Daily Devotional--1/12/2011

Hosea 5:1-7

¹ “Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
This judgment is against you:
You have been a snare at Mizpah,
a net spread out on Tabor.
² The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.
I will discipline all of them.
³ I know all about Ephraim;
Israel is not hidden from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
Israel is corrupt.

⁴ “Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart;
they do not acknowledge the LORD.
⁵ Israel’s arrogance testifies against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them.
⁶ When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the LORD,
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself from them.
⁷ They are unfaithful to the LORD;
they give birth to illegitimate children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,
he will devour their fields.

In these verses God announces His discipline upon His faithless people.

• What is the reason given for Israel being unable to “return to their God” [v.4]?
• The text tells us that Israel has dealt “faithlessly” with the Lord [v.7]. This is essentially a reference to Israel’s hypocrisy. She observes the feasts & festivals prescribed in the law, but fails to honor God with her life.
• How might you be guilty of the same hypocrisy?