PUNISHED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.”

“They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding. My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.”

“I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—a people without understanding will come to ruin!”

“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty.”

“Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’ The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow? Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.”

Hosea 4:9-19

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Chapter 4 of Hosea has served as a great summary of God’s actions against His people after they chose to sin openly in His sight.

First, we found God levying charges against His people, a list of specific transgressions they had committed.

This was followed by God singling out the priests, those He had appointed to be the spiritual leaders of His people, the ones who were supposed to instruct about God’s word and provide guidance pertaining to righteous living. The actions of God’s people served as evidence that the priests had failed in their responsibilities but this wasn’t their only fault because God had witnessed His spiritual leaders sinning in tandem with the people, making them no better.

Both of these prior devotions lead us to today’s message as we look at the closing verses of this chapter, verses where God spells out His judgment for His people which included the priests. We know this because God tells us so in the following opening statement:

“And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.”

Both the priests and the people were guilty in God’s eyes and so they would be punished collectively and repaid for their evil ways.

What would that punishment look like?

God tells us that too.

“They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution.”

“A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.”

The priests and the Israelites they were tasked to guide spiritually had chosen to shift their attention and devotion to false gods and idols, consulting wooden statues and diviner’s rods instead of the God who commanded them to have no other gods before him (Exodus 20:3-4a). Many of the men were even having sex with shrine prostitutes as if immoral practices were akin to holiness or something. Such were the shameful, deplorable ways of the Israelites, spiritually unfaithful practices that God likened to prostitution and adultery, affecting not only the adults but their children as well.

In other words, the adults through their actions were corrupting the very children that God entrusted to their care but note that God would not send His punishment on the children. After all, they were only following the ways of the adults who were supposed to be showing them the right ways to live the life God had given them.

As I read these verses, I couldn’t help but wonder how often this is still happening today.

For in present times, ask yourself these two questions:

How prevalent is adult behavior that God would describe as being spiritually unfaithful, acts that would qualify as nothing short of spiritual infidelity and adultery against Him?

and

How often does this sinful, spiritual infidelity pollute and corrupt children, leading them to believing sinful living is appropriate?

Like we have seen in so many other instances in when we compare our society today to biblical times, we are continuing to repeat the transgressions of the past.

Perhaps we had better remember that God will punish us for our sins. He did it in the days of Hosea and He will do it today because there will never be a time as long as sin exists that God will not oppose it and anyone who chooses to invite it into their lives.

This is a fact you can always count on.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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