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"Bloodshed upon bloodshed"

Text: Hosea 4:2

EVERY REASON TO SUCCEED

The children of Israel had everything it needed to succeed as a nation. God had provided everything the nation needed. Two things may be highlighted:

1. Laws to govern the land.

2. Leaders who would lead well if they kept close to the LORD.

A NATION FALLING APART

Things were literally falling apart as the nation of Israel went on. Hosea noted the following things that were becoming common-place.

“By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.”
Hosea 4:2

1. A short-list of national problems

a) Swearing

b) Lying

c) Killing

d) Stealing

e) Committing adultery

f) Bloodshed

2. What do these problems indicate?

a) They break all restraint.

b) What were the restraints?

i) The judicial system was supposed to offer restraint to crime.

But the judges were corrupt and the rich and powerful got their way at the expense of the poor.

ii) The monarchial system

The kings and princes were supposed to uphold the moral values of the kingdom.
But they were too embroiled in political intrigue to care about the welfare of the people.

iii) The priestly system

The priests were supposed to be assisted by Levites. They were supposed to teach the children how to fear the LORD. They had all but failed to properly teach the Scriptures effectively.

iv) The heads of the families

If all else failed, the heads of the families were supposed to instil family values.
But they too had focused on survival rather than integrity and honour.

c) There were no restraints

Everyone did what was deemed right in his own eyes. It was like the law of the jungle. It was survival of the fittest and strongest. There was no thought of God. There was no mercy exercised. There was no knowledge and no truth taught except by a handful, like the prophets and their disciples.