April 29, 2024
“The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.” Hosea 9:7, emphasis added.
The prophet Hosea is telling the Jews that God is watching over them for destruction because they refuse to walk in His law. The days of their visitation are come, that is, the enemy is on his way to destroy them, for they refuse to give up their sins. This is not the kind of ‘visitation’ any of us wants.
Hosea tells them that their prophets are fools. These liars tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. The foolish prophets tell them that God will not send judgment on them because they are special to Him, He loves them unconditionally, and they are part of His family. They are empty cisterns.
The spiritual man is mad. That is the man who pretends to be spiritual and acts religious, is mad, for he believes he is safe and secure in his rebellion against God. He may be a scholar and a devoted follower of their religion and rituals, but he reveals that he does not know God by his refusal to stop sinning against God.
It appears that most nominal Christians in America do not know the difference between a false prophet and a religious fool. Look at the most well-known Christian leaders today, and you will have a hard time finding even one that is faithful to God and His word. No doubt they will put on a great show for you, give you an eloquent message, and make you feel special while they leave you in great danger. You will leave their Sunday service feeling great about yourself. You will feel blessed by the wonderful, beautiful, and encouraging music and message. Yet your sins will be waiting for you when your emotions calm down from all the excitement that you thought was the Spirit of God, and it was not.
Nominal Christians mistakenly think the ‘spiritual’ man is the one who knows much about the word of God, can utter eloquent prayers, and speak with great confidence. They forget or don’t want to see the truth, that many of these ‘spiritual’ men don’t practice holiness and righteousness and are carnal. The ‘spiritual’ man might be able to cite chapter and verse when needed and fool the gullible but not the discerning child of God. Many Christians incorrectly think a person can be holy in head but not in heart. The true prophet of God would never give anyone false comfort but only the comfort that comes from true repentance. Only in true repentance is our security, safety, and peace.
Later in the chapter, the prophet tells them a severe message from God. He tells them that God came to hate them because of their continued refusal to repent of their sins. Hosea burst their foolish bubble when he told them that God said that He would love them no more.
The sad truth is that most of us “Christians” are satisfied with a superficial relationship with God, where we throw Him a bone of devotion now and again, and He leaves us to our own devices. The false prophets and religious fools tell you this is a perfectly acceptable and normal Christian experience. It seems that most nominal Christians want to believe them, so they do accept them. Down deep, they know they are liars and charlatans, but they are so selfish that they can’t bear the thought of giving their whole life to Jesus Christ in obedience and faith. Jesus said that the one who will save his life (so that he can continue to have his own way), shall lose it. But the one who loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it. The prophet who is a fool doesn’t believe that it is all or nothing with Jesus Christ. The religious person is mad and believes that he or she can be a half-hearted follower of Christ and find eternal life.
Even today, it is true that many fools are pretending to be prophets and many spiritual and religious people who are mad. The good news is that God has much better plans in mind for each of us. It all depends on our willingness to repent and believe Him.
Many years ago, when I was counting the cost of becoming a Christian, the thought of giving up the sinful things that I loved was very frightening to me. It was like God asking me to jump out of an airplane, without a parachute, and trust that He had a much better plan! I have never regretted that decision to jump. It wasn’t long before the things I thought I loved became ugly to me, and I despised them.
Many nominal Christians might consider that to be foolishness and unnecessary. Nominal Christians may consider making Christ LORD and Savior to be the epitome of madness. What if what the world considers foolishness and madness is the path that leads to life everlasting? What if what the world finds wisdom and prudence is the road that leads to destruction?
“He is no fool who gives up what he can’t keep, to gain what he can’t lose”. Jim Elliot said this years ago. He gave up his life as a missionary to the lost. His widow, Elizabeth, said this, “There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for.” This is wisdom from above, and few are those who embrace it. Be one of those rare souls who are wise with the wisdom of God.
