Daily Devotions
Hosea
"I will change their glory into shame"
Text: Hosea 4:7
THE GLORY THAT GOD HAS
There is a glory that the LORD possesses, simply because He is God. It is a glory that is impossible to describe fully.
1. It is a glory that was visibly seen in the days of Moses.
a) A cloud in the day
b) Fire in the night (Exodus 14:19-20)
2. It is a glory that is associated with the Name of God.
a) When God descended in a cloud.
b) And He pronounced His name to Moses (Exodus 34:5-6).
3. It is a glory that the prophet Ezekiel sought to describe.
a) It is associated with angelic beings.
b) It is a glory that is impossible to fully describe (Ezekiel 1).
THE GLORY THAT GOD GAVE TO ISRAEL
There was a glory that God gave to Israel. There were many expressions of the glory given. The following text describes one aspect of the glory God gave.
“The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I will change their glory into shame.”
Hosea 4:7
1. The glory that is associated with “increase”
a) Israel began in a very small way.
There were about 70 people who went to live in sojourn in the days of Joseph.
b) In 400 years, the small group of Hebrews was seen as a threat to Egypt (Exodus 1:7).
c) By the time they arrived in Canaan, they had a fighting force of 603,550 (Numbers 2:32).
d) The years when Israel was a United Monarchy under David and Solomon, Israel increased in other areas:
i) Wealth
ii) Wisdom
iii) Culture
2. “The more they increased, the more they sinned”
a) The glory of Israel had caused the nation to forget God.
b) Sin upon sin was added to the nation’s dishonor.
3. “I will change their glory into shame”
The glory that God gave, He could also take away. Instead of glory, there would be shame!