- They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. Hosea 9:9 – Reading this verse with a 21st century lens won’t have the same impact as it would for someone in Hosea’s day. For us, we see the straightforward message of they have sinned deeply and God would punish that sin. Yet what happened in the days of Gibeah that Hosea here is connecting Isreal’s sins to? Judges 19 tells us all about the sins of the people of Gibeah. It’s a story that shocked and disturbed the nation as a whole. It for me is my least favorite chapter in the Bible, and it was used by God to show just how far into depravity Israel had gotten during the time of the Judges. Hosea now seeks to get the attention of his listeners by telling them that they have corrupted themselves just as badly as in the story of Judges 19. That horrible black mark on the history of Israel that everyone wanted to just forget about, they were being just has sinful. What would this look like for you? What would your “days of Gibeah” be? Think back to the season of your life when you were living the furthest away from a holy life for the Lord, that’s your “days of Gibeah.” Now look at the sin that is still currently present in your story. If you continue to feed that sin and allow it to remain in your life, do you know where you will find yourself? Gibeah. Do not be fooled thinking you are the master of your sin and you can control how deep you get with it. The enemy will take that small foothold you give him and take you to the depths of depravity with it. Instead, whatever the sin that is still active in your life, give it today to Jesus. Sin will lead you to the days of Gibeah, holiness will lead you to Jesus. Choose which path you want to be on. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2948
- What will you do on the day of the appointed festival. And on the day of the feast of the Lord? (v.5) Their lifestyle and the consequences of their lifestyle would hinder them from celebrating some of the most important days and things to them. Could the same be for you? Have the choices you’ve made and the consequences of those choices created a hindrance for you to be able to celebrate the special things in your life? Are you unable to show your love for someone because you hurt them in the past and the relationship has been shattered? Are you unable to celebrate with someone else’s blessing because of your selfishness and pride? Are you unable to feel the rest and peace of God because you have filled your days with things that would dishonor Him? Our lifestyle, the choices we make, and the consequences that follow truly will direct how we celebrate and enjoy these special things. Possibly that brokenness is already here and is effecting your life right now. How do we move past the brokenness in the areas? Begin with the healing of your relationship with God. He is going to be the one that brings about the true healing in every area of your life. Start with a coming back to Him, developing a deeper and real connection with Him within your life. The healing of that relationship will guide you in the healing of your other relationships. When you’re healthy with Him, He can help you heal. – Daily DEVO 32
- They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. Hosea 9:9 – I’m glad this verse is within this chapter because it reminds us of a very valuable truth; God doesn’t hate the sinner, He hates the sin in our lives. See how it says I will punish their iniquity and their sin. While yes that does mean they themselves will feel the pain of this punishment, the wrath of God is being directed at the sin of the people, not the people themselves. God isn’t just waiting for some reason to hurt you and punish you. Grasp the truth He loves you and wants what’s best for you. What’s best is killing off the sin in our lives. Just remember, the closer we are to our sin, the more we’ll feel the sting when God burns it away. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 559
- Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. Hosea 9:10 – Some chapters within the Old Testament can be hard to push through when we begin to see God’s intensity towards sin. His wrath is real and as we’ve seen through history the promises He makes concerning His wrath do come about. In these moments though it’s helpful to remember why God’s wrath is on the scene at all. Here the Lord shares how He found His people and loved them, yet they chose to love another and chased after them. They chose to become like them in all their wickedness. After promising to commit to God they sought after another. Know God gives us a choice in what we chase after and what we become like. Just know our choice to chase after sin comes at a steep cost; a cost that steals out joy, kills relationships, and destroys our chance at peace with God. God offers us a way out of the heaviness sin brings through Jesus yet offers us the choice to refuse it as well. Know though His heart longs to be close to you and wants nothing more than you to embrace a life with Him that keeps the sting of sin far from your story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1677
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