“Hear the word of the LORD,
ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of
the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the
land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing
adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land
mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of
the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall
be taken away” (Hosea
4:1-3).
Introduction
God had a controversy with the people of Israel. He had blessed them in
so many ways, yet they remained unthankful and disobedient. Here are some of the
promises He had made them: “No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17) … “I
will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the
trees of the field shall yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:4) … “I
will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you
afraid” (Leviticus 26:6). Along with the promises came the requirement to
obey, but they chose to disobey the Lord. “Behold,
I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the
commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if
ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of
the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not
known” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). Our own nation has been richly blessed by
God, but we too, just like ancient Israel, have turned our backs on Him. Instead
of blessing we can only expect judgement.
God’s complaint
Society was rotten to the core. The prophets, priests and politicians
were defrauding the people. Those who ought to have spoken up compromised the
truth so as not to offend anyone. We see exactly the same thing today. The
government is run by corrupt politicians who make excuses for their wickedness.
The media distorts the news so that the people believe lies. The spiritual
leaders stand for everything other than Biblical Christianity.
The nation lacked mercy. The people had fallen so far from righteousness
that they did not understand what morality, justice and mercy was all about.
Where is mercy seen today? In general people are selfish and immoral. Violence
is on almost every street in every city. A nation or an individual that will not
show mercy cannot receive it. “Blessed
are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7) … “With
the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show
thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward
thou wilt show thyself forward” (Psalm 18:25-26). This is why Hosea named
his daughter ‘Loruhamah’ meaning ‘no mercy.’ “And
God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon
the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away” (Hosea 1:6). This
was God’s warning to Israel and a call to repentance.
The people had no knowledge of God. This statement is astonishing since
the people owed their existence to the Lord, their laws were established on
God’s word, they had seen the marvellous things He had done for them, and they
were prosperous while other lands were in poverty. Yet, the people knew next to
nothing about God. The children in our own land are growing up in a pagan
environment. They know about Islam and Hinduism, but are taught little about
Christ and the Bible. They are encouraged to meditate on lights, crystals and
other occult devices, while prayer to the Living God is discouraged. Like
Israel, Great Britain started out strong among the nations. Our small country
has overcome many mighty oppressors. Why? Because we trusted in God. Look at
what has happened since we stopped honouring Him and His word!
The unavoidable result
Judgement must follow, and even now we are coming into bondage to other
nations. The end result of anyone turning away from God is judgement, but the
Lord says in Psalm 9:17, “The wicked
shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” We cannot
deny that our people are depraved, for there is a breakdown of law and order on
our streets, and neither the police nor the politician seem capable of
protecting the innocent. We have been cursed in the field, in our beasts, fish
and birds, in our health, and in our national wealth. All these elements are
part of God’s judgement upon us, but much more is to come unless we repent.
Is it too late for us?
Only God has the answer to this. Our nation may have stepped over the
line, so that the judgement of being totally engulfed by Europe on the political
level, and swamped by false religion on the spiritual level, means that the
nation can never recover. But it is never too late for God’s people. He is
forever “our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1), so we can say with David, “Therefore
will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof” (Psalm
46:2-3). We can as individuals, as a church and as families seek the Lord with
all our heart. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God,
for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
Conclusion
It is not too clever, if God has a controversy against us, to continue
rejecting Him. Israel eventually went into bondage in Babylon for seventy years,
but until this day has never recovered its blessings, privilege and land. In her
we see the result of what happens to a nation that rejects the word of the Lord.
“Our sins, as separate persons, as a family, as a
neighbourhood, as a nation, cause the Lord to have a controversy with us; let us
submit and humble ourselves before Him, that he may not go on to destroy”
(Matthew Henry).
© 5/3/2008