Hosea XVI

I think that when we press so hard for something that is contrary to God's ways and is deleterious to our life in Christ, God gently but sadly says, "If you really want this, go ahead.  I will be waiting until you return. I will not support your sin, but I will be here to cleanse and forgive you when you realize just how far you have moved away from Me."

Not only did the Israelites engage in the practices of the Canaanites, they sought alliances with both Assyria and Egypt.  So, in other words, their national and personal life was dictated by people who were as far removed from Yahweh as they could possibly be. 

God tells the people: 

You may no longer stay here in the Lord’s land.
Instead, you will return to Egypt,
and in Assyria you will eat food
that is ceremonially unclean.
There you will make no offerings of wine to the Lord.
None of your sacrifices there will please him.
They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning.
All who present such sacrifices will be defiled.
They may eat this food themselves,
but they may not offer it to the Lord. (Hosea 9:3-4)

Do you sense that God is saying that if the Israelites want so badly to be like these nations, He will allow them one day to be exiled to one of them?  Every aspect of their life will change.  And not for the better. 

Here is an excellent commentary on this:

In the ancient Near East, forming treaties or alliances was a common survival strategy. Neighboring states frequently sought treaties to protect each other’s trade routes, maintain peace, and defend against powerful empires such as Assyria and Egypt. Archaeological texts and reliefs from Assyria (e.g., the annals of Sennacherib) attest that smaller nations often paid tribute or entered alliances to avoid conquest. By human logic, Israel’s desire to join these alliances might appear prudent.

However, Hosea points out that Israel’s fundamental error was not the mere act of survival negotiation, but rather abandoning trust in the God who had already delivered them historically. This breach of covenant loyalty becomes a central theme in Hosea’s prophecy. [1]

Prudent, yes. Depending on God? No. 

But what's the big deal?  God has proven Himself utterly reliable in taking care of His people.  Exodus is a story of His unwavering care and protection. The Israelites faced the superpower of the ancient world. The children of Israel encountered an impediment every step of the way once Moses arrived and started telling Pharoah to let the people go.  Each and every hindrance was overcome by Yahweh because of His covenantal relationship with His people: 

From the earliest days, Israel was set apart as a people who would rely on God’s protection and guidance. Passages such as Exodus 19:5-6 portray Israel’s calling to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” pointing to the central role of obedience in their relationship. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 also provides guidance for Israel’s future kings, urging them not to place ultimate trust in chariots, horses, or foreign alliances, but to depend on the Lord.

Israel’s covenant with Yahweh was thus unique. Rather than forging diplomatic ties that often brought pagan influences (for instance, the worship of foreign deities or reliance on idolatrous practices), Israel was to display unwavering fidelity. In Hosea, when God condemns the people for “hiring among the nations,” it illustrates their misplaced faith-seeking security in foreign powers instead of in the One who sustained them. [2]

God even relented when the people asked for a king later in their history.  Despite the request, God found a king after His own heart to lead His people.  But David remembered the covenant; he did not ignore it or think he was more powerful than Yahweh.  He knew it was Yahweh alone for his nation. 

Even with all of that history of God's faithfulness, the people in Hosea's day still sought alliances with godless nations to protect them and secure them a safe future.

The big deal is sadly simple:  Ally yourself with the world and it will eventually take over. Why?  Because, for the world, it is not about alliance but dominance. 

Weird analogy, but bear with me.  Think about Christmas.  The core of Christmas is Christ.  But that has slowly been eroded, leaving it a time of galloping capitalism. It's all about gifts and decor, steeped in bling, pride and What did I get? 

It can be a delightful time, but where is Jesus in all of this?  

It's hard to find Him in this holiday season. Why do people care so much about removing Christ-centered symbols or nativities from public spaces?

We ally with the culture by saying, Hey!  Let's celebrate the season in a diversity of ways!  You got trees, I've got a nativity scene!  You sing "Holly Jolly Christmas" and I sing, "The First Noel."  

No.  The culture wants to dominate the season, and has shaped Christmas in its own image: Gimme, gimme, gimme. 

Yes, I know. There are sincere Christians who take the time for what it is: To celebrate the Light of the World who came and who still comes to illuminate the darkness all around us. 

But.  

Over the years, it has gotten harder and harder to find Christ in all the noise.

Only one holiday has been even more subsumed under the culture:  Easter. The most earth-shattering moment in history--where death lost its sting--and what do we get?  Bunnies.  Eggs. Candy. 

Wow. 

Not everyone in Israel rushed off to a high place to enact a pagan ritual; but those in charge sought out  pagan nations to guarantee their safely and to avoid conflict.   

They did not get either. 

Those today who speak God's truth to power get the same reaction Israel's prophets got: 

The time of Israel’s punishment has come;
the day of payment is here.
Soon Israel will know this all too well.
Because of your great sin and hostility,
you say, “The prophets are crazy
and the inspired men are fools!”
The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God,
yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes.
He faces hostility even in the house of God.
The things my people do are as depraved
as what they did in Gibeah long ago.
God will not forget.
He will surely punish them for their sins. (Hosea 9:7-9) 

We see God's heart in these next verses: 

The Lord says, “O Israel, when I first found you,
it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert.
When I saw your ancestors,
it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season.
But then they deserted me for Baal-peor,
giving themselves to that shameful idol.
Soon they became vile,
as vile as the god they worshiped." (9:10)

A broken heart. A grieving heart.  A heart that cannot and will not tolerate sin, but Who also wants His children to ally with Him and Him alone. 

Sadly, Hosea ends the chapter with chilling and yet grief-filled words:

My God will reject the people of Israel
because they will not listen or obey.
They will be wanderers,
homeless among the nations. (9:17)

Are we, as our country slides ever deeper in a pagan mindset that results in a way of life that doesn't  reflect God's values, expecting a different outcome? 

God is always willing to receive us into His forgiveness, but we must want it more than what the world has to offer. 

[1] "Why is Israel Condemned for Alliances?" https://biblehub.com/q/why_is_israel_condemned_for_alliances.htm

[2] Ibid.