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"Made many altars for sin"

Text: Hosea 8:11

THE BUILDING OF ALTARS

Abraham built a number of altars. Each one was built to offer grateful worship and to call upon the Lord. However, Ephraim built many kinds of altars, but none to honour and worship God!

“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,
They have become for him altars for sinning.
I have written for him the great things of My law,
But they were considered a strange thing.”
Hosea 8:11-12

1. “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin”

a) Ephraim represents Israel in this context.

b) Many were the altars Israel made.

c) They were made for the worship of many deities.

d) Every altar made caused Israel to sin more and more.

2. “They have become for him altars for sinning”

a) The altars were no longer things to be respected or admired.

b) The altars became places where Israel learned to sin more and more badly.

c) The altars that were built added to their sinful activities.

3. “I have written for him the great things of My law”

a) Great things were to be found in the Law of God indeed!

i) The mighty deeds of God that were done for Israel.

ii) How to worship and honour God.

iii) How to love Him and serve Him.

b) How to uphold justice.

i) So that the poor and needy would not be oppressed.

ii) So that the wicked would be punished.

4. “But they were considered a strange thing”

a) Ignorance was a major problem.

b) Lack of understanding was another.

c) Rejection of the Lord’s word.

d) Embracing of teachings about life and idolatrous practices.

The lack of knowledge of God and His word would lead Israel into destruction (Hosea 4:6).