Can We Control God?

The eighth chapter of Hosea is the pronouncement of judgment on Israel based on the case against the leaders, priests, and people developed in the previous chapters. Specifically in verse one, it’s all summarized in their failure to keep the covenant with God. Simply put, they “spurn the good.” Israel cries out that they know God. They attempt to worship and appease God on their own terms in their own temple, through a golden calf, with altars and sacrifices. The people of Israel are being extremely religious, but God rejects this and claims that they do it apart from him and ignorant of his law. Religious practices on their own don’t please God! Why? They’re showing their devotion and sacrifice, right?

Can you truly know someone if you make up facts about them? Can you truly be in a relationship with someone if you invent for yourself what they desire for the relationship? It’d like a guy who says that he and a certain girl are dating, when the girl has no idea he exists. He’s made their relationship up in his mind! That’s a bit of what Israel was doing, and what we’re tempted to do. We’re designed to worship, but in our sinfulness we reject authority and what God desires from us. We want to know and worship God our own way. This shows our attempt to provide ourselves purpose, atone for our failures, and feel entitled to blessings without God. We actually want to control God.

We all fall into this trap. Like Israel we become prideful. They saw themselves as a great nation in their own right apart from God. They filled their lives up with religious experiences and practices, thinking that this is what God wanted. As Christians, we tend to forget that God has blessed us despite our sin. We can begin to believe that in our “goodness” we deserve blessings more than other “more sinful” people. This usually leads to contempt or indifference so that our desire to love and evangelize is snuffed out.

The hope in chapter eight is that the Scriptures tell us the truth about God and the relationship He wants to have with us. Thankfully, He’s blessed us not because we were religious enough, but because of His good pleasure. Instead of spurning the good, we should accept the good blessing of God. In God’s covenant with Abraham, God promised to bless so that Abraham will be a blessing to others (Gen 12:2). In Christ we are undeservedly blessed with forgiveness, freedom, hope, peace, truth, and love so that we may in turn bless others. Importantly, we can only bless others freely and well if we do it knowing that no one is able to do anything to deserve blessings. But what a blessing it is to be able to bless others in these ways! These are the good things of God.

Our community groups have been studying through Hosea. You’re invited to join us on Wednesday or Thursday evening to study with us. Check out our community groups here: Harbor West Community Groups.