Today's passage: Hosea 5
Helpful thoughts:
- Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
- Israel could not commit acts of sin in their idolatry and worship God at the same time.
- Israel had no right to complain to God when judgment came, as if He had not met their standard. This is pride.
- Repentance includes confession (admitting/acknowledging the wrong I have done) and turning (I no longer am doing the wrong and am instead now doing the right)
- Israel and Judah needed to confess their sinfulness.
- Israel and Judah needed to seek the face of God alone (Not God AND the false gods together).
Questions to consider:
- When someone believes that God didn't do for them what He should have done, where does that belief come from? Who is in charge of the relationship in that situation?
- When someone wants things in this life (Possessions, health, fame, etc.) more than they want the Lord Himself, how will they treat God? What will they do if they believe something/someone else will help them get what they want?
- Why is it so important to know who God is from His Word? What will we do to Christianity if we treat God like He is our genie and teach others to do so as well? How does that compare to the Gospel? Can you treat God like a genie and truly worship Him at the same time?