Hosea 4:1-19 | Food for Thought
Hosea describes the faithlessness of God’s people as not merely affecting themselves, but the land, all who dwell in it, and the animals.
What does this tell us about the impact of our personal sin?
Does our sin ever only affect us?
A lack of knowledge is a repeated accusation.
Why is failing to have a knowledge of the Lord and the Law so significant?
Why are priests and prophets held particularly accountable for this charge? What does this mean for the leaders we choose to love, listen to, let lead us, and defend in our lives?
The people are also held accountable for what they do (and don’t!) understand.
How does who or what they go to for wisdom, knowledge, and help directly tied to their love, their understanding, and how they live?
What reasons do they - and you! - give for seeking out other things instead of the Lord? Why does it seem like a good idea to let someone else have an equal (if not louder!) voice to the Lord?
What are some of the things they turn to? What are some of the things that we turn to today?
How would you know if you're doing this?
Hosea says that a people without understanding will come to ruin.
It sounds easy when we’re pointing out other people’s idolatry, but how easy does Hosea make it sound to realize our own?
If it's true that we'll never be satisfied by the other things we turn to, why is it so difficult to untangle ourselves from idolatry?
Hosea says, “Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?”
How can we move from being “stubborn heifers” to “lambs in a broad pasture?”
What do we need to make that happen?
What’s that going to cost us here and now? Is that cost worth what we might gain here and now - and into eternity?
How is Christ faithful for and to us? Do we have to fear ruin any longer? Are we defined by the guilt and shame that comes from even our most unfaithful words, deeds, and desires?
How is Jesus the faithful prophet and priest for his people? How does that change who and what we turn to (or turn away from) in our daily life?
How does all of this shape the way we live in community with one another? How does this change the way we live together as a church?