Tues.’s Devo - Israel's Sins

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11 God explained why the land of Israel was in mourning and the people were all wasting away. Animals, birds and fish were disappearing. It was because there was no faithfulness or kindness and no one acknowledged God. They broke every one of God’s Ten Commandments. Even nature responded to man’s sin. God’s first complaint was against the priests whose responsibility it was to teach the people God’s laws and lead them in worship. But, the priests refused to know God. They had exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. The people had followed after the priests who were their examples. They had dumbed their senses with wine and turned to foolishness and lost their common sense. As a result, their daughters turned to prostitution and adultery. Their men also turned to sexual perversion. They loved sin more than honor and integrity. They bore children that were not God’s. (Looking at this in the Hebrew it appears that they had children out of wedlock or through adultery.) God then addressed the leaders of Judah who had become like thieves. They had followed Israel in their idolatry. Israel would turn to Assyria but he would not be able to heal them or help them. God would become Israel and Judah’s adversary until they acknowledged their offense and sought God’s face. There could not be a more accurate depiction of America and the rest of the world. Our natural resources are so diminished and there are so little nutrients left in the ground that our food is lacking in vitamins. Our people are dying of cancer and all sorts of new diseases. We have sought medicine that is manufactured not to heal us but to make us dependent on it and more medicine to take away its side effects. People have lost their common sense and the perfect example of this was Co-vid. People gave up their rights, put on a mask and took an experimental vaccine that is now injuring and killing hundreds of thousands. Our only hope is to acknowledge our sins and repent. John addressed the Church, more specifically, the one in Babylon. He warned her of deceivers who didn’t teach the truth about the gospel. They didn’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh to earth. John warned them not to invite them into their homes or encourage them because that would make them a partner in their evil work. John speaks much about love. We have always known that God said to love one another, but John takes it a step further: love means that we obey God and what he has commanded us to do. Lord, may we repent for our nation and our churches and ourselves. We choose to follow you and obey you. We pray that you return and forgive us and heal our land. Help us to love our enemies and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to know you and acknowledge you as our God.