The Dangers of Pursuing gods

The Dangers of Pursuing gods

Text: Hosea 2:8-13 Date: 4-12-26

1. Lost trust (Hosea 2:8).

The people had lost the perspective and trust that Jehovah had given them their crops, wine, oil, and monetary resources. Israel had replaced God with Baal and credited this god with their blessings.

How do you and I recognize when we are allowing God to be replaced in our worship? 1) We stop being grateful for anything we have. 2) Our time with our possessions and treasures grossly outweighs the time we spend with God. 3) We go through the motions of church, prayer, quiet time, adoration, and supplication without our heart being a part of it. 4) When our sin is tolerated or excused. 5) When the world fills the void of our heart instead of God. 6) When we know we are on the wrong path and continue to walk that road.

2. Lost perspective (Hosea 2:9a)

If a nation doesn’t believe that God has given them the blessings they enjoy, then who do they believe has been responsible? Hosea declares that God is the giver of these gifts. But, by their worship of idols, they were declaring through their actions that it was other things or people that gave these things to them.

Application: The same question can be asked of us: if our nation doesn’t believe God has given us the blessings we enjoy, then who do we believe has been responsible?

3. Lost protection (Hosea 2:9b)

God’s judgment always demonstrates Who is in control. Not only would His people lose His hand of blessing on them, but God would visit His people through natural disasters and wars, and ultimately send them into captivity.

4. Lost covering (Hosea 2:9c-10)

God would stop the ground from producing the material to make clothes so they would be forced to live naked, and they would be powerless to stop Him.

Could Baal deliver them? They trusted it for possessions, strength, and upheld it over God. Hosea answers this question: Deliverance would go missing. The idols would not deliver the people. Israel’s “friends” could not save her. Israel’s lovers could not save her. But worst of all, God would not deliver them. He would instead judge His own people.

Application: The lesson is clear: God’s power is superior, and His judgment will not be stopped save for true repentance on the part of the nation.

5. Lost joy and gladness (Hosea 2:11)

The religious feasts, new moon celebrations, and weekly Sabbath festivities will be halted. See Ex. 23:14-17; Num. 10:10; 28; II Chron. 8:12-13.

6. Lost harvest (Hosea 2:12)

God would again show himself to be powerful as He turned the fruit trees into forestland. Instead of the people benefitting from the bounty, the wild beasts would eat of the fields and the people would go hungry.

7. Lost spiritual foundation (Hosea 2:13)

For Israel to go after another lover is one thing; for the nation to totally forsake God is on a whole other devastating, downward spiral. God will never forget when His people choose their illicit partner over Himself.

What does it mean to forget God?

• Forgetting God doesn’t mean a momentary lapse in remembering Him.
• Forgetting God doesn’t mean all of a sudden a person has no knowledge of Him.
• Forgetting God means a person refuses to acknowledge His grace and His authority. Hosea 13:6 says: “According to their pasture, so were they filled; They were filled, and their heart was exalted; Therefore have they forgotten me.”
• Forgetting God means not knowing God and not obeying His laws.
• “To forget God is to act as though he had never made himself known, never redeemed his people in the exodus, never provided for them in the land, or laid his gracious and constraining claims upon them”.[1]

Conclusion

How can you and I avoid forgetting God?

1) By learning how to know Him intimately through His word.

2) By allowing God to capture our affections

3) By running to God at any sign of trouble

4) By having a genuine devotion to God and His word

5) By allowing our values to be shaped by God and not this world

The cure for forgetting God centers on knowing God (Hosea 6:6).

[1] Hubbard, D. A. (1989). Hosea: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 24, p. 88). InterVarsity Press.