The Nation That Forgot The Lord

"The most shocking aspect of these closing verses of Hosea 8 is that Israel's religious devotion does them no good with the Lord. In verse 11 their worship has become an occasion for sin because they've mixed the worship of the one true God with the worship of false idols. In verse 12 they don't even recognize the word of God anymore. Does that sound like the church in America today? We use the word of God as if were some kind of self-help manual, not the living breathing revelation of a holy God who demands total lordship over our lives. In verse 13 they go through the motions of sacrifice and worship but God does not accept it. Does that sound like us today? We have all the externals but God will not accept worship that isn't from the heart. And what is the root of all this? God's people had turned away from trust in their God and put their trust in politics and military power, and God says He will burn it all down. Friends I fear the same thing has happened to us today in America."