"A Country Off Course"

Hosea 8:1-14 / various July 2, 2006  Play audio  Play video

Times Were Good, Yet...

• golden calves and Baal worship led Northern Kingdom astray (1Kings 12:28f; Num 25:5; 1Kings 18; 2Kings 10:28; 2Kings 14:26f)
• Hosea brought unpopular message of doom at 'golden age' of prosperity
• religion: made idols, ignored God's law, rejected prophets, offered human sacrifice (8:4,12; 1:2; 4:1,6; 7:10; 9:7; 13:2)
• politics: set up kings without consent, appeal to Assyria/Egypt, depend on military strength (8:4,9; 10:13)
• commerce: palaces, fortresses, multiplied altars as prospered, dishonest scales, became proud (8:14; 10:1; 12:7f; 13:6)
• social life / crime: murder, adultery, break all bounds, prostitution, thievery, lawsuits (4:2; 6:8ff; 7:1; 10:4)
• all of life affected by following pagan gods: sow wind, reap whirlwind (8:7)

Canada - "The Good Life"?

• signs of prosperity: GST reduction, strong loonie, military spending
• Gay Pride Parade applauded by civic leaders despite "ubiquitous" nudity
• child sacrifice forbidden in OT mirrored in 100,000+ yearly abortions (Deut 12:31; 2Kings 17:17); cancer side-effect

A Call to be Vicarious Intercessors

• tempted to dismiss others' offenses and dissociate 'us' from 'them'
• Moses, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Daniel confessed sins in solidarity - "we" (Ex 32:30ff; Is 6:5; Neh 1:5ff; Dan 9:4-19)
• Paul would prefer to be cut off if Jews could be saved; Jesus gave self as a ransom "for" sinners / the powerless (Rom 9:3; Mk 10:45; Rom 4:25, 5:6)

Hope on the Horizon

• Hon. P. Steckle introducing bill to restrict abortion past 20 week mark
• Christ-centred, well attended annual National Prayer Breakfast
• conversion led investment banker to pay back pilferings, with interest