Hosea 10 reminds me of Kudzu. Southerners are familiar with this highly invasive vine that smothers and kills trees, crops, tractors and everything else that does not move fast enough. It produces no usable fruit and provides minimal nutrition for livestock. It creeps along growing as much as a one foot per day as it covers and destroys everything in its path. Interestingly, throughout the 1930’s and 40’s the Federal government encouraged farmers to plant the vine to reduce soil erosion. Today’s chapter describes how planting just a little idolatry can ruin a nation’s produce. It begins, “Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself“. We see a picture of a different sort of fruit. It is purely ornamental and has no value to others. It produces no gratefulness and does not benefit anyone else. It says he built altars to honor himself. “As his fruit increased, he built more altars” and “and now they must bear their guilt“. Notice the root of the problem, “We did not revere the Lord“. Today we scoff at the concept of idolatry, but many today have become advocates of getting high. They say, “I am not harming anyone”. But understand; they are also not producing anything. Listen to Hosea’s description, “They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements;therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field“. Sometimes things seem beneficial for a while, until the field is covered in useless vines.
What happens when the vine of idolatry is allowed to grow? It becomes hard to control, “Its people will mourn… its… priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile“. Everything eventually becomes engulfed, “The high places of wickedness will be destroyed it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars“. After the tie dyed shirt fades and feelings are no longer dulled, despair hits. “Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’“
After fruitlessness, God is able to rebuild and replant. It might not feel comfortable at first, “I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground“. By the leading of God’s Word and God’s wisdom, “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord“. I believe this is when you will know you are ready to accept God’s authority. Can you confess “you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception“? The chapter closes with an observation of those that try to self-eradicate the Kudzu in their life, “All your fortresses will be devastated“. Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it“. Will you allow God to help you grow good fruit?