Today we are reading Hosea 9. In this chapter we read about how God will punish Israel by taking away their children. “Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them!”
Hosea 9:11-12 ESV When children come into our lives they bring much joy! Just last night we FaceTimed with our daughter and grandsons in Sacramento. I can hardly bear the thought of losing them. Today’s reading describes God’s punishment on Israel as so great that it reaches even the children. Tragically, the people were already sacrificing their children to the pagan gods of the Canaanites. It reminds me of the way children are sacrificed today—to preserve a career, to avoid inconvenience, to cover up sexual sin, to facilitate prosperity. May God enable us to put Him first in our lives and may our children always receive His blessing. Pastor Tim
