Scripture Text: Hosea 8:1-8
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour; if it were to yield, strangers would devour it.
Hosea 8:7
As recently noted by Christian writer Kurt De Haan, a group of more than 100 scientists keep a close eye on outer space, watching for hurtling objects such as asteroids or comets. The concern is that one of these heavenly bodies could be thrown out of its orbit and collide with earth, having a devastating outcome. De Haan observes: "Frankly, I'm one of those people who is not terribly worried about an asteroid hit." He says he is much more concerned about our readiness for an event we know is going to happen: the return of Jesus Christ.
De Haan's point is well-made. It's easy to be concerned about the wrong thing. Just look at Israel in the text before us.
The nation's rulers were wandering around like wild donkeys (Hosea 8:9), worrying about the armies of Assyria massed against Samaria. All the while, Israel completely ignored the One she should have been keeping an eye on, her covenant-keeping God.
The pattern of Israel's disobedience has become familiar to us. Like a loving and forgiving Husband, God had done everything possible to turn His wayward people back to Himself. But, they did everything possible to spurn His love. So, He sent a great eagle, the army of Assyria, to swoop down on His hapless people.
But what else could we expect from people who offered God hollow, hypocritical worship, who chose its leaders without consulting Him, and then constructed and bowed down to calf-idols?
Solomon’s successors on the thrones of Israel and Judah followed in his footsteps of compromised faith, and they did so without Solomon’s depth of wisdom. They chased after the winds of pagan worship, and all of their work was an exercise of futility. They sowed in spiritual ground that could never bear fruit, and they would reap a whirlwind of destruction (v. 7).
We can hear the anguish in God's complaint concerning His people in verse 5: "How long will they be incapable of purity?" Hosea must have wondered the same about his wife Gomer.
Reflect
1. How often do you find yourself having the exact opposite attitude towards God?
2. As you evaluate your life, is it lived in worship of God or in pursuit of personal gratification?
Remember
Our God is always faithful in His relationships with us as believers.
You may not engage in anything as drastic as bowing down to a golden idol, but there are many common activities and ambitions that are equally futile from an eternal perspective. We must learn to consider a full and prosperous life as one that makes an eternal investment in God’s kingdom. Evaluate your activities throughout the next week.
Ask God to use your life for His glory.
Read
Matthew 6:19-24; 2 Peter 3:10-12
Pray
Our good, good Father, I thank You for reminding me of these truths. You are faithful to Your people. Forgive me for being concerned with other things instead of being so concerned with You and Your kingdom to which I truly belong as my true and eternal home. Use me and this life that You have gifted me to display the light, the way and the truth of my Lord Jesus Christ for His glory. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.
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