Hosea 9:1-17

Up to this point, we’ve got a pretty clear picture of the cycles of Israel’s sin. We’ve seen how often they chose other gods before the one true God. But something about chapter nine really gets at the depth of the corruption they had fallen into. As you listen to this week’s podcast, you’ll hear the story about the darkness of the men of Gibeah referenced in verse 9 and how Israel had become bad enough to be compared to them. All of this really sets the stage to show why God was no longer satisfied with any of their sacrifices, so much so that part of the purpose of their exile and captivity was to take away their ability to follow any of the Law when it came to sacrifices and worship.

All of it brings me to think about Jesus’ words in Luke 6:46-49, where he asks the question, “why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and no two what I tell you?” (V. 46, English Standard Version) and then goes on to talk about obedience: those that obey are like a man who builds his house on a solid foundation, and those that don’t obey are like a man who builds his house with no foundation at all. Just one storm reveals the durability of the house and the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the man.

The Israelites had no foundation; they relied on false gods for their provision and fulfillment, so when God’s judgment came, they had nothing to stand on. Their lack of wisdom was revealed, and all that was left was their guilt.

It can be so easy for us to read the Old Testament and wonder why God made so many rules! We can be tempted to scoff at the idea that anyone was ever expected to live up to the incredibly high standards, but my friends, it’s not really about the laws at all. The Law was meant to help us see how desperately we need God. And while, yes, we need to follow God’s commands to us, if our hearts aren’t in it, then following his commands is meaningless.

We see another example of this in Revelation 2. The church in Ephesus had many wonderful works to boast of; they were even accurately identifying and calling out false teachers. But God tells them he has one thing against them—“that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4, ESV). They had all these wonderful works, but without a love for the Lord, those works were pretty much worthless.

It doesn’t matter how “good” we try to be if we aren’t willing to change our hearts. Obedience means nothing without love.

But in the same way, love means nothing without obedience, and this is what the Lord desires of us. This is why the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37). Because everything else should filter through our love for him. If we love him, we will obey him (John 14:15).

This was the biggest piece that the Israelites were missing. The Lord was not first in their life. Sure, he was part of their life; they were still giving half-hearted sacrifices to attempt to honor him. But they had other gods before him. They had other priorities. So God took away their sacrifices and fake worship because he is not satisfied with halfhearted allegiance. He wants every bit of his people’s hearts.

What areas in your life might you be putting before God? Work? Kids? Maybe even church volunteer time? Let Hosea 9 be a heart check for you. Maybe you aren’t as corrupt as the Israelites had become (i really hope not!), but could it be possible that you have forgotten your first love? As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to turn back to him. Recalibrate your life to put him first today. Because one day, it will be too late, and all the things you put before God will disappear. Be bold, my friend. Get rid of any sin that hinders you, and follow Jesus with your whole heart because it’s your heart that he wants.