Hos 8:4 | KingComments | STEP | In this verse two sins are mentioned: 1. the people have set up kings according to their own discretion, and 2. it has committed idolatry. Because it was not God, but the people who have set up kings in their own authority, all the kings who succeeded Jeroboam II are not mentioned at the beginning of this book of the Bible ( ). God is not known in it, they have ignored Him (cf. ). That setting up kings outside of God is already present in the bud in their request for a king like the nations ( ). In Saul they get the king to their taste. This is repeated in King Jeroboam I ( ). After Jehu, revolution and manslaughter made kings disappear and appear. All this can only result in their destruction. Today in Christianity people are also busy arranging things according to their own ideas. How God thinks about it is not asked. His Word is explained as it suits people. This is perceptible in all kinds of groups and churches. They try to make everyone happy. Teachers are chosen for themselves, according to everyone’s taste ( ). Sometimes this selfish action is defended with pious sounding but misleading arguments. It is said that you do not have to pray for everything, do you? Surely you do not have to speak about your faith in everything, do you? You have to be businesslike, you have to look at things soberly, you have to use your sober mind that God has given you well. That is how reasoning is done and that is how things come about ‘outside of Him’. Kings are set up without consulting God; that is the political field. In the religious field it is even worse. God has been replaced by idols! To this end they abuse their silver and gold. Idolatry is the root of all sins, through which man can enjoy nothing of what God wants to give him. This abomination for God is also the great danger for which the Christian is warned. John warns in the last verse of his first letter, in which he wrote about the Lord Jesus as eternal life in the believer: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” ( ).

‏ Hosea 8:4

Kings and Idols

In this verse two sins are mentioned:

1. the people have set up kings according to their own discretion, and

2. it has committed idolatry.

Because it was not God, but the people who have set up kings in their own authority, all the kings who succeeded Jeroboam II are not mentioned at the beginning of this book of the Bible (Hos 1:1). God is not known in it, they have ignored Him (cf. Isa 31:1). That setting up kings outside of God is already present in the bud in their request for a king like the nations (1Sam 8:1-10). In Saul they get the king to their taste. This is repeated in King Jeroboam I (1Kgs 12:20). After Jehu, revolution and manslaughter made kings disappear and appear. All this can only result in their destruction.

Today in Christianity people are also busy arranging things according to their own ideas. How God thinks about it is not asked. His Word is explained as it suits people. This is perceptible in all kinds of groups and churches. They try to make everyone happy. Teachers are chosen for themselves, according to everyone’s taste (2Tim 4:3).

Sometimes this selfish action is defended with pious sounding but misleading arguments. It is said that you do not have to pray for everything, do you? Surely you do not have to speak about your faith in everything, do you? You have to be businesslike, you have to look at things soberly, you have to use your sober mind that God has given you well. That is how reasoning is done and that is how things come about ‘outside of Him’.

Kings are set up without consulting God; that is the political field. In the religious field it is even worse. God has been replaced by idols! To this end they abuse their silver and gold. Idolatry is the root of all sins, through which man can enjoy nothing of what God wants to give him.

This abomination for God is also the great danger for which the Christian is warned. John warns in the last verse of his first letter, in which he wrote about the Lord Jesus as eternal life in the believer: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1Jn 5:21).