Hosea 9:1-2 – “Do not rejoice, O Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor.  Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them.”

“Do not rejoice, O Israel…” True rejoicing is appropriate for those who are actually right with God, those who are walking in faithfulness.  This is the case in Philippians 4:4, where Paul tells us tells to “Rejoice in the Lord always,” referring to people whose mature Christian character is “evident to all” (Philippians 4:5).  In contrast, Hosea 9 (like James 4:8-10) addresses hypocritical believers, backsliders, and religious phonies.  They need to repent, to get right with God, to yield completely to Him and start walking in faithfulness and obedience.

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