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Monday, October 24, 2011

10/25/11 Hosea 8:4-10 Foreign Alliance that led to Foreign Domination

4 They made kings, but not through me; they set up princes, but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.  5 Your calf is rejected, O Samaria.  My anger burns against them.  How long will they be incapable of innocence?
6 For it is from Israel, an artisan made it; it is not God.  The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.  7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.  The standing grain has no heads, it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, foreigners would devour it.  8 Israel is swallowed up; now they are among the nations as a useless vessel.  9 For they have gone up to Assyria,
a wild ass wandering alone; Ephraim has bargained for lovers.  10 Though they bargain with the nations, I will now gather them up.  They shall soon writhe under the burden of kings and princes.

(NATO meeting)


Thoughts: The people of Israel sought foreign alliances and ended up under foreign domination.  This has happened time and again.  Solomon had foreign alliances through marrying foreign princesses, but they led him astray.  The Macabbees invited the Romans to come rescue them from their enemies, and they ended up destroying the kingdom of Judea 100 years later in 70 AD. It could be said that Zedekiah in Jerusalem and Hoshea in Samaria relied on an Egyptian alliance and army that never showed up.  Reliance on politics, technology, or science or anything else apart from God doesn't work. God give us alliances, technology, and science as a help but it may never replace our God.  Military and statesmanship should never leave God out, as if faith or values do not matter. Politics cannot replace God.  Israel had been taught that secularization may seem beneficial, but in the end alienates the nation from its real help- the Lord.  Our real help is in the name of the Lrod who made the heaven and earth.

Prayer: Lord, you are my strength, my help, my comfort, my hope.  Help me to always realy on you above all else. 

1 comment:

  1. Yes, that's Rev. 17:12, but I believe the new kid on the block is the identity of the beast. Is the main body of the church in America -already- so apostate that they do not, or cannot see who Jer. 50-51 is talking about? I am at sez33.com please visit!

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