Hosea's Life And Writing Are Graphic

“Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! [Hosea 8.11] 

Hosea's life and writing are graphic. All of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading is about idolatry in Israel and also Judah.

It is pure fantasy for a modern-day Christian to read Hosea's writings and not believe idolatry is as much or more a problem today. Unless of course... the very place Christians go to worship promotes idolatry, then Christians have a problem!

Idolatry is trusting in anything other than, or in addition to, God.

Churches today do not decry man's modern-day industrialized idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. In fact, when it comes to these idols, man runs to them like Israel ran to Assyria:

Like a wild donkey looking for a mate, they have gone up to Assyria. The people of Israel have sold themselves—sold themselves to many lovers. [Hosea 8.9]

The subject passage of this article reveals Israel's attempt to appease God while holding onto their idolatry just like the Church today (with a church on nearly every corner) tries to appease God but is holding onto idolatry.

What's more, the Church today fits the description of Hosea 8.12 perfectly:

Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. [Hosea 8.12]

Yes, the Church today touts, "Grace!" as if God's laws don't apply to them. In particular, the first three of the Ten Commandments are trampled by man's unrestrained lust for the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology that do for man what God jealously said He would do for man.

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7] 

And yet, the Church hides behind its invisible wall of "grace" while in unrestrained "orgy mode" with its idols (corporately and individually), conveniently ignoring Jesus' words:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew 5.17-19]

And, even worse, the Church unashamedly disregards Jesus' version of the first three of the Ten Commandments:

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 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The "grace" today's Church promotes is indeed its altar to "take away sin" but that altar has become the very place the Church sins. Biblical grace does not negate Jesus' demand that we give up our own way. Biblical grace does not negate Jesus' demand that we take up our cross, not life. Biblical grace demands that we follow Jesus.

To be clear, we are not burdened to keep ourselves from idols so that we will be saved. We are burdened to keep ourselves from idols because we are saved. That is grace. But, as long as the Church today condones and even promotes whoredom with the world's idols, indistinguishable from the world in any perceivable way, the Church will remain powerless, albeit entirely content with its highly emotional worship, preaching and teaching.

The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt. [Hosea 8.13]

Egypt represents bondage to idolatry. It represents the powerless condition of God's people when they are sold to slavery.

We can worship, preach and teach all day long with emotions ranging from joyous jubilation to woeful wailing but if God's irrefutable miraculous power does not manifest, we are only kidding ourselves. In this condition, we are in bondage - bondage to Egypt - bondage to our idols - and our altars are simply places for sinning. In this condition, we are void of the power to be provided for, protected, healed and unburdened but worse, we are void of the power of grace to overcome sin.

I am not mad at the Church but I believe God is. I believe He is mad because all the places of worship (altars) have become places where idolatry is not only condoned, but embraced - they have become places for sinning. They worship God with great emotion, but do so while stubbornly retaining their other lovers that offer them everything God promised... wealth, protection, health, and convenience. These idols are the industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

Father, I cannot unlearn what Your Word has been saying all along. Idolatry was, is, and always will be (as long as the earth continues) man's adulterous betrayal of You. May this truth be revelation to Your people and may they be found giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus in response. May this truth prepare Your spotless bride for Whom Jesus will return. May I be among those few. So be it.