#DailyDevotion The LORD Will Eventually Deal With The Idols Of Our Hearts
Hos. 10 7Samaria and her king will be cut off and be like a piece of wood on the water. 8The hill shrines of Aven — Israel’s sin — will be wiped out. Thorns and thistles will grow up on their altars. People will say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
Samaria is another name for the northern kingdom of the Israelites. You might remember the LORD split the kingdoms after the reign of Solomon. Jeroboam, whom the LORD appointed as king over the northern tribes, in fear of losing his people back to allegiance to Jerusalem, built two temples, one in Bethel and the other in Dan. At these altars he placed golden calves to represent the LORD. This always irritated the LORD and He was patient with them for a couple centuries, until the effects of those idols, namely the worship of other gods and a departure from the rest of the Law, has now brought the destruction of this country.
So Samaria and her king would be cut off and be like a broken off branch being carried away by the river. The LORD would finally put an end to these two temples and altars by the hands of the Assyrians. To this day, they are at best archaeological digs. Thorns and thistles are the inhabitants of them now. The destruction brought down upon the Israelites because of their sin will be apocalyptic and the prophet proclaims the people will say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us.” Jesus would quote this referring to the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans and then to the Day of Judgment for the whole world. They say this in hopes of being hidden from the wrath and judgment of the LORD. Of course nothing can provide cover for the Day of the LORD than the blood of Jesus.
9“Since the time of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel; and it’s still the same. Will no war against wicked people reach them in Gibeah? 10I will punish them when I want to. People will be gathered against them since they are yoked to a double wrong.
Gibeah is interesting. It is there the men of Israel circumcised themselves having entered the Promised Land because they did not practice this since leaving Egypt. From there they embarked on taking the Land the LORD was giving them. It was there the sin against the Levites concubine took place and Benjamin was almost wiped out by the other Israelites. It was where Saul was from and where he was chosen as Israel’s first king, the people having rejected the LORD as their king. In placing the time since Gibeah, the LORD is basically saying the people of Israel were rarely faithful since entering the Promised Land. Now Gibeah was also one of the furthest places in the kingdom, hence the question, “Will no war against wicked people reach them in Gibeah?” They perhaps thought they were safe by distance. But no, the Assyrians will reach there as well. God will punish them when He wants to do so.
The people who will be gathered against Israel are the Assyrians. The being yoked to a double wrong is a reference to the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. Always a stick in the LORD’s craw, He would finally execute judgment on them for having departed from His instructions of worshiping only where He put His name and not having any images of Him to worship.
What shall we do? Examine ourselves for any idols, anything we substitute for the LORD, cast them out and trust only in the face of our LORD Jesus Christ, the image of God.
Heavenly Father, by Your Holy Spirit, cast out all idols from our hearts so we may worship You only in the image of our LORD Jesus Christ, Your Son. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.