"Israel shall cry unto Me, My God, we knew thee." (Hosea 8:2)
Israel will discover here in chapter 8 when faced with their moment of judgment, like those who will stand before Jesus in the “day of judgment,” that going through the motions of serving Him will not be enough. For God will say to them, after much long-suffering and warning to repent, “I never knew you.” And they would receive their punishment, as a nation, for their idolatry.
Nations can't be punished in the next world for their sins, so they must suffer in this one, something this nation should keep in mind. It was the leadership of Israel that determined the fate of Israel and it’s people. For the very ones who were to keep the nation focused on God, allowed it to fall into idolatry. And so the LORD said, “For they who sow to the wind, shall reap the whirlwind” (v.7).
While it will seem to Israel that the judgment they received is worse than the sin they committed, this isn’t true. God is not being worse to them than their sin deserved, it’s just how judgment feels. This is usually because our sin is sown over a long period of time, but judgment is often reaped in a smaller period, and in some cases even immediate. And even though Israel would face the conquering Assyrians and exile as judgment, God promised that He would one day gather them again (v.10).
Israel forgot its Maker, built temples to other gods and practiced outright idolatry. Judah forgot its protector, built fortified cities, took pride in its bigness and facilities, which could not save them when the Assyrians came and burned down their cities and palaces (v.10). My prayer is that God would bring this country back to its knees, to its Christian roots, before His judgment is brought to bear on us as well.
The Truth: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Israel will discover here in chapter 8 when faced with their moment of judgment, like those who will stand before Jesus in the “day of judgment,” that going through the motions of serving Him will not be enough. For God will say to them, after much long-suffering and warning to repent, “I never knew you.” And they would receive their punishment, as a nation, for their idolatry.
Nations can't be punished in the next world for their sins, so they must suffer in this one, something this nation should keep in mind. It was the leadership of Israel that determined the fate of Israel and it’s people. For the very ones who were to keep the nation focused on God, allowed it to fall into idolatry. And so the LORD said, “For they who sow to the wind, shall reap the whirlwind” (v.7).
While it will seem to Israel that the judgment they received is worse than the sin they committed, this isn’t true. God is not being worse to them than their sin deserved, it’s just how judgment feels. This is usually because our sin is sown over a long period of time, but judgment is often reaped in a smaller period, and in some cases even immediate. And even though Israel would face the conquering Assyrians and exile as judgment, God promised that He would one day gather them again (v.10).
Israel forgot its Maker, built temples to other gods and practiced outright idolatry. Judah forgot its protector, built fortified cities, took pride in its bigness and facilities, which could not save them when the Assyrians came and burned down their cities and palaces (v.10). My prayer is that God would bring this country back to its knees, to its Christian roots, before His judgment is brought to bear on us as well.
The Truth: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
