7/19/07 Life Journal - The Unrighteous Nation

He (Hoshea, King of Israel) did evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him. shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against him and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year, so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
2 Kings 17:2-4

Shalmaneser would go on to invade Israel (the northern kingdom) and this would eventually lead to their captivity in Assyria and the end of the kingdom. Hoshea not only practiced the customs of invading armies, he paid tribute to earthly kings instead of turning to his Lord for protection. Under his reign, his people continued their blasphemous ways that led to their downfall.

Arrogantly maintaining the we can do it all for ourselves is a dangerous road to travel. God will let us try, and the consequences will be devastating. Pray that God will let us be a part of a great revival in our country and around the world.