Scripture Text : Hosea 11:12-12:2
Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.
Hosea 12:1
The 1980s had its savings and loan scandal. In the 1990s, the dot-com bubble burst. Most recently, the American economy has been reeling from the subprime mortgage crisis. The details have changed, but each financial disaster has been triggered by a common element: people trusted money that didn’t exist. Any time people trust in a lie, disappointment is certain to come.
All of Israel’s hopes, the foundation of their culture, had been built on the false gods of other nations (11:12). They pursued vain ambitions, creating even more lies—unsurprisingly, violence followed as well (12:1).
One of their main false hopes was the confidence they placed in treaties with other nations. It was a practice that became popular during Solomon’s reign, and one reason for his numerous marriages. At that time, Israel enjoyed a time of peace, so the treaties were probably pursued more out of a desire for greater riches than as a solution to the desperation in Hosea’s day.
True to Solomon’s habit of adopting the religious practices of his wives, these treaties extended beyond political agreements. Israel’s weakness for foreign gods was well-documented. Even if they hadn’t given in to pagan worship, the very idea of establishing treaties with other nations was preposterous. A state governed by Almighty God needed no assurances of peace from foreign kings. It was yet another example of Israel’s complete lack of direction. They pursued their own perverted desires and skewed logic instead of a firm understanding of God and His Word.
Once again, God reminded Israel that He was bringing a legal accusation against His people (12:2). Israel would receive retribution in accordance with their wicked way of life. In some ways, they were merely reaping the natural results of bad decisions. But beyond those consequences, God was making a specific judgment against them that addressed the nature of their sin throughout their sordid history.
Reflect
1. What gives you confidence and security in life?
2. Is Christ what gives us the source of them?
Remember
Worries are a good indicator of the areas where we’re failing to trust God and instead relying on our own strength or external factors out of our control. If you have a worry, first try to identify who or what is acting as the object of your trust. Take note for future reference not to grow too dependent on it, whether it is money, another person, or even yourself.
Acknowledge that God is in control of the situation and entrust it to Him by praying that He will work both in the circumstances and also in your own heart.
Read
Ecclesiastes 4:6; Proverbs 15:16-17; 1 Timothy 6:6
Pray
Dear Lord, teach my heart to place my confidence and security in You alone. Let me see that in Christ I am eternally secured and thus, confident to face life’s journey. Also, let me also understand that whatever temporal things that I desire and chase after, are not the ones that will truly make me confident and secured after all. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.
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