#DailyDevotion The LORD’s Patience With Us Is Not Infinite–There Is A Judgment Day

Hos. 13 ¹⁵Although Ephraim thrives among the reed plants, the LORD’s scorching wind will come from the east, blowing out of the desert. Then his spring will dry up, and his fountain will be parched, and it will strip his storehouse of every precious thing. ¹⁶Samaria must pay for her sins, because she rebelled against her God. The people will be struck down by the sword, their children will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”

So, back to the threats of the law. Ephraim, Israel, will not repent. You may remember when Jacob blessed Ephraim (the younger) and Manasseh (the older), he blessed Ephraim with the greater blessing, blessing him with many descendants and much wealth. This blessing came to pass during the time Israel dwelt in the land. However, because of Ephraim’s and Israel’s sins against the LORD, the LORD would remove the blessings from him. All the storehouses of grain will be wiped out. The blessings they once enjoyed will be removed because they rejected the One who blessed them.

Samaria was the capital of the northern tribes situated in the territory of Ephraim. It is also sometimes synonymous with the tribe and sometimes with the whole northern kingdom. When Samaria was formed by Jeroboam, he placed idols of calves at Dan and Bethel as representations of the LORD, something stricken forbidden by God in the first commandment. Secondly, having worshiped the LORD in the form of a dead idol, they picked up other idols, other gods to worship.

The plunging into idolatry leads to all other sins and Paul notes in Romans 1, “²⁶That is why God gave them up to shameful lusts. Women have changed their natural way to an unnatural one. ²⁷And men likewise have given up the natural relation with a woman and burned with lust for one another, men doing shameful acts with men and for their error getting punished in themselves as they must. ²⁸As they refused to know God any longer, God gave them up so that their minds were degraded and they lived immorally. ²⁹Their lives are full of all kinds of wrongdoing, wickedness, greed, malice. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, treachery, viciousness. They gossip and slander. ³⁰They hate God. They are insulting, proud, boasting. They invent new evils. They disobey parents. ³¹They are foolish. They break their promises. They have no love or mercy. ³²Knowing God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve when others do them.”

For their rebellion the LORD tells them they will be struck down by the sword, their children smashed into the rocks and their pregnant women will be torn open. The last two punishments take away any hopes and aspirations of a brighter future. We should remember the LORD has been patient with these people for many centuries. He continuously sent them prophets to call them to repent of their sins and to trust in Him for mercy, kindness, steadfast love and forgiveness. They instead mistreated the prophets and even killed them. How they treated the prophets is directly related to how they treat the LORD who sent them.

So we should take note of Israel and their sins. How have we turned away from the LORD our God, Jesus Christ? In what ways do we make idols of created things or philosophies or world views and worship them? How do we turn away from Jesus’ teaching and follow our own hearts?

Heavenly Father, You punished the Israelites for their sins against You. Give us Your Holy Spirit so we turn from our sin and turn to You for all good things. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.