8/26/21

Wealth doesn't hide sin; remember the Lord through prophets (Hosea 12:7-14)

 Hosea 12:7-14

A) Gaining wealth through fraud is sin that God sees

7) Merchant dishonest scales, exploits, oppresses and defrauds

8) Ephraim boasts of wealth hiding/covering iniquity and sin

B) God shows us this through prophets, parables and history (far beyond ourselves)

9-10) Yet LORD God knows our beginnings and can bring humility/truth through prophets

 - Parables make God's will known by appealing to our sense of right and wrong

 - The Eagle, the Parrot, the Ostrich and the Dove

11) Gilead's wickedness (idolatry), sacrifice to Gilgal - altars piles of stone on a plowed field

 - What is Gilead working for? A pile of rocks for no one. What a complete lack of understanding, God wants us to build a healthy family who loves him and one another.

 - Saul anointed, confirmed, then rejected as king (1 Samuel 9-15), shows how being chosen doesn't cut it - we need to live out our faith God's way.

12) Jacob fled to Aram, served/worked to get wife

 - Jacob (Israel) was once a single confused man

 - Jacob served Laban for 20 years, then left for Canaan (Gen 30-31)

13) LORD used prophet Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt, preserved by God

 - 500+ years later Israel became a nation because of one Prophet raised up

14) But Ephraim aroused LORD's anger, LORD leaves him in guilt (Iniquity), repaying for contempt

 - shame and dishonor

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