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"The spirit of harlotry is in their midst"

Text: Hosea 5:4

THE DEPTH OF THE PROBLEM OF IDOLATRY

The problem of idolatry was deep. Israel did not just worship idols occasionally. The practice of idolatry was embedded strongly for generations!

“They do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the LORD.”
Hosea 5:4

1. The expressions of the deep underlying problem

a) “They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God”

i) God was obviously set aside.

ii) He was virtually forgotten.

iii) He was not consciously in the heart of the people in Israel.

b) “They do not know the LORD”

i) They did not know Him in any personal or meaningful way.

ii) They did not seek to know Him at all.

iii) The LORD was to Israel almost alien.

2. “The spirit of harlotry”

a) This was mentioned in Hosea 4:12.

b) It is mentioned once again in Hosea 5:4.

c) The “demonic” aspect was first mentioned by Moses.

i) Idolatrous sacrifices were associated with “demons” (Deuteronomy 32:17).

ii) This view was picked up by a Psalmist (Psalm 106:37).

3. The comment of the Apostle Paul is not without significance

“Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice
to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have
fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord
and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table
and of the table of demons.”
1 Corinthians 10:20-21

a) The word “demon” is mentioned four times in just two verses.

b) Paul was conscious of the powerful presence of demons in his days.

c) Thus he warned of this danger.

Israel was ignorant in spiritual knowledge, thus the problem of worshiping demons did not even occur to them.