ESOCS Devotional 16 July 2025 – Idolatry: God’s Adjudged Greatest Sin
MEMORY VERSE: “The people of Israel are under the spell of idols. Let them go their own way. After drinking much wine, they delight in their prostitution, preferring disgrace to honour. They will be carried away as by the wind, and they will be ashamed of their pagan sacrifices.” Hosea 4:17-19 GNB
TEXT: HOSEA 4:1-19
Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land will mourn;
And everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I will change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And reward them for their deeds.
10 For they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their wooden idols,
And their staff informs them.
For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15 “Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to Beth Aven,
Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16 “For Israel is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the Lord will let them forage
Like a lamb in [i]open country.
17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
Let him alone.
18 Their drink is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
Her rulers dearly love dishonor.
19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
In Exodus Chapter 20, God’s number one commandment to ancient Israel bothered on idolatry, or worship and making of idols. In Exodus 20:5, God vowed to visit the iniquity of idol worship of the fathers to the children – even to the third and fourth generation of those that continue with such most disrespectful sin. However, He promised to show mercy to those that love Him and turn to Christ (John 1:12).
In our text, although Hosea laid some emphasis on other sins such as lying, drunkenness, stealing, murder, hypocrisy, etc., the main point of his focus was on the sin of idolatry (which translates to spiritual adultery), as Israel’s greatest offence against God. Moreover, Hosea’s resounding condemnation of Israel’s sin of idolatry tend to reveal God’s holy desire that His people, and indeed all believers should be faithful to Him in an intimate love relationship.
Through the admonishing words of Prophet Hosea, God shows us that He wants us to develop a strong and faithful marriage relationship with Christ as the spouse of the Church (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33).
Therefore, child of God, beware of any form of idolatry – either directly or indirectly. It is totally abhorrent to God Almighty.
CHALLENGES
- Some worship wood and stone, some worship images of silver and gold. Some have even idolized prophets and ministers. Let’s be careful, lest we fall.
PRAYER POINT
- Lord Jesus, you remain the only true God. Help me to worship only the Triune Eternal God.
FURTHER READING: Hosea 5:1-5; Acts 21:1-15; 22:16-30
ESOCS Devotional 16 July 2025
