Rebuking Destructive Behavior
Hosea 4:1-6, 12-14
Israel was in deep trouble and did not seem to be concerned about it or even realize it. As Hosea begins his sermon, he brings a list of charges against Israel. The basis for the sins can be found in verse one when he says there is “no acknowledgement of God in the land.” In the world in which we live, this reads like today’s paper. There is little or no acknowledgment of God or of sin. One person’s belief is to be considered as much truth as anybody else’s. Our world today scoffs at the concept of sin or the idea that there is such a thing as absolute truth. Consequently, the people of Israel had been on a downward slope, and it had affected the very land in which they lived. Hosea confronts their sin and reminds them they can know God’s truth about right and wrong.
Spiritual decay (Hosea 4:1). Few phrases are as rich and expressive as “knowledge of God.” It means far more than mere understanding with the mind. This knowledge is an inward feeling that God is real; it means an insight into His true nature. The people had lost a true knowledge of God. They weren’t concerned because they did not know Him. Their worship of God had become mechanical in form, to the exclusion of God. When God is absent from man’s mind and heart, worship and life become empty and meaningless. When God is absent, man will seek after something, anything to fill his void.
Lawless society (Hosea 4:2-3). Each of the sins mentioned by Hosea relates to God’s law given at Sinai and the covenant based on obedience. In Hebrew, each of these five phrases is an absolute. Like Israel, we, too, have a problem with absolutes. As a result, the people had come to ignore even the simplest of laws related to human values and decent conduct. They had become a lawless people because they rebelled against God’s perfect word and will for man.
Failed leadership (Hosea 4:4-6). Verse 4 forms a transition between the charges against the people and charges against the priest. The nation is in this condition because the priests who were responsible for teaching the people failed to teach the truth. Israel had been set apart from the heathen nations, and God had spoken to her in a unique way and chosen her for his redemptive purpose. Because the leaders rejected knowledge of God, the people did the same. By rejecting God, Israel placed herself on the same level as her pagan neighbors. Now Israel was lost in a maze of false worship.
Polluted (sick) religion (Hosea 4:12-14). Let the following phrases jump out at you: “Ignored the law, sinned against me, exchanged their glory, relished their wickedness, deserted the Lord,” and others. Israel was more influenced by pagan practices than by God’s Word. This spiritual sickness spread from town to town and from home to home. God rebuked His people for their idolatry, immoral behavior and foolish religious practices. We need to forsake these things that dishonor God and lead us into disobedience of His commands.
Davis– Lessons in the ETB series for the winter quarter are being written by Ron Davis, director of missions for Greenville Baptist Association.