Fri.’s Devo - The Charge Against Israel

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11
Israel was charged with faithlessness, lack of love, lack of knowledge of God and a lifestyle of cursing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery and the most horrible idolatry. Even the priests and the prophets were corrupt. They had broken all ten of the Commandments Moses had given them.
Several times Hosea mentions that they had a spirit of whoredom and were unable to turn and repent. They had chosen the spirit of whoredoms which is the opposite of the Spirit of God who is holy and righteous.
Their sons and daughters would not be held responsible but the parents would, because they were the examples and teachers. They were raising a generation steeped in apostasy.
God told them not to go up to Gilgal or Beth Aven who had once been sacred places to the Lord and were now seats of idolatry.
In Chapter 5, Hosea mentioned Mizpah and Tabor which were cities that were to be watchtowers against the enemy attacks. They stood for the prophets which were to warn the people of coming events. Instead these strongholds and the prophets had become places and mouth pieces of idolatry also. Ephraim had resisted the warnings of the prophets and chosen to worship other gods without remorse.
Judah had begun to fall into the same idolatrous trap that Israel had slipped into, so God called for a sound to be heard in Benjamin. This trumpet was the voice of the prophets. Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth Aven were all part of Benjamin and they were being warned. Ephraim (Israel) saw God as a moth who was helpless and unimportant. Now, Judah was seeing God as rot - no longer living and applicable.
Israel would cry out for Assyria to help them but they would not be able to save them. God would be like a lion who would tear them to pieces and carry them away. He will use the Syrians to do this. God would withdraw his face from his people until they acknowledged their sin and sought Him to heal them.
Second John addresses the “elect lady and her children”. The word “lady” in the Greek means “Martha”. Martha was a woman of influence in the faith. John writes to her to warn her of deceivers who were trying to penetrate the church at Babylon that she ministered in.
He praises her for raising up spiritual children who walked in truth and love. He also warned her that if people did not confess that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, they were a deceiver and an antichrist.
John also warned against people who wanted to be welcomed as brothers but didn’t believe the doctrine of Jesus Christ. They were not to wish them well because that would be to imply that they were capable of doing well while opposing Christ. In that way they would be identifying with their sin.
Lord, help us have discernment for the days ahead. Overshadow your Church and the leaders you have given us. Give us truth in our inmost parts.