The Fire (Part 8)

The Fire (Part 8)

Hosea 7 reveals God's spiritual analysis of the people groups known as the Ephraimites and the Samaritans which were part of the nation of Israel.  These people did not realize their true spiritual condition in Verse 9.  "Grey hairs,” when applied spiritually, is a sign of declining spiritual strength and approaching spiritual death.  

In the natural world it is one thing to have gray hairs, it is another thing to have them and not know it.  It is contrary to nature for a person to have gray hair and not know it.  God's problem with His people is not that they have gray hairs, but that they have them and do not know it. Having gray hairs and not knowing it is an example of an unexamined life.  Verse 2 records that they "considered not in their hearts.” In their own hearts, they did not recognize the signs of declining spiritual strength and approaching spiritual death (gray hairs).

Here are some things that caused their declining spiritual strength and put out their personal fire for God:

(1) A false or lying appearance:

God used an oven to illustrate this in Verses 6-7. The fire in the oven appeared to be out, but in reality was smoldering.  Do you know people whose outward appearance is good?  They act like a Christian, talk like a Christian, do good works, but inside their fire is smoldering.  There is hurt, resentment, anger, criticism, envy, greed, unforgiveness.  God opens the oven door to reveal the problem.  He allows circumstances to come into our lives to enable us to discover we do not have the victory we thought we had and that it's time to re-kindle our fire.

(2) Partial Obedience:

God uses a half-baked cake to illustrate this in Verse 8.  They had done some things that God commanded, but left others undone. Partial obedience is total disobedience. A women who is 85% faithful to her husband is actually 100% unfaithful to Him.

(3) Unstable loyalty:

The example of a silly dove in Verse 11 illustrates this fact.   Looking here and there will not solve our problems.  The solution is not in Egypt or Assyria.  It is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fire's not burning today in many churches because people are looking for it elsewhere instead of building it where their at.

(4)  Unreliable service:

This is illustrated by a faulty bow in Verse 16.  God compares these people to a slack bowstring that has lost its effectiveness.  If we are unreliable in our Christian service we continually fall short of the goal. We are never driven to the target.  We never reach the purpose God has for our lives. The fire of Pentecost won't be burning in a heart that is not dependable.