Hosea
9:1, 10, and 17- O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations
do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like
prostitutes,
worshiping other gods
on every threshing floor. When I found Israel, it was like finding
grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the
early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they
consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the
thing they loved. My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations.
The truth is people
consecrate themselves to all kinds of things and experiences all the
time. An Olympic contestant sets him or herself apart to pursue
excellence in some form of athletic endeavor. This is an act of
consecration. A person who passionately pursues pleasure sets themselves
apart, too. They are making a decision. The prophet Hosea told the
Israelites they had made decisions that meant they were consecrating
themselves to a "shameful idol," which led them away from a connection
with the living God. Hosea took no joy in announcing the time to receive
the consequences of their disobedience would soon be on the way for the
Israelites. In the same way that he had been called by God to love and
care for his wayward wife, so the living God loved and cared for His
wayward people. God had been very patient over many years, but many
would have to leave their nation and homes in exile, and all would have
to experience some very tough times ahead before they could return in
repentance, recommitment, and renewed consecration. Jesus told His
disciples to always make sure to count the cost of following Him, but
it's also important to acknowledge the painful cost of choosing not to
follow Him as well. We can, for instance, merely pretend to follow Him
in a way that our "outsides and our insides don't line up" (definition
of what it means to lack authenticity by Dr. Henry Cloud). Because we
have invited Jesus to make a home in us through the power and presence
of the Holy Spirit, we never need to be exiles. Our home and our true
identity are found in Christ alone.
Jesus told His
disciples to always make sure to count the cost of following Him, but
it's also important to acknowledge the painful cost of choosing not to
follow Him as well. We can, for instance, merely pretend to follow Him
in a way that our "outsides and our insides don't line up" (definition
of what it means to lack authenticity by Dr. Henry Cloud). Because we
have invited Jesus to make a home in us through the power and presence
of the Holy Spirit, we never need to be exiles. Our home and our true
identity are to always be found in Christ alone.
