#DailyDevotion Abandon The Altars Of Your Idols Before The LORD Does It For You
Hos. 12 9“But I am the LORD your God ever since Egypt. I will make you live in tents again as in the days of the festival. 10I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions and by the prophets I spoke in parables.” 11If Gilead is wicked, they will surely come to nothing. When they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, their altars will become like piles of stones beside a plowed field. 12When Jacob fled to the land of Syria, Israel worked for a wife and watched sheep for a wife. 13The LORD brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet and by a prophet kept them safe. 14“Ephraim has most bitterly provoked Me.” His guilt for shedding blood will be held against him, and his Lord will pay him back for his insults.
As the LORD looks upon Israel in His wrath it seems as if He is reminiscing about the good old days. He goes from remembering the past and then regretting the present and then doing it again. As He is speaking through the prophet I can only think that He is trying to get them to repent with this method.
He is the LORD who is their God since He brought them out of Egypt. This statement is to clear up any misunderstanding the Israelites had in previous verses about their own power and strength having gotten what they have. The pronouncement to make them live in tents again as in the day of the festival, most likely the feasts of Booths or Tabernacles. The LORD looks back on the days in the wilderness as some of His best times with His people (perhaps we only get the reports of how they messed up in the Torah and not all the time they were being faithful). Looking forward it would seem this would be an eschatological (end days) prophecy. We, the Church, are Israel in tents in the wilderness. We are not in our homeland. We are strangers in this world. We await the Promised Land, the New Heavens and New Earth where righteousness reigns.
The LORD then comes again with an accusation to call Israel to repentance. Certainly, as we have read earlier, Gilead is indeed wicked. They have sacrificed bulls in Gilgal. It isn’t said whether they were sacrificed to the LORD or other gods, but the LORD commanded sacrifices to take place where He put His name, which is the temple in Jerusalem. The altars would become piles of stone. Indeed, archaeology has found the rubles of the altars in these areas. What areas of our lives are we making sacrifices which aren’t pleasing to the LORD? To what idols are we giving up portions of our lives which have no eternal reward but will come to nothing, maybe even during our lives, instead of turning to the LORD Jesus Christ in faith?
The LORD again recalls the good old days when He protected Jacob as he escaped from Esau’s wrath. There Jacob worked for a wife and then again for the wife he actually wanted. The LORD blessed Jacob and made him great in Egypt. He then took the Israelites out of Egypt by the hand of Moses (whom He strangely doesn’t name). Through this prophet the LORD brought them to the Promised Land and delivered it to them. They were not appreciative as they rebelled against Him. Because of this, the LORD will pay them back. They refused to repent even though the LORD pleaded with them to do so.
It seems today many in the Church are rebelling against the LORD. They are turning back to the gods their ancestors abandoned. Some reject the LORD while calling on His name as they sacrifice everything for worldly happiness. Do you serve Jesus or the happiness of your heart?
Merciful God and Father, You pleaded many times for the Israelites to return to You. Give us repentant hearts that desire only You and Your goodness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.