Daily Devotional--1/11/2011

Hosea 4:12-19

¹² My people consult a wooden idol,
and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.
¹³ They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

¹⁴ “I will not punish your daughters
when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—
a people without understanding will come to ruin!

¹⁵ “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven.
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
¹⁶ The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the LORD pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?
¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!
¹⁸ Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
¹⁹ A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

In these verses God continues to bring accusations against His people.

• For what sins does God accuse His people [v.12,13,14]?
• How do we, like Israel, “play the whore” by adopting the commonplace practices of our culture and employ them in the service and worship of our God?
• Essentially, Israel’s sin was seeking that which only God could provide from something or someone other than God Himself. How might you be doing this?