Scripture Text: Hosea 4:10-19
They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish.
Hosea 4:10
Those in opposition of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) object to its prevalent use as a sugar substitute because of possible negative health effects. Although research so far has been inconclusive, some nutritional experts believe fructose inhibits the release of leptin, a hormone that causes a feeling of satisfaction and controls the appetite. They argue that foods high in HFCS cause consumers to eat without feeling full.
Sin has a similar, more powerful effect. Israel is the case study, and the evidence is clear: their appetite for sin never waned. Their problem wasn’t a lack of spiritual hunger; they were just always eating at the wrong table.
Today’s passage catalogs Israel’s steady diet of misguided worship. It included adultery and prostitution, both figuratively and literally. Prostitution was a metaphor for Israel’s pattern of adding to their worship whatever false god most tantalized their desires, but it was also a literal part of pagan worship practices (v. 14).
Israel’s mixed worship included inanimate objects believed to possess divine powers (v. 12). Israel burned their sacrifices in places they found appealing instead of holy places set apart for God (v. 13). They turned sacred sites into degraded centers of idolatry (v. 15). Gilgal was the site of Israel’s miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, commemorated by Joshua as a reminder to future generations of God’s power (Joshua 4:19–24). Beth Aven was an alteration of Bethel, changing the meaning of the city’s name from House of God to House of Wickedness. It was the place named by Jacob and where he was given the name Israel and told to cleanse his house of all foreign idols (Genesis 35:1–9). Now, both places had become havens of foreign worship.
Prophets had delivered the Word of God to the people, but they continued to stray further from the will of God, like a stubborn cow instead of an obedient lamb (v. 16). Israel refused what was good for them, and they were about to be carried away by forces beyond their control (v. 19).
Reflect
1. What captivates your life?
2. Why does it captivate you?
3. Do you crave of something rather than the things of God?
4. Is there something that captivates us and arouses our craving other than God?
Remember
The worship described by Hosea was focused more on the desires of the participants than the glory of any god. That can be a dangerous trap even for believers in the one true God. In your corporate worship, be careful to make honoring God a higher priority than personal entertainment. This is not a call to criticize your worship leader’s choice of songs or styles, rather, it is a reminder to always approach worship with an attitude of contrition and a humble heart.
That is one sacrifice God will never reject.
Read
Habakkuk 2:19; Psalm 51:17; Matthew 15:8-9
Pray
Our Heavenly Father, reveal to me whatever that captivates my heart and arouses my craving apart from You, apart from Your Son, Christ Jesus, in my life. Forgive me. I thank You for reminding me that it is He who should be captivating my heart and that it should be devoted to Him, who loves me unconditionally. May this truth be a living testimony as my true spiritual worship, a fragrant sacrifice that is pleasing and glory giving to Your name. In Jesus' Name, amen.
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