How can Hosea 8:9 guide us in prioritizing God's guidance today? Setting the scene Hosea 8:9 speaks to the northern kingdom’s impulse to rush to Assyria for protection instead of trusting the LORD. The prophet records, “For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.” Israel literally paid tribute (“hired lovers”) to secure a political alliance, betraying the covenant God had already secured for them (Exodus 19:5). The wild donkey image • Untamed, stubborn, solitary—an animal determined to chart its own course • Exposed to predators because it rejects a shepherd • Graphic picture of self–reliance that feels free but is actually dangerous Modern parallels: how we “hire lovers” • Banking on human alliances—political connections, social media influence, career networks—to feel secure • Relying on savings, insurance, or technology while treating prayer and Scripture as optional extras • Joining in cultural trends to stay relevant rather than standing apart for Christ (Romans 12:2) Prioritizing God’s guidance: practical steps 1. Trust His Word first • “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… in all your ways acknowledge Him” (Proverbs 3:5-6). • Decide that Scripture, not feelings or polls, sets direction. 2. Seek Him before forming alliances • “Woe to the rebellious children… who set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice” (Isaiah 30:1-3). • Pray over decisions, then wait until His peace rules (Colossians 3:15). 3. Reject self-willed independence • God promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8). • Independence that sidelines God is rebellion, not maturity. 4. Guard covenant loyalty • Remember His past faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9). • Evaluate motives: Am I serving God’s kingdom or my own comfort? 5. Walk in obedience, even when slower paths look risky • Israel feared Assyria’s power; faith would have looked weaker but was safer. • Obedience invites divine defense (2 Chronicles 16:9). Encouragement from other Scriptures • Jeremiah 2:13—“They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, to dig their own cisterns…” • Psalm 118:8—“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” • Matthew 6:33—“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Summary truths to remember • Running to worldly solutions is attractive but ultimately enslaving. • God’s guidance is not one option among many; it is the covenant expectation and the place of safety. • Like Israel, believers must resist the pull to live like “wild donkeys” and instead rest under the Shepherd’s care. |
    |