Sinking into Apostasy #2310

4 “Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. 5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. 6 When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me” (Hosea 13:4–6, NKJV).

Yahweh saved Israel from Egyptian oppression and He sustained her in the wilderness. But instead of giving God thankful, obedient service, Israel forgot the Lord and turned to idols (Hosea 13:1-2). Worshiping Baal and the golden calves Jeroboam had set up, Israel added sin upon sin. What led to Israel’s apostasy warns us not to fall as she did (1 Cor. 10:6-12). Hosea 13:6 describes the sequence of Israel’s apostasy. (1) Israel became satisfied in her prosperity. They were “at ease” in their abundance and failed to humbly obey God and serve their brethren (Amos 6:1-7). The church of the Laodiceans provides a similar warning against spiritual apathy (Rev. 3:15-17). (2) Israel’s heart was filled with pride. Pride is an insidious enemy that elevates us above God in our minds. Pride is an undeniable step away from God and is abhorrent to God (Amos 6:8). The church in Sardis wrestled with pride’s self-righteous fruit (Rev. 3:1-2). (3) Israel forgot God in her self-sufficiency. Israel forgot that God was their savior and sustainer. Israel’s prosperity led to prideful sufficiency while ignoring God (Deut. 8:1-20; 32:15). The parable of the rich fool warns us not to trust riches but to lay up heavenly treasures (Luke 12:15-21). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

April’s Fool, but not Life’s Fool #1904

Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief. (Proverbs 14:13, NKJV)

Today is April Fool’s Day (April 1), the traditional day of playing light-hearted pranks on friends and even strangers. Laughter and good humor is good, but even as we laugh, our hearts may sorrow and grieve. As we seek out laughter and entertainment, we may be making decisions that will ultimately bring us sorrow and grief. These are the decisions that reveal foolishness instead of wisdom. We ought to pause and ask ourselves whether we are making choices that are heaping up for ourselves sorrow, grief, and eternal regrets (Rom. 2:5). The Bible says the real fool says, “There is no God” (Psa. 14:1). To ignore the truth of God’s presence and power is a fool’s errand (Rom. 1:18-23). The Bible says real fool chooses to be deceived by intoxicants. God says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). Broken lives, broken homes, and broken souls testify to the evil of this behavior (Prov. 23:29-35). The Bible says the real fool believes life is all about the things he possesses. Jesus explained that life is not about what we possess (Lk. 12:15). God said to the man who had laid up many goods for many years, “Fool!” because he had not been rich toward God (Lk. 12:20-21). An April’s Fool Day prank may fool us, but we must not fool ourselves by choosing foolish and sinful things and calling them good.