16/08/2021 - SURROUNDED BY LIES AND DECEIT

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Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One. Hosea 11.12

In the division that occurred in David’s house, two tribes were faithful to his house and ten of them formed the Northern Kingdom (1 Kings. 12:1-19), which later also received the name Samaria, the capital; sometimes also called Ephraim, the name of Joseph’s half-tribe. Virtually all those who reigned in Samaria were wicked, given to sorcery, idolatry, and the other pagan cults that existed there before Israel took control of that land (Deuteronomy 18.9-14).

The tribe of Ephraim surrounded the Lord with lies, believing in the religions of that place and displeasing God. The Most High had brought the children of Jacob out of Egypt with a strong hand, to make them His own special people, zealous of good deeds (Titus 2:14). But because they believed in the mystical things placed by the devil in that land, in order to divert them from the true God and prevent them from being guarded and protected by the Almighty of Israel, they failed in the mission that the Lord had reserved for them. That´s sad!

Soon after the division of the kingdoms, Jeroboam, the first king chosen by the Lord to shepherd His people, had two golden calves built and when presenting them, he told the whole nation to worship them, for they were the “gods” that had brought them out of Egypt (1 Kings. 12:28). Jeroboam brought divine wrath upon the people of his land. How could he surround the Protector of Israel with lies? How can such evil be explained in someone who should only worship the Most High?

The tribe of Ephraim surrounded the Lord with lies and the whole nation with deceit. They chose to go after gods, who were nothing more than demons, rather than walk uprightly before God and thus – to allow Him to fulfill in them the promises made since Abraham, the first patriarch of Israel, passing later through Isaac and Jacob. Why did they act this way? These people had the Law of Moses, but chose the “law of lies”.

Regarding the tribe of Judah – together with the tribe of Benjamin, it remained faithful to the house of David, and thus formed the kingdom of Judah – almost all the kings were good, only a few denied the One who had brought them out of Egypt. In speaking of them, Hosea stated that they ruled with the Lord and with the Holy One they were faithful. The prophet was prophesying that some years later, they too would follow the Northern Kingdom into deception. This indeed happened and they were led into captivity (2 Kings. 17:7-21)!

Many started well with Christ, but left Him after a while, to follow the path of eternal suffering. This is very serious! Jesus declared that only those who persevere will be saved (Matthew 24.13; Revelation 2.10). How can someone, who knows the Word, allow himself to be led by the devil? What is worse is that there is no repentance or confession of the error, but rather – eternal surrender to the unclean spirits. Why?

How many of Ephraim would be scourged by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if they could see the evil and sad attitudes that their descendants took? The patriarchs paid a high price to give them the possibility to live next to the Most High forever, but they gave themselves over to the sins of the flesh and to the devil. What a sad fate these wicked servants will have!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares