Walk in God’s Way Hosea 14:9

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things, Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9, NASB).

The American people are less than a month from the day that they vote for the next president of the United States of America. The candidates are on the campaign trail seeking to convince voters that they are the best hope for America’s future. The people are choosing sides, who they will vote for. They believe that their candidate is the best person to lead the country into the future. Now, I believe in the democratic process and I fulfill my duty to vote. In most elections, I have had very little trouble deciding which candidate I vote for; in local, state and national offices. This year I am having a lot of difficulty making a decision between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

As a Black man, I suppose that most other Black people expect that I will vote for the Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The problem is this: I am not trying to be a good Black man. I strongly disagree with Joe Biden who tells a Black man that he is not Black if “you don’t vote for me.” This sounds like a slave master to me. What am I trying to be? I am trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ; not a good Black Christian, but a disciple of Jesus Christ. Said another way, I want to know Jesus’ way. I want to follow Him. I want to hold to His teaching because I want to be free (John 8:31-32) I want to abide in Him so that I can bear righteous fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NASB).

Since I am trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ I want to know what God is up to as we are witnessing the events that are taking place in our country and the world. So, today’s bible reading is Hosea 8-14. I believe that America today is much like Israel was in 745 B.C. when the Lord speaks to Hosea and gives him a prophetic word to give to the people. As I am reading through the text I notice there are some things that stand out to me, and I want to share them with you.

First I see that Israel is a faithless nation. “Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of the LORD, because they transgressed My covenant” (8:1, NASB). Instead of being faithful to the covenant; “they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law” (v. 1-2). You see, there are a lot of laws made in America and numerous programs set up in America that claims to be for the good of the American people. I will admit that these may sound good and they may be well received, but if we are honest they do little to advance the quality of life for the ones that they are supposed to be helping. For example let us look at the welfare system.

Former president Lyndon B. Johnson declares a “war on poverty.” He institutes programs that offer financial aid to poor people. So, what is wrong with this, you might ask? The money that the poor person receives is barely enough to live on. It is not enough for the recipients to pay college tuition or trade schools that will qualify them for a job so that they can move up in the world. Women can be single and receive money for their children. These children are born in poverty and they become additional persons stuck in poverty. The single mother cannot earn additional income because she will lose her benefits. Thus, the family structure is compromised. Abortions are available and there are more abortion clinics in poverty areas. The fathers are freed from their responsibility as a parent and many of them resort to lifestyles that are clearly against God’s laws.

Americans are allying itself with peoples that do not have an affinity for God; at least not God in the sense that America once knew God. The God that America looked to was a Holy God with laws different from the gods of the nations. Now, we give these other gods equal status to the God that formed this nation. When this nation is formed the founders debate over what God requires of them. They do not agree on what God is like, but they do agree that they ought to do things God’s way. Thus like Israel when the Lord first rescues them from bondage in Egypt they make a lot of errors. However God remains faithful and He gives the Israelites His laws to live by. Now here we are in America having the constitution, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the constitution and we still are practicing discrimination and injustices. Why? Because God is no longer our standard for righteousness and without complying with God’s laws we are not able to be righteous. Without righteousness there is no possibility for justice. See archives for articles: “Justice Requires Righteousness,” June 14, 2020; “No God No Justice,” October 4, 2020).

Thirdly, America is now a nation that is guilty of idolatry. You say, “We don’t worship statues and monuments that represent other gods.” Idolatry is not limited to bowing down before man made statues. Idolatry is giving equal or greater space to anyone and anything as to God. It is even possible that one can made an idol of other people and themselves. The author of First Samuel writes: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23, NASB). Paul writes to the church in Colosse saying: “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry” (Col. 3:5, NASB). Paul adds a warning saying, “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience” (v. 6).

Another form of idolatry is giving leaders a greater voice than the voice of God. We are depending on what our leaders are telling us instead of trusting in God. Even in the church, God’s own possession, leaders and the people are following after what political leaders and persons with superstar status say rather than trusting in the word of God. As disciples of Jesus we know that while we are to respect our political leaders, we are not obligated to do what they do. This is what Jesus has to say about religious leaders that do not live God’s way. Matthew records these words: “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses; and therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them’” (Matt. 23:1-3, NASB). The NLT reads, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach’” (NLT).

As I am scrolling through Facebook I come across two posts that I believe sums up what this article is trying to say. The first one reads, “Because people can’t follow directions is why the country is where it is today.” The second one reads, “The reason the world is in such bad shape is because of the way we are living and it’s not God’s way.” Yet, there is good news and there is hope for our country, the United States of America. I believe that the words of God to Israel are true for America today; and especially the church in America. In Hosea 14 the Lord invites Israel to return to the Lord. “I will heal their apostasy. I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them” (Hosea 14:4, NASB). God’s promise of restoration is to those that heed God’s word. “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9, NASB).