Connect Hosea 10:6 with Exodus 20:3 on the command against idolatry. The Exclusive Command at Sinai Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” • Spoken by the LORD at Mount Sinai, this is the very first word of the Ten Commandments. • “Before Me” means “in My presence,” and since God’s presence fills heaven and earth, no rival may stand anywhere. • The command is not merely negative—“no other gods”—but positive: wholehearted, undivided devotion to the LORD alone (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 22:37). Israel’s Choice to Replace God 1 Kings 12:28–30 records Jeroboam setting up golden calves in Bethel and Dan: “This will be your god, O Israel.” • These idols became the pattern of Northern Israel’s worship for two centuries. • Prophets repeatedly warned that idolatry brings judgment (Amos 5:26–27; Hosea 8:5–7). Hosea 10:6—The Inevitable Consequence Hosea 10:6: “Yes, it will be carried—even to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idol.” • “It will be carried” refers to the calf-idol of Samaria. The nation’s so-called god is hauled off like luggage—powerless, humiliating, useless. • “Shame” twice over: Ephraim (Northern Israel) feels disgrace, and the whole nation is exposed as foolish for trusting wood and metal instead of the living God. • The judgment fulfills the curse cautioned in Deuteronomy 28:36: “The LORD will bring you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers.” Connecting Exodus 20:3 and Hosea 10:6 • Command: “No other gods.” • Violation: Golden calves, Baals, wooden images. • Outcome: Idols captured, people exiled, national shame—precisely what God had promised would happen if the covenant was broken (Leviticus 26:30–33). What Idolatry Looks Like Today Old idols were carved; modern idols can be intangible. Examples: – Money or career when they displace trust in God (Matthew 6:24). – Human approval when it outranks God’s verdict (John 12:42–43). – Pleasure or entertainment when they master the heart (Philippians 3:19). The pattern is the same: whatever rules our affection becomes an idol. Timeless Lessons • Idolatry is ultimately spiritual adultery; God calls His people to exclusive covenant love (Hosea 2:19–20). • Idols always fail their worshipers, ending in shame and loss (Psalm 115:4–8). • God’s jealousy is protective, inviting us into the safest place—His own faithful love (Exodus 34:14). Living the First Commandment Now • Guard the heart: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). • Cultivate singular allegiance: “Flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14). • Treasure Christ as supreme: “In all things He must have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). |
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