Idolatry Prevents Pure Faith

Your deeds won’t let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the LORD. [Hosea 5.4] 

Hosea is all about Israel's adultery with idols. Idolatry is a big deal and God detests it in any amount at any time.

Here's a fact about idolatry, it becomes a trap that prevents people from returning to God. Idolatry prevents pure faith. It accomplishes this by so overwhelming idolaters with their idols (through and through) that they can no longer see the way of pure unadulterated faith in God alone. They see no way to return to God because they are blinded by their idols.

When we survey our lives and determine we are "trapped," it is usually by the costly "way things are today." We should understand that this entrapment to "the way things are" was never intended by the heart of God. Instead, God desires undiluted, undying, unwavering faith in Him alone as our everything; rejecting any artificial substitute to do for us what God promised He Himself would do. These artificial substitutes that lure us into entrapment to "the way things are" are unequivocally idols.

For this reason, Jesus Christ was not the least bit unclear about the level of commitment (pure faith) He requires:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

To break away from the entrapping idols of our day, it will require 100% devotion to Jesus Christ which is 100% death to "self." Like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and was told to forsake all he had, most will likewise turn away from Jesus revealing the accuracy of the subject passage above: Your deeds won’t let you return to your God.

It should be noted here that Hosea's word from God indicts religious leaders in a role of leading people away from pure faith in God. This is not surprising when they too are trapped in the same "way things are" idolatry. Without adherence to the Word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit, religious leaders unwittingly lead the way in idolatry:

“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. [Hosea 4.4-6]

But, just as Hosea indicts people and leaders alike, he first brings great encouragement in a prophecy about Jesus:

Then the LORD said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.” So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine. Then I said to her, “You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.” This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols! But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the LORD their God and to David’s descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the LORD and of his goodness. [Hosea 3.1-5]

God desires that we look only to Him to address the brokenness of our lives in the areas of finances, protection, health or knowledge. Idols, the products of men's efforts, all promise money, security, well-being or helpful information, but they predictably do so at a price. That relentlessly increasing price tag is what quickly becomes the entrapping tax upon man's faithlessness to God (see The Big Lie That Protects Our Idols).

But again, as Hosea 3.1-5 prophesies, in the last days, there will indeed be a return to unadulterated faith in God by His people (they will tremble in awe of the LORD and of his goodness). The unfortunate truth Jesus declared however reveals that these people - these true believers - will be few:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Suddenly, whatever is popular, whatever everyone else is doing, whatever offers the least difficulties (requiring the least faith), whatever requires the least accountability (repentance), or whatever is most satisfies emotions becomes the enemy of what God intends to do in and through the life of the true believer. 

Father, even if I stand alone in what is said here, I do so in complete faith that even if it kills me, it is right and righteous because it is what Your Word (as it stands alone) teaches. May we see that You wish to treat our brokenness in the Way You intended from the beginning: through Jesus Christ, and through Him alone. May our deeds of idolatry no longer prevent us from returning to You as we tremble only in awe of You and Your goodness in these last days. So be it.