This is Spoken Gospel.

We are dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

At this point in Hosea’s prophecies against
Israel, we get to the heart of her spiritual adultery.

Israel’s unfaithfulness to God was political.

That’s because Israel has set up kings 
and princes that God did not appoint.

They look to the armies of Egypt for safety.

They think a costly alliance with Assyria will 
save them from becoming their next target.

Israel is compromising her allegiance to God alone in
order to benefit from powerful governments.

And it seems to work.

Israel is experiencing an economic boom that 
the people credit to their own political savvy.

They think the false gods of their political allies are
providing them with bountiful farms and healthy wombs.

But God says disaster is hovering
over Israel like a bird of prey.

The reality is that God has been gracious despite their
disobedience; unlike them, he’s faithful to his covenant.

Israel can’t see the problem.

They insist that they have kept 
their relationship with God intact.

They still keep all the feasts and 
sacrifices God commanded in the law.

But the truth is that Israel just keeps God’s wedding
ring on her finger while sleeping with other men.

The people have so enmeshed 
politics with their worship of God

that they can’t see how
scandalous their actions are.

They have deposed God as their king, but they've
kept up the appearance of their religious
obedience to ease their conscience.

Since Israel has so severely broken her marriage
with God, God will remove the blessings of

bountiful farms and healthy wombs that Israel has
been crediting to the false gods of her political allies.

The governments the people trusted
will be their downfall.

The foreign powers they thought would save Israel 
will be the forces God uses to drag them to exile.

And worse, God will no
longer accept their sacrifices.

The one place they could have gone 
for help will be taken from them.

And in suicidal despair Israel will 
ask the mountains to crush them.

[music]

Israel still had this problem in Jesus’ day.

Some, like the Sadducees, gained political 
power by enmeshing themselves with Rome.

Others, like the zealots,
amassed large followings  

by promising violent coups against 
the Romans in the name of God.

One of these insurrectionists was named Barabbas.

The crowds at Jesus’ trial chose 
to release him instead of Jesus.

They chose a political 
leader instead of their God.

They chose a worldly power to save 
them and sent Jesus off to the cross.

It’s no wonder Jesus quotes Hosea’s words to a group
of mourning women as he was approaching the cross.

The same destruction that Hosea 
prophesied is coming to them.

In fact, every civilization 
is under the same threat.

Everyone in the world trusts in the 
political strength of their leaders, parties,  

and armies more than God—
and so will soon come to an end.

But the good news is that Jesus pronounced 
this punishment on his way to bear it for us.

Jesus was sentenced to die on a cross while 
the insurrectionist and murderer was set free.

This can be your story too.

When we trust our ultimate King 
Jesus and refuse to put our trust in  

earthly rulers and political leaders, even 
insurrectionists like us can be set free.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to 
see God as the king who demands our allegiance.

And may you see Jesus as the king who died to
buy our allegiance by his love and self-sacrifice.