Hosea 5:1-15

How timely that on this week’s podcast we’re talking about sin and the slow movement of the boundary lines between right and wrong.

We are seeing this now more than ever with the overturn of Roe V. Wade in our country last Friday. Americans, even some Christians, are outraged over the decision, going far as to tell other believers not to celebrate because of the emotional harm it may do to unbelieving pro-choicers. And while I’m not going to get into those details—that’s for a whole other article—I do think there is so much to learn in this fifth chapter of Hosea.

This chapter contains the warnings to the priests, people, and king of Israel. Their punishments are laid out, along with the reasons why they’re about to be punished. The Israelites were pretending to love the Lord, going so far as to bring him sacrifices, but God is clear with them that their hearts were far from him. In verse four, it says “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God” (Hosea 5:4, ESV). They were spending all their time in sin, not in obedience, and the consequence was that they no longer had access to their Creator.

The verse that really stood out to me though, was verse 10.

“The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water” (Hosea 5:10, ESV). In ancient times, boundary lines between neighbors were made by laying out stones in a line, so moving the landmark implied moving the stones—in this case likely in the secrecy of night. In essence, they were stealing land that was not theirs. But God is not talking about physical boundaries here; he’s talking about spiritual ones. His people were slowly moving the boundaries between right and wrong, between the true God and the idols they had created.

In the same way moving physical boundary lines probably didn’t happen overnight, spiritual boundaries don’t change overnight either. It starts with one little push past what we know to be right and good. “It’s not a baby, it’s just a fetus.” Right? Little by little, we allow ourselves to believe things that are not only lies, but completely fly in the face of what God says is right. And just like the Israelites got themselves into deep trouble by shifting these boundaries, we will do the same if we aren’t actively searching God’s word for His truth. There are consequences for opposing God’s truth in search of our own “truth.” Our “truth” will not save us. Only God’s truth will. Take heed from the Israelites downfall. Go back to that simple verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT).

Our understanding will always cause us to shift those boundaries according to what feels right in that moment. Trusting in the Lord alone will keep those boundaries straight.

Trust Him, my friend! Now go out and be bold!