Posted at Reformation Scotland:
According to Jesus, there is only one way of salvation and that is through Him. The distinctive claim of Christianity is that God accepts only the worship that is directed to Him via the Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. However, a recent survey conducted in the USA indicates that only around half of evangelicals there concur with this claim (45%) while 47% accept the view that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam.” Yet for thousands of years, the testimony of the one living and true God has been consistent. There is such a thing as false worship, which He does not accept. There is such a thing as heathen religion, which is offensive to the Lord God. Indeed, God is so particular about this that He does not accept even His own people’s attempts to worship Him when they mingle His ways with those of the heathen. We can only go so far in respecting and accommodating other religious beliefs and practices without compromising our faithfulness to the one true God. Many of His prophets reminded His people about this over the years, pointing out that blessing comes from loyalty to God and destruction from unfaithfulness. In the following updated extract, George Hutcheson presents the prophet Hosea’s message that God demands exclusive, dedicated worship and we risk ruining everything for ourselves if we are tempted to deviate from this.Other ways of worshipping are sinful
In Hosea 13:1, the Lord’s message is, “When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal, he died.”
Worshipping Baal is presented as idolatry, and as a sin which was destroying the people of Ephraim.
Ephraim was not only made a distinct tribe (though he was only the son of one of the twelve patriarchs) in preference to Manasseh (the elder brother), but was more dignified, numerous and influential than the rest.
But now, having brought in the pagan idolatry of Baal in the days of Ahab, Ephraim was become like a dead man. Ephraim was despoiled of authority, many of his subjects were cut off, and he was so broken in his former estate and dignity that he was not far from utter ruin.
Yes, Israel had previously made golden calves, which was also self-destructive idolatry, yet in serving them, they still made some pretence of acknowledging the true God. Now the Lord mentions only the idolatry of Baal, as the apex of their defection, because when they brought in pagan idols, they renounced Him.
Those who God has made very eminent may yet go very far wrong. Indeed, greatness may embolden people to sin. But when people fall away in this way, and abuse God’s generosity toward them, His kindness stands as a witness against them.
Sin will undoubtedly blast our eminency, both as individuals and nations, and will lay us low in reputation, estimation, and power. Even glorious Ephraim, when he offended, looked no more like what he was before than a dead man has the activity and vigour of one that is living.
But above all sins, idolatry, or corrupting religion, is a cause of corruption and decay to individuals and nations.
And although God is angry at all sorts of idolatry, yet He is more especially provoked when people renounce Him altogether, and choose an idol in His place, for the object of their worship. When people will not repent of lesser forms of idolatry, it is only justice when they are given up to this dreadful defection, which puts the certainty of their destruction beyond all doubt. Whatever Israel thought of their golden calves, now when Ephraim offends in Baal, it is undeniably just that he died for this abominable defection.