"Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to follow man's command." (Hosea 5:11, NASB)
The NRSV says, "because he was determined to go after vanity." The Amplified Bible says, "he was content to walk after idols...and man's [evil] command (vanities and filth)." Now oppression and judgments can come from many things, but our text says in this case it was following, "man's command." We can search the annals of history to try to refute this, but history will just confirm it.
Consider just the twentieth century, the Russian Revolution, Germany of the 1920s and 30s. In Dr. Zhivago, a revolutionary responds to a question, "Will Lenin be the new czar?" with, "No more czars, just workers in a workers paradise." History proved how following that "command" brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment." It was said that Hitler met the deepest longing in the German people. He brought nothing but oppression and, "crushed in judgment."
What has brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment," in our lives? Much of it is the result of, "determined to follow man's command." Follow the command of Jesus instead, and you and I will walk in freedom from oppression; we will not be, "crushed in judgment." Surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ and following Jesus releases the power of the Cross, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us....And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always recognize, "man's command." Amen.
The NRSV says, "because he was determined to go after vanity." The Amplified Bible says, "he was content to walk after idols...and man's [evil] command (vanities and filth)." Now oppression and judgments can come from many things, but our text says in this case it was following, "man's command." We can search the annals of history to try to refute this, but history will just confirm it.
Consider just the twentieth century, the Russian Revolution, Germany of the 1920s and 30s. In Dr. Zhivago, a revolutionary responds to a question, "Will Lenin be the new czar?" with, "No more czars, just workers in a workers paradise." History proved how following that "command" brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment." It was said that Hitler met the deepest longing in the German people. He brought nothing but oppression and, "crushed in judgment."
What has brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment," in our lives? Much of it is the result of, "determined to follow man's command." Follow the command of Jesus instead, and you and I will walk in freedom from oppression; we will not be, "crushed in judgment." Surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ and following Jesus releases the power of the Cross, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us....And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always recognize, "man's command." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
