Hosea 5 - 10.31.23
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 5:4 "Their actions do not allow them to return to their God, for a spirit of promiscuity is among them, and they do not know the Lord."
OBSERVATION: The children of Israel had become so unfaithful to God's laws that they had a hard time recognizing truth from error, or good from evil. Hosea called this a "spirit of promiscuity". Their heart's had become so hardened that they were no longer even feeling guilty about their sin!
UNDERSTANDING: God had been so faithful to them by bringing them out of captivity. He chose them, redeemed them, brought them out of their pagan lifestyle, and gave them promises, but over time their consciences had become seared. Hosea likened it to a promiscuous wife.
"I will depart and return to My place until they recognize their guilt and seek My face; they will search for Me in their distress." (v 15).
Hosea directed the nation of Israel to return to the Lord.
Sin has devastating results! "They knew God, but they did not glorify Him or show gratitude. Instead their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, Who is praised forever". (Romans 1:21-25). Paul was addressing this portion of Scripture to the Roman empire, but it also pertains to all societies that have been here since the beginning of time regarding our natural human tendency to sin against God. We've ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!
APPLICATION: Even as believers, if we tune our conscience into the value of the world's systems, our heart's will become hardened just like the children of Israel. In order to properly tune our conscience, we need to turn to God, and apply His Word to our lives. The goal of God's instruction in love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, although they don't understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on." ( 1 Timothy 1:5-7).
PRAYER: I pray I will always have the desire to stay close to God and allow His Word to penetrate my heart so that I can be an effective witness for Christ. I pray I will never deviate from the truth of His Word.
We have ALL sinned, and have fallen short of God's standard of righteousness, but God, in His love sent His Son, Jesus to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. If we accept Jesus as the One Who died in our place, and put our faith in Him, we are forgiven and become righteous in God's sight.
I pray for the ones who still need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. I pray God will use me to share the gospel so they are able to hear and receive the truth that ALL who turn to God, confess their sins, and believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord will be saved!
- Robin Orefice
