Hopewell ARP Church is a Biblical, Reformed, Presbyterian church, serving the Lord in Culleoka, TN, since 1820. Lord's Day Morning, set your gps to arrive by 11a.m. at 3886 Hopewell Road, Culleoka, TN 38451
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 ▫ Read Hosea 8
Questions
from the Scripture text: What order is given in v1a? What is the enemy doing
(v1b)? Why (v1c–d)? What will Israel cry in that day (v2)? But what has
overruled this claim (v3)? What was wrong with their civil government (v4a–b)? And
with their religion (v4c–e)? How did the Lord respond to this (v5)? Why (v6)? What
will come of their efforts (v7)? Nd what will come of them (v8)? Where had they
sought help (v9a–b)? How does v9c describe this? But what will the Lord yet do
for them (v10a–b)? After putting them through what (v10c–d)? What has Ephraim
done (v11)? Even though the Lord had provided him with what (v12)? What
procedure were they following (v13a)? But with what response from YHWH (v13b–c)?
And what action (v13d)? Why—what is the substance of what Israel has done
(v14a)? By doing what (v14b)? And what has Judah hoped in, that won’t save them
(v14c–e)?
Why didn’t Israel’s worship please God? Hosea 8 looks forward to the hearing of God’s
Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these fourteen
verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that it is possible
for a nation or a church that professes to know the Lord to be entirely
self-seeking in what they think is genuinely offered unto Him.
The announcement, v1–4.
The urgency of it in v1. The horn is easy to identify—it’s the call to arms to
defend against attack. And the
devastation is coming like an eagle. The
Hebrew of v1 is so short and cut off that you can almost hear the messenger
huffing and puffing out of breath, as he has caught the first glimpse of the
coming invasion. And it’s coming
fast. When the eagle begins his dive,
there’s no hope for the pray. He’s too
fast, and too strong. So it will be for
Israel: by the time they realize that the hour of discipline has come, it will
be too late, and nothing can stop it.
The surprise of it in v2 (Israel thought they were orthodox!). After all we have read in Hosea about
Israel’s heart, 8:2 may come as a real surprise—Israel thinks they are
godly. “How can this happen to me, when
I have a relationship with God?,” they ask.
This response reminds us of what Yahweh has been saying all along: that
Israel is so blind to her sin—her depending upon and being in love with
everything and everyone except Yahweh—that He is going to have to rock her
world for her to open her eyes. The
shock and surprise of Israel’s response here shows us that this is exactly the
case. When we respond like this, it may
be an indication of similar spiritual blindness.
The tragedy of it in v3 (they rejected the good—not just to do good but
to receive good). So, now they get the other option, v3. It is tempting to read v3 and think,
“See? If they had only done good instead
of evil…” but that is not the sense of the text. The text is even more tragic than that. It is saying, “Look at all the good I have
done for them, and still they have rejected Me!
They had all of these blessings handed to them, and they have rejected
the good blessings and chosen the curses instead.” We must always keep the good things that God
has done for us on our minds, so that we remember them and respond with
faithfulness to Him. Let it not be said
of us that He did so much good for us, and still we rejected Him.
They rejected the good by keeping the Lord out of their politics,
v4a. Israel’s secular life was
completely divorced from the Lord. They
did not consult Him or credit Him for any of their national or political
decisions. When we live our “secular”
lives completely independently of Him—not making decisions according to His Word,
not depending on Him for wisdom and guidance in prayer, not doing everything
for His glory, not giving Him praise and thanks when things go well—how can we
possibly expect Him to continue to bless us?
They rejected the good by keeping the Lord out of their worship,
v4b. In particular, the gratitude and
praise of their hearts went to their money.
When talking about carved idols, wood and stone are usually primary and
almost always included. The limitation
of this statement to silver and gold tells us that Yahweh is talking about
wealth. They trusted their wealth, and
thanked and praised their wealth; when, they should have been trusting,
thanking, and praising Yahweh.
The Worship Problem—the Rejected Calf, v5–7. The stupidity of manmade worship,
v6a. You can just hear the exasperation
in this human way of speaking: “I told them how to worship Me and they still
got it wrong. What am I ever going to do
with them?!” The vanity of manmade worship, v6b–7. (1) Manmade worship up as
rubble, v6b. Man-made worship cannot
last, because all earthly things eventually return to dust. This is both literal (in the case of the
calves used in worship in the northern kingdom) and metaphorical (of anything
we might add to or invent for worship). (2) Manmade worship is like blowing
wind… and receives the same response, v7a.
Worship that we invent ourselves is empty of substance; it’s silly and
stupid and pointless. The image is of a
guy out in his field, throwing fistfuls at the ground, but what is he
throwing? Air. So, he’ll get air back… in the form of
storm-wind, a tornado. Empty worship
isn’t a neutral thing; it ultimately deserves and receives the wrath of God. (3)
Manmade worship has no substance to it; it’s useless, v7b. God promises that man-made worship will have
no fruit. (4) Even if manmade worship seems
to have substance, its substance is for strangers, not for the Lord, v7c. Even any fruit that it does seem to have will
benefit only others, but not the worshippers (or, to use the metaphor, the
sowers).
The Political Problem, v8–10. The lack of the separateness of God’s people. God is holy.
His people must be holy. But
Israel has been “swallowed up” (v8a). You can’t tell the difference between them
and anyone else. How can God rightly take
special delight in them, if they are not special and different? If we are the people of a Holy God, we must
be a holy people; the difference between a believer and an unbeliever should
clear and crisp. The result is that the Lord will gather them into another
nation, where He will bring them low (v10). Their infidelity with other nations
will be a costly one. It will cost them
their nation, their pride, their power, and their glory. If His people cannot be faithful to the Lord in
liberty and dignity, He is willing to put us to shame in order to bring us to
faithfulness.
The Primary Problem—the Arithmetic of Worship, vv11-13. What they multiplied—the altar was
what was central to their worship, v11.
The form worship was the thing for Ephraim. Rather than worship being all about God and
His Word, for Ephraim it is all about the act of worship, the experience of
it. Ephraim made for himself worship
that he liked, and he multiplied it. And
this emphasis on the act and experience made his worship itself a sin.
What the Lord multiplied—the law should be central to worship, v12. The same root word is used in both verses. While
Ephraim was busy multiplying altars, the Lord was multiplying His law. The problem is that Ephraim didn’t find
dwelling upon the law of God very worshipful.
“It just doesn’t give me the same feeling,” Ephraim might have said…
“it’s strange to me—it leaves me cold.”
Worship had become an excuse for pot-luck luncheon, v13a. Why did Ephraim worship? Because of what they would get out of it for
themselves: some very nice roast mutton and barbecued ribs. They did not come to worship in order that
Yahweh might delight in it; they came in order that they might delight in
it. Truly, we ought to delight in
worship, but this is only a secondary benefit, a happy accident to the main
purpose: to give Yahweh something in which He delights.
Multiplying the wrong thing in worship was the last straw—now they will
“return to Egypt”, v13b. Sometimes, the
only way for Yahweh to get His people’s attention is to return them to the
level of misery of being unconverted.
“You want life and worship to be all about you? Fine.
Let me remind you what life is like when it’s all about you.”
The Conclusion: though the Lord’s people forget Him, still He will
“spark” their memory,
v14. Israel and Judah were all about
“their own lives”—their own pleasure and glory, earthly and temporal stuff like
palaces and city walls. When they forgot
the Lord, He decided to “spark” their memories by burning up the very things
that they were all about (v14d–e). Sometimes, the church’s religion requires
wrath. If His people are unfaithful to give the right worship, yet God will be
faithful to chasten His them for it.
What
parts of your life are in danger of being treated as “secular”? What is worship
“about” for you?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for how we have forgotten You in every area
of life. Grant the ministry of Your Spirit, along with whatever else is
necessary, to bring us to repentance, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Read Psalm 139:13–24
Questions from the Scripture text: Who did what (Psalm 139:13a)? Who wove David, where (verse 13b)? What will David do (Psalm 139:14a)? Why? Of what is this an example (verse 14b)? With what effect upon David (verse 14c)? What was not the condition (Psalm 139:15a)? When (verse 15b)? Where (verse 15b–c)? What did YHWH see (Psalm 139:16a)? In what condition was that substance? Where was what written (verse 16b–c)? When (verse 16d)? What does David think of what (Psalm 139:17a)? At what is he amazed (verse 17b)? How big is this sum (Psalm 139:18a)? What does David experience when he regains consciousness (verse 18b)? What does David wish, in response to God’s glory (Psalm 139:19a)? Why—for what three things (verse 19b, Psalm 139:20a, verse 20b)? What is David’s relation to them (Psalm 139:21)? Why? How much does he hate them (Psalm 139:22a)? s what does he count them (verse 22b)? What does David ask God to do in Psalm 139:23a? To know especially what (verse 23b)? And what (Psalm 139:24a)? In order to do what to David?
What does a believer love? Psalm 139:13–24 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a believer loves the Lord, and whatever the Lord loves.
David’s relation to God. David knows the Lord as his Creator (Psalm 139:13). This both forges a very personal relationship and a foundation for praise.
It is his consideration of how the Lord wove him in the womb (verse 13b), that most secret place (Psalm 139:15) that David answers with overflowing praise (Psalm 139:14).
The personal relationship extends not only into the past, with David’s “weaving,” but into the future, with the Lord’s writing all of David’s days in His own, personal book (Psalm 139:16b–d). God has intertwined David’s story with His own. So, praise (Psalm 139:14, Psalm 139:17-18a) is joined to preciousness (Psalm 139:17a) and personal connection (Psalm 139:18b).
Those who do not hate evil, and understand themselves to have been abominable enemies as well, will have difficulty with Psalm 139:19-22. But one of the things that the believer hopes that God will see in his heart (Psalm 139:23a) is a true hatred for all that God hates and a true enmity for all that is at enmity with God.
This is not a vengeful spirit, but includes hating his own remaining sinfulness (Psalm 139:23-24a, cf. Romans 8:13, Galatians 5:17, Colossians 3:5)! One of the believers most earnest prayer requests is for his sanctification—a sanctification in which he must depend upon God for even just the knowledge of his own heart (Psalm 139:23, cf. Jeremiah 17:9).
Rather than walk in the way that is against the Lord, the believer wishes that this God of marvelous work, incalculable thought, and personal love, will lead him in His own everlasting way (Psalm 139:24b).
How often, and with what mindset, do you reflect upon God’s creating you? When you think about finding the Lord precious, or overflowing with praise of His greatness, in which type of response to Him do you most need to grow? How do you foster hatred for what God hates? How intense is your pursuit of sanctification?
Sample prayer: Lord, we praise You for the glories of Your wisdom displayed in creating us and redeeming us. And we love You for creating us for Yourself, and redeeming us for Yourself, and for always being with us. Help us to love what You love, and to hate what You hate, until You have brought us into perfect holiness and the full enjoyment of Your glory, forever, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP139C “You Formed My Mind Within the Womb” or TPH139B “LORD, You Have Searched Me”
Read Proverbs 13:6–11
Questions from the Scripture text: What guards the man whose way is blameless (Proverbs 13:6a)? What does wickedness do (verse 6b)? What does the one in Proverbs 13:7a do to himself? But what does he truly have? And what does the one in verse 7b do to himself, but what does he truly have? What does the man in Proverbs 13:8a motivated? Who is more difficult to motivate in this way (verse 8b)? What truly makes the difference between joy and perishing (Proverbs 13:9)? What truly enables someone to live well (Proverbs 13:10)? What happens to the sort of wealth in Proverbs 13:11a? How is it gained? What happens to the sort of wealth in verse 11b? How is it gained?
What is the true riches? Proverbs 13:6–11 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the true riches are the Lord Himself, and the righteousness by which He provides Himself to us.
Proverbs 13:6 was the conclusion to the first section of the chapter, but it also functions as the introduction to this section. Men tend to think that wealth will guard them and prevent them from being overthrown, but it is actually righteousness that does this. This is echoed in Proverbs 13:10, which again teaches righteousness as the true riches, which gives life and joy.
We were prepared for this section by Proverbs 13:4 which introduced the concept of riches. Now, we find that there’s riches, and then there’s riches.
One may accumulate material riches, but have nothing of the true wealth toward God (Proverbs 13:7a, cf. 1 Timothy 6:17; Luke 12:21), and one may be materially poor but rich in the Lord (Proverbs 13:7b). This is the true riches.
Proverbs 13:8 teaches one benefit of material wealth. One may be motivated to humble himself by it, in order to hear rebuke.
The contrasting danger appears in Proverbs 13:10. Pride, which is often associated with riches, prevents someone from hearing rebuke, and turns even well-given counsel into strife.
There is nothing wrong with wealth itself, and one of the ways that we can see whether we have a right view of it is by how we go about accumulating it. If righteousness is our true wealth, then we will refuse to gain material wealth by dishonesty (Proverbs 13:11a). But, if righteousness is our true wealth, it will be by diligent labor that we gather material wealth, and we ourselves will grow great by way of righteousness (verse 11b).
What makes you feel truly wealthy? Is this “sane” in light of this passage? How are you seeking the true wealth? How do you go about accumulating material wealth?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving Yourself to us as our true wealth. And thank You for giving Your righteousness to us in Christ, as the riches by which this wealth is obtained. Grant that we would have the humility to be well-advised by You, and make us rich toward You forever in Christ, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP16A “Keep Me, O God” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”