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Saturday, October 29, 2011

10/30/11 They're "So Hot" Hosea 7:3-7

 3 "Their evil conduct even makes the king glad.  Their lies make the princes happy.
4 But all of the people are adulterers.
   The baker does not even need to stir up the fire until the dough is ready."
5 On special days to honor our king,  the princes get drunk with wine.
And the king enjoys the party. He joins hands with those
who pretend to be faithful to him.
6 Their hearts are as hot as an oven. They make evil plans to get rid of him.
Their anger burns like a slow fire all night. In the morning it blazes out like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are as hot as an oven. They destroy their rulers.
All of their kings fall from power.
But none of them calls on the Lord for help.

(Hot Sunrise on Israeli desert
"priovatetourguideinIsrael.com)


Thoughts: Today, people brag on being "HOT."  Not hot like from summer heat, but hot like a dog in heat.  There is a difference between appreciating beuaty and lusting openly after someone else.  There was a time, not too long ago, when people would be ashamed of lust, but today (as in Hosea's day) people brag about their coveting of another's wife and feel no shame about lusting after another on TV, on the internet, or in a magazine. 
     Hosea's people were hot in terms of burning with anger inside against their government,  as well as hot with adultery (7:4- a spirit of adultery with one another, unfaithfulness against the king, and unfaithfulness against God).  Instead of bragging how lusty we feel or how someone entices us to lust- being "hot" we should focus on beauty but also value the peace and love that is borne in faithfulness.

Prayer: Let me value what you value, Lord.  Let me see people beyond their skin and beyond what they can do for my flesh.  Help me to not see people as a commodity to be used, but as a neighbor to be treated with mercy and kindness.

John Calvin Abridged: The Israelites were carried away by a mad zeal into their own superstitions and wicked practices, and could not be allayed or quieted by any remedies. The Israelites were deprived of good governors like the head is cut off from the body.  The goodness of God, otherwise inhaustible is dried up by the wickedness of the people.  The whole people were caught up in the frenzy of their sin, so that even when God chastizes them, they refuse to turn to Him. 

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