Theological Commentary: Click Here
Hosea 8 continues
the shift from the Lord’s displeasure at the priests to His displeasure about
Israel in general. Now that we
understand that things have gone poorly because of the leadership, it’s time to
understand what it looks like when it goes bad.
The overarching
issue is that the people cry out that they know God but they really don’t know
Him. Because of the poor leading of the
religious elite, the people are in a state of misconception. They don’t know what a meaningful relationship
with God looks like. In fact, it’s a
fair bet that they don’t really know who God is. The poor leadership among the religious
teachers has led to ignorance among the people.
The people
have also set up their own kings. When
Israel split from Judah, the people wanted a king to replace the lost line of
David. However, they didn’t consult
God. They established a leader who was
right in their eyes, not a leader who was right in the eyes of God.
Because of
their ignorance and their rebellion, the people then made their own gods out of
gold and silver and other natural things.
They continue to do what seems right to their own eyes because of their
ignorance of God. In fact, it is so bad that God says they are
incapable of innocence.
This last
judgement is brutal. They are incapable
of innocence. The reason that is harsh
is because if they aren’t innocent, then by definition they are guilty. The have gotten so comfortable living according
to their own judgment, God can’t dismiss it anymore.
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