[CS-FSLUG] TD: CS-BibleStudy: Hosea 4

[Ed Hurst]

Josiah Ritchie wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-09-07 at 09:35, Ed Hurst wrote:
> 
>>Timothy R. Butler wrote:
>>
>>
>>>1.) What do you see as the most important part of this passage?
>>
>>It's a laundry list of the ways the nation has pursued idolatry. Bad 
>>enough they worship at shrines physically, but they worship the gods of 
>>the heart, too: lying, stealing, oppression, etc.
> 
> I like to nit-pick... (what a way to start eh?)

And you should, if you see a question.

> As I'm reading this the outward and inward idolatry are considered
> separate actions, and the outward action is downplayed in the light of
> the inward action.

Separate academically; not in practice. Hosea seems to note that these 
two are different merely as symptoms of a deeper sin: rejection of Jehovah.

> I tend to consider the outward action as the result of the inward action
> and, as such, a display of an abandonment to the inward sin rather than
> an attempt to pull away from it. Therefore, the outward action denotes a
> more serious condition of the heart than the inward action alone.

Missed what I was getting at, terse as I was. It's one thing to be 
deluded about worship, or simply mixed up. Keep in mind that the notion 
that there is but one real God and the rest a fake was just a bit much 
to swallow until the Exile. During the Period of Judges, there was a 
great deal of idolatry, but not with an intent to reject God, but simply 
confusion during a time when the Law was poorly taught, and even more 
poorly understood. You may note that, for example Samson (Shim-shon), 
named after a pagan god (a sun god, IIRC) was still used of God for His 
purposes. He was not exceptionally mean or hateful, just kinda hot-headed.

So what I see Hosea saying is that they can't claim that exemption. They 
*know* what they are doing. That they have made an outright rejection of 
Jehovah is proven by their very nasty behavior. You are right in what 
you say, you just missed what I was getting at.

> I get the feeling that I'm mis-interpreting your words, so feel free to
> clear this up and discuss the minute details as seems appropriate. :-)

Did I do better this time?

-- 
Ed Hurst
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