In Hosea 7 and 8 God is angry with the people of Israel, Samaria and Ephraim. They have turned to other gods. They would rather worship idols created by a human artisan than the God who created everything. They take counsel with other countries and make decisions without ever consulting with God. They have gone their own way.

God would redeem them but they do not seem to want redemption. He is giving them what they want. He is leaving them to their own care. They will not have His protection and will fall.

We might think of these situations as being from long ago and not pertaining to us. After all we don’t make idols out of gold to worship. And yet we have many similarities with the people of Israel. How much more frequently do we consult with others rather than taking our concerns to God? How often do we choose to go and do things that we want instead of coming to worship?  How often do we open our Bibles? We are not that different in wanting something other than a relationship with God. Perhaps, God will also give us what we want and let us go our way.  It would be a terrible thing if God were no longer protecting us. We would certainly fall.

We need to remember that God would do this to try and show us that we need to rely on Him. We need to worship Him. We need to turn to Him. God is always ready to redeem and receive us again and again. Are we ready to put Him first?

Psalms 137 is a psalm written during the exile to Babylon. The writer laments that his situation. He cannot sing in a foreign land. He remembers Jerusalem and asks the Lord to help get it back.

Psalms 138 is a song of praise. The writer chooses God over other gods. God has answered his prayers and protects him against his enemies.