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Daily Devotions

Hosea

Hosea 
Day 
Day 111

"Their heart is divided"

Text: Hosea 10:2

A VERY SPECIFIC COMMANDMENT OF GOD

The call to worship the Lord is called the “Shema”. This was recorded in Deuteronomy.

“Hear, O Israel:
The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5

1. This commandment could not be clearer.

2. All Israel needed to do was to keep this specific commandment.

A DIVIDED HEART

When Israel began to worship and love idols, the people displayed a badly divided heart.

“Their heart is divided;
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.”
Hosea 10:2

1. “Their heart is divided”

a) This was so obvious.
b) The heart could not decide whether to worship and serve the LORD God.
c) Or to worship and serve many idols.

2. “Now they are held guilty”

a) Guilty of abandoning their covenant with God.
b) Guilty of disobedience.
c) Guilty of sins, transgressions and iniquities.

3. “He will break down their altars”

a) The altars were greatly venerated.
b) The priests protected the shrines and altars created.
c) But the LORD God will personally see to their destruction.

4. “He will ruin their sacred pillars”

a) These are pillars dedicated to the idols worshipped.
b) They could be made of stone or wood.
c) They are regarded as holy things to be venerated and worshipped.
d) The LORD would ruin these so-called “sacred pillars”.

The myth of power of these sacred pillars had to be destroyed with the shrines.