not punish their daughters and brides because the men themselves were doing the same. Because of this, the ignorant people would be trampled.
Hosea 4:15-19 – God did not want Judah to follow Israel’s example. They were not to go up there or to swear an oath in the Lord’s name. Israel was like a stubborn calf, so the Lord would let them wander like a lost lamb. Ephraim was to be left alone due to idolatry. They drank rebellion and harlotry. Her rulers loved this dishonor. The wind would soon blow Ephraim away and leave her ashamed. - What does it mean?
The knowledge of God keeps people from sin (Hosea 4:6).
One of the most striking statements in this chapter is found in verse 6. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The people of Israel had at one time been one nation under God. But now, after many years, they had turned away from God and become increasingly wicked. What had caused this change? It was a lack of knowledge.
Do you remember what King Jeroboam did at the beginning of his rule? He kept his people from going to Jerusalem for worship by placing two golden calves in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:25-33). By doing this, the people would stay in his territory and away from the influence of the southern king. Sadly, the people obeyed their king and soon were led astray from God. Each generation knew less about God and this allowed idolatry to take His place.
The judgment of God keeps people from satisfaction (Hosea 4:10).
The Israelites grew larger in population but also grew in sinfulness. They became so enamored by their sin that they were like someone gobbling up food. But this enjoyment would not last long. God promised to send judgment that would decrease their satisfaction. For example, they would eat but never have enough. They would practice sexual immorality but they would have less children. God’s judgment kept them from being satisfied with their actions.
God had promised this to the Israelites when they were still in the wilderness. If they obeyed Him, they would enjoy His blessings (Deut. 28:1-14). But if they rejected Him, they would experience His curses (Deut. 28:15-68). After many years of living in sin, they were now experiencing the curses God had promised. Although they continued sinning against God, they slowly began to find that it wasn’t as fulfilling as they thought it had been.
The warning of God keeps people from bad influences (Hosea 4:15).
To this point, God had been talking to Israel. But toward the end of the chapter, He warned Judah not to offend Him as Israel had. They weren’t to travel to their towns because Israel would be a bad influence on them. They were stubborn like a stray calf. They were idolatrous and loved rebellion. For this reason, they were to be left alone.
Time would soon reveal the end result of their rebellion against God. They would fall in battle or be taken away into captivity. And those who were with them would face the same judgment. So, God showed to Judah the wisdom of staying away from their bad influence. - How does it apply?
You need to learn about God to avoid sin.
Israel’s problem was a lack of knowledge about God. They no longer knew who He was or even cared about what God had revealed. Sadly, this lack of knowledge kept them from knowing the wonderful God who had created them and designed how things would best work.
How well do you know the Lord? There is no doubt that many Christians have read quite a bit of the Bible—maybe even read the whole thing several times. But how well do you know Him? As you read the Bible or hear messages from it, are you learning who He is, what He is like, and how He has designed for us to live?
This is something that takes time. You need to dedicate time each day to reading the Bible, meditating on it, and talking with God. As you do this, your knowledge of Him and His ways will grow. And as you implement what you learn into your life, God will keep you from falling and will bless your life.
You need to realize that sin will not satisfy your lusts.
There are many people who have given their lives to sinful lusts. The names Epstein and Diddy are well known for people who indulged in a sinful lifestyle and got many people involved in the same things. But were they satisfied? They may have enjoyed pleasure for a moment, but they were never really satisfied.
God has designed certain things in life for us to enjoy in moderation. We are thankful for the joy He has designed for us. But those who gobble up sin and live for pleasure will never find the true satisfaction that comes from knowing, loving, and serving the Lord. Sin looks good from the outside, but those who are enslaved by it (Hosea 4:11) never find true satisfaction. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived.
You need to stay away from bad influences.
I found it interesting that God warned Judah about Israel toward the end of the chapter. He didn’t want the southern kingdom to even travel up to the northern kingdom because of their bad influence. If they had gone up to them, they could have been convinced to turn away from the Lord and then God’s judgment would have fallen on them as well.
The truth is that “evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33). Paul made this statement to the Corinthians who were being influenced by false teaching. Instead of falling in with bad companions and being turned away from God, they were to wake up, be righteous, and keep themselves from sin. It is interesting that Paul finished these warnings by saying “some do not have the knowledge of God.” In other words, be careful of those who don’t know the Lord as they can influence you to turn away from God.
While we are not called to live on a tall pole away from evil influence, we are called to make a difference in the world. Instead of letting bad companions influence you, be a strong pillar of righteousness in your community. Stand up for what is right. Be an influence for good. Tell others the truth about God so that can learn to love and serve Him, too.
Conclusion
While we may cringe while reading the Book of Hosea, we have to realize that it was written both for Israel (so they would repent and turn back to God), for Judah (so they wouldn’t be influenced toward evil), and for us (so that we will see how bad it gets when people turn from the Lord). Sadly, our country is much like ancient Israel. The search for satisfaction is never ending and the amount of sin keeps growing. Let’s take God’s warnings and be what we should. Perhaps we can be an influence for God during such a time as this.