Thought from today’s Bible reading from Hosea 8-14.
“It is your destruction, O Israel, that you are against Me, against your help. Where now is your king that he may save you in all your cities, and your judges of whom you requested, ‘Give me a king and princes?’ I gave you a king in My anger and took him away in My wrath” (Hosea 13:9-11).
God’s people had a chronic history of rejecting Him and looking for other sources of aid, strength, and protection. This passage mentions one of these sources: a king. We find a few reminders here showing us why they were to put their trust in God and not in a human ruler.
- The desire for a king was rebellion against God – This passage tells us that God was angry at their request for a king to rule over them. Why would God be angry about this? He explained why to Samuel when the people first demanded a king: “They have rejected Me from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:8).
- A king could not save them – Part of the reason why the people wanted a king was so that he could “go out before [them] and fight [their] battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). But now when their destruction was upon them, where was their king? Despite his power and authority, he could not save them.
- God was over the king – God had the power to give them a king and also to take him away.
It was foolish for them to reject God and put their trust in a king. In the same way, it is foolish for us to put our trust in any human ruler. Trust in God since He alone can save. He is over all; therefore, serve Him over all others.
Tomorrow’s reading: Isaiah 28-30
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
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