Wednesday, February 12, 2014

They Are Like An Oven That Is Kept Hot: Part 2

The Minor Prophets Speak to Today

Like An Oven Kept Hot -
Part 2
Hosea 7:6-7 NLT
___________________________________________________________________________

"Their hearts are like an oven
    blazing with intrigue.
Their plot smolders through the night,
    and in the morning it breaks out like a raging fire.
Burning like an oven,
    they consume their leaders.
They kill their kings one after another,
    and no one cries to me for help." ___________________________________________________________________________

Reaching back to last week's scripture we see that this refers to "the people." Not only are the government leaders and officials and the princes of finance, business, etc. like hot ovens, so too are the hearts of the people.

Their hearts are like an oven blazing with intrigue!

As our political and financial sectors have grown more and more elitist, I have noticed that I hear more and more talk about revolt even revolution. It is not the leaders talking these intrigues. It is the people, especially the under forty crowd. It has been an amazing phenomenon to watch, and sometimes participate in.

The failure of a society, let alone its churches to "cry" to God for help stokes the oven. Without the hope engendered by personally and corporately knowing the living God man is left to his own intrigues and so quite logically the society and county become hotter and hotter with intrigue. At the same time the society and government, even the churches, move further and further from God, from dependence on God and more and more into living according to the flesh. Only when we sleep does the heat die back but even then it smolders in our hearts and in our dreams.

Day after day, year after year, the oven of intrigue glows hotter and hotter until it becomes white hot and even the oven melts down or cracks and no longer confines the heat. And they what?

The tables turn. The kings and princes, the wealthy and empowered, are suddenly consumed by the people. For a great example think the French Revolution. When the kings and princes of society are killed, no one intercedes. These wicked twisted men even in their death do not cry out to God. That's how thoroughly their sense of control rules their lives. Even in death power and control consume their thoughts and hearts.

Nor do the people cry out on behalf of the kings and princes or on behalf of society and the country.

NO ONE CRIES OUT TO GOD!

May we as the Church become less self-centered, crying out, "God save the Church. God save Christianity," and once again take our rightful places as prophets and intercessors for the country. Perhaps it is not to late for repentance and transformation to cool the fire and bring about godly change. Perhaps a faithful Church can cool the white hot ovens before total self-destruction come.




Photo Credits: 


I bought this book on a whim by.Heather. all rights reserved @ flickr.com
Guillotine scene from A Tale of Two Cities by Mrs. Connolly1 all rights reserved @ flickr.com

No comments:

Post a Comment

Privacy Policy