REAPING A WHIRLWIND

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

“Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken My covenant and rebelled against My law. Israel cries out to Me, ‘Our God, we acknowledge You!’ But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him. They set up kings without My consent; they choose princes without My approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.”

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants. For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers. Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king.”

“Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning. I wrote for them the many things of My law, but they regarded them as something foreign. Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the Lord is not pleased with them. Now He will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.”

Hosea 8

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

Have you ever seen a whirlwind?

I believe everyone has but they probably have used different terms to describe the weather phenomenon which is sometimes used as an analogy for other things in life. These terms may include tornado, cyclone, hurricane, typhoon, twister, or even dust devil.

When we think about a whirlwind in this perspective, I think the first thing that comes to mind is the destructive nature of these occurrences, damage that typically comes from the force of the significant wind against objects that can be moved or ripped apart. If you’ll recall any imagery of the aftermath of a tornado or hurricane, you can definitely attest to the devastation that occurs.

This matter of damage caused by storm is central to Chapter 8 of Hosea as we see God using it to illustrate the judgment He was about to bring on His people. Look again at His words here:

“Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken My covenant and rebelled against My law. Israel cries out to Me, ‘Our God, we acknowledge You!’ But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him. They set up kings without My consent; they choose princes without My approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.”

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants. For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers. Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king.”

“Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning. I wrote for them the many things of My law, but they regarded them as something foreign. Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the Lord is not pleased with them. Now He will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.”  Hosea 8

Note here the whirlwind God is talking about was coming in the way of the attackers He was sending to exact judgment on His people, the Assyrians against the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians against the southern kingdom of Judah. These forces would “swallow up” the Israelites and destroy their land, taking anything of value that they owned before hauling them off into captivity. A once proud country that was revered and envied by other nations would now be just a shell of its former self, a country that God likened to “something no one wants.”

Here’s the worse part of all this?

The people of God brought it on themselves. They reaped the whirlwind of obliteration that came upon them.

So what did the Israelites do to reap God’s judgment?

God tells us the following reasons in His word:

1. The people had broken their covenant with God, rebelling against His law.

“Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken My covenant and rebelled against My law.”

God had promised to be the God of the Israelites as long as they would be His people, remaining obedient and loyal to His will and way. But the people of God decided to turn away from Him and instead give their devotion to false gods and idols, actions that clearly broke their covenant with Him.

2. The people rejected what was good.

“Israel has rejected what is good.”

The only way to live in goodness, to live in a way that was pleasing in God’s sight, was to live in His righteousness, something that required a resolute commitment to Him in everything a person would do. Unfortunately, we know the people were unfaithful to God and immersed in spiritual adultery, evidence that they had clearly rejected what was good.

3. The people set up kings without consent.

“They set up kings without My consent; they choose princes without My approval.”

In the days leading up to God sending judgment, the Israelites reached a point where they didn’t think it was prudent to consult God regarding the leaders they appointed. After King Jeroboam II, five different kings ruled over Israel over a fifteen year period, three of which took over the throne through violence.

4. The people made idols and worshiped them.

“With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.”

“They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.”

“Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning.”

This was perhaps the greatest sin that the Israelites committed against God for He had clearly commanded that there were to be no other gods before Him and that no worship was to be directed anywhere except to Him. And yet, the people of God decided to give their attraction and attention to the pagan gods and idols of the day, essentially abandoning God in their spiritual lives, something that wasn’t going to set well with Him.

5. The people tried to pay other nations for protection.

“Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.”

“They have sold themselves among the nations.”

God had always protected His people with a power that was unrivaled. And yet, the Israelites decided to sell out to other nations and ironically, Assyria was one of them, the nation that would soon attack and be used as an instrument of God’s judgment.

6. The people acted like they had no understanding of God’s commands, laws, or decrees.

“I wrote for them the many things of My law, but they regarded them as something foreign.”

God had not kept His expectations secret. Rather, He had clearly delineated what He wanted His people to do and how He wanted them to live. It was given to the Israelites in plain language but their sinful behavior showed God that they didn’t desire to be obedient to His wishes. Rather, they behaved as if God’s orders had been issued in a language they didn’t understand.

This was the lengthy list of wicked acts God’s people carried out as they instigated His wrath and reaped His whirlwind of judgment, a judgment that would include:

1. Destruction of the idols.

“This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.”

Anything worshiped outside of God needed to be obliterated and God promised to do just that.

2. Famine.

“The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up.”

“They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king.”

If the Israelites had chosen to not bless the Lord with their devotion then they would find out what it would be like living without His blessing of provision.

3. Punishment through destruction.

“He will remember their wickedness and punish their sins.”

“I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.”

When the Assyrians and Babylonians attacked the north and south respectively, the scriptures clearly paint a picture of utter devastation as the nation was plundered and left in smoldering ruin by a fire sent by God that consumed all their fortresses.

This is what happens when a whirlwind comes, no matter its form, either physically or figuratively.

So where do we stand today?

Are we sowing the seeds of complete, uncompromising devotion and dedication to God, a life attitude that will lead us to reaping righteousness and blessings?

Or will we, like the Old Testament Israelites of Hosea’s day, sow sin and wickedness through living in opposition to God’s word, will, and way, subsequently reaping the whirlwind of His destruction?

These are questions we had better carefully ponder for no one should want to find themselves in the midst of God’s punishing storm.

Not now. Not ever.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com