Q&A: Hosea 8

Hosea 8 - Q&A

Here are some brief answers to our questions from our Sunday evening service.

1. How do you know when your phone is not just a tool but an obsession, a crutch, a replacement for God's place?

How long do you spend on it? For what purpose? How long can you go without it? is it a need, or a desire? Do you depend on it?

These are all helpful questions to ask. No doubt we can say "I need it for work, social contact, safety..." but do we need it so much? Or have we learned to depend on it? My guess is that many Christians might forget to pray one day, but not as many would forget to charge their phone. Why is that? But maybe you've got it under control so it doesn't control you. That's a good place to be.

2. What's the difference between Northern Israel seeking support from Assyria and us now seeking support from humans? Aren't we called to support one another(ecc4:9)

Support yes. But where is our ultimate hope?

We should support each other as humans. Certainly. But we are also limited. Israel could have trusted God, but instead, they went to their enemies, whom God warned them about. They went AGAINST God's direction completely and put their complete trust in Assyria. I think today perhaps prayer becomes the last resort rather than the first stop. We should find comfort in the help of others - parents, friends, teachers, health care workers, electricians... good to get their help. But where do we find our hope?

3. Is this passage talking about judgment along the way in life eg not having bread/ food, or about final judgement?

It really is pointing us toward final judgment. For Israel, this judgment "along the way in life", immediate judgment, was a warning of what was to come for Judah, but also a warning of final judgment for God's people, including us. The risk of walking away from God is judgment. Final judgment. For Israel, it will be starvation and slavery for a short time, but the greater issue is the final judgment if they refuse to turn back to God and trust him.

4. Just curious. Why in Exodus 32, does it talk about Aaron fashioning "a calf" (singular) but then the Israelites say ", these are your gods" (plural)?

The Hebrew word for "God" and "gods" is the same - "Elohim". Saying "these gods" seems to suggest a plurality of gods. The writing seems to indicate that they were not just making idols and trying to represent God/Yahweh, but they were introducing a plurality of gods (like the other nations).

5. If he was caning Steve, he might have been doing it for a reason: caring, wanted change, to warn. That's not the best way. What's the diff with God & Ephraim?

Humans don't always get punishment - corporal or capital - correct. But God does. Humans can never be sure of justice, but God can be. It's one reason so many nations have stopped capital punishment - "what if we got it wrong?" This punishment is certainly effective for humans, but only God ever gets it 100% right. Having said that, God ceased this punishment after Jesus. Jesus took the punishment - corporal and capital - that we deserved.

6. Seems a hard God with the punishment that God says will come, the number that will die from punishment.

Yes. It seems hard to many. But God had warned them. This punishment was better than losing them completely. God's hope was still that they would turn back to him. A slap on the wrist was not going to do that. There are many times Israel completely ignores God despite the consequences. But the truth is, in their world, leaving God meant that they were at the mercy of nations like Assyria, Egypt and Babylon. They would suffer much more under those nations!

7. How do I chase after Jesus? Like a chase after Jesus for dummies

I'd encourage you to always be talking with him, first of all (prayer). Be listening to him (Bible), and be worshipping him (Church). How often do these three simple things come as an option to us? If you love your job, you can't wait to get up in the morning and get in there and do it. If we love Jesus, we want to chase after him - we can't wait to talk with him, listen to him, and meet with him. What are our priorities? How important is Jesus to us? Do we depend on him the most?

8. Would the priests in Jerusalem have made sacrifices for Northern Israel as well as Judah?

No. North and South were separated. The sacrifices were for God's people. So in a sense, I guess if there were still genuine "faithful people of God" in the North, then the sacrifices made by the priests in Judah could have also been for them. But really, the North set up their own altars and did their own thing.

9. So if it was final judgment how is that loving as you said?

Sorry - I don't think I was clear - it pointed "toward" final judgment. It was a reminder. This judgment was "here and now" and a reminder of God's sovereignty. It was an effort to call them back before they faced final judgment.

10 The passage is confusing,why all the different names for the northern kingdom.

Ephraim was a major clan in Northern Israel. Samaria was the capital of Northern Israel. So they because like pseudonyms for Northern Israel. Southern Israel became known as Judah because that was the main clan in Southern Israel.

11. What are our golden calves?

They are different for each of us I think. But as a society, we do seem to have set up false gods and false hope in things like... for example... education, health care, property, technology, wealth and power. That is, I think people depend more on these things than they do on God a lot of the time. Perhaps even Christians. As I said in the sermon, the dependence we have on our phones is concerning. Even the medical community is warning us of the dangers of this, yet we cannot give them up or even tone them down.

12. How do you know when your clothes are not just a tool but an obsession, a crutch, a replacement for God's place? Try without them? How much of your time in them?

Yes, how much do you depend on them? How much value do you place on them? How much do they make up your identity? All of our possessions can become god-like in status, even clothes. When we must have certain things, when we cannot live without them, even for a day, we need to ask "Why?" Why are they so important to us? Are these things our master? This is a really important question to consider.