Thread by @GPrater85015

#GeraldsDevotional
The Storm – Israel Gets What She Has Demanded

After spending the beginning of this book trying to reason with Israel, God finally gives her what she desperately wants. In today’s chapter the door closes as He has Hosea pronounce the judgment that is now coming. That judgment is that He will completely withdraw Himself from

her and allow her to go and do what she wants.

There are several interesting themes that I want to point out that surface in His judgment. First, there is a subtle reference to the contrast between freedom and slavery. God has made references to them possibly returning back to

Egypt, but beginning in verse 3 of today’s chapter, He says that it will happen. Egypt had previously represented 400 years of slavery to them. He rescued them with a mighty hand that everyone could see (even their slave masters) so that they could have freedom. He offered them

the freedom to live in His promises, His kingdom of holiness and abundance where they would choose to love Him as their husband and to love each other.

But instead of choosing and relishing in this freedom, they opted to return to their slave masters and to embrace their former

ways of bondage which only led to decay and destruction. They suffered from the mentality of slaves. They chose to reject God’s promise of abundance and love. They chose the OPPOSITE of God’s presence and worship. So He is giving them what they want.

This leads to the second

theme that comes out in this judgment. God makes several references to how He will do harm Israel and their descendants beginning in verse 9. This judgment and punishment is also a picture of what will happen during the final judgment as described in the book of Revelation.

The LORD is indeed a God of judgment, but I believe that the way that He exercises ultimate judgment is very simple… He withdraws Himself.
When He leaves, He withdraws His influence, His hand of protection and His hand of provision and favor. What is left when this happens is

not very pretty. It is the essence of being enslaved to pure evil and wickedness continually. In the last days, we see the first sign of this withdrawal when Jesus comes to remove (rapture) His church from the world. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul describes this as “he who

restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” This is the first step of God’s total removal from a world that demands to not be with Him. In the end, the punishment that will be inflicted will not have to be done by the LORD. They will do it to themselves relentlessly,

with no hope of relief… without even the hope of death to stop the suffering.

This is what judgment looks like as He begins to pronounce it in Hosea chapter 9:
Hosea Announces Israel’s Punishment
1 O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been

unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor. 2 So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. There will be no grapes for making new wine. 3 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. 4 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. 5 What then will you do on festival days? How will you observe the Lord’s festivals? 6 Even if you escape destruction from Assyria, Egypt will conquer you, and Memphis will bury you.

Nettles will take over your treasures of silver; thistles will invade your ruined homes. 7 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!” 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will not be born or grow in the womb or even be conceived. 12 Even if you do have children who grow up, I will take them

from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone. 13 I have watched Israel become as beautiful as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children for slaughter.” 14 O Lord, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don’t give

birth and breasts that give no milk. 15 The Lord says, “All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels. 16 The people of Israel are

struck down. Their roots are dried up, and they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children.” 17 My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations.

- Hosea 9:1-17

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