The Book Of Hosea. Day 11, Charged With Crimes, Part Two

In Chapter 4 we find the Lord laying out His charges against Israel. In yesterday's text He said that the land was "full of cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery". He said the people were willing to "break all bounds". He said they were violent: "bloodshed follows bloodshed". Because of these sins, along with their sins of idolatry, drought was in the land. The drought was intended to cause them to reflect on their character and come to an acknowledgement of their sins, but they have not taken advantage of that opportunity. 

This next portion may have a couple of different interpretations, according to what I read in my background study. We will look at it first and then discuss it. The Lord says, "But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest." (Hosea 4:4)

My first impression is that verse 4 is a warning against hypocrisy. The Lord has pointed out the sins taking place in the land and each person should examine his or her heart to determine whether they are guilty of these sins. Therefore, the Lord may be commanding them not to look around and point fingers at others when they are just as guilty themselves. Another interpretation may be that He's saying it's no use for anyone to go to a fellow citizen to try to help them see the error of their ways. He may be saying something like, "They won't listen to you. Even if a godly priest were to go to them and gently confront them with their waywardness, they would take offense. Instead of facing their own guilt, they would accuse the priest of being a sinner." After all, they have not listened to the Lord Himself; they are hardly likely to listen to a fellow citizen or to a religious leader. 

We know that the northern kingdom maintained many unlawful priests who were not of the tribe of Levi. We know that these unlawful priests served at the unauthorized golden calf sites at Bethel and at Dan. Most of the officially recognized priests in the northern kingdom were not appointed by or approved of by God. They can scarcely lead people onto the right path when they are not walking the right path themselves. As the Lord Jesus said of ungodly priests and teachers, "They are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14) It's bad enough that so many priests cannot give godly guidance to the people but the nation abounds with false prophets as well. "You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you." (Hosea 4:5a) The false prophets are blind guides too. They are headed toward a pit and are leading others to the pit with them.

It can be easier to see other people's sins than to see our own sins. After all, we spend more time looking at other people than we spend looking at ourselves in the mirror. But we have valuable mirrors at our disposal: the word of God and prayer with God. If we spend daily time looking at ourselves through those mirrors, we will be far less hypocritical because those mirrors will reveal to us our own sins. Then, when we recognize and repent of those sins, we won't be blind guides but will be able to encourage and comfort others and give them Scripture-based advice.