NIPTO, Day 253

Hey all!

Today was a good day.
School: Study hall--actually got stuff done, lunch--yummmmm, Lit class--good minus the fact that I didn't do my "American Voices" readings. OOPS. ACT prep--felt like I was the only one who talked. Booo. Came home.... read some blogs... annnd then babysat. And then came home. Annnnnd read some more blogs. Ate dinner and read "It's Kind of A Funny Story" while I ate... facebook for a while and then babysat for the 'rents small group! (Zakk, Derek, and Taylor :)
And now it's now. And now is  late. And tomorrow is long. Sooooo I'mma do NIPTO now!

Hosea 8:1-14
 ¹ "Put the trumpet to your lips!
       An eagle is over the house of the LORD
       because the people have broken my covenant
       and rebelled against my law.


So... I'm thinking that an eagle is technically a bird of prey, so they're kinda doomed. They broke God's covenant and rebelled against the law. Two things you probably shouldn't do. 




 ² Israel cries out to me,
       'O our God, we acknowledge you!'
 ³ But Israel has rejected what is good;
       an enemy will pursue him.


Israel told God that they acknowledged him, but they rejected what was GOOD. Uhm... that doesn't really make sense. Because they threw away what was good, they will have an enemy that pursues them. I'd rather take the good stuff and not have enemies pursuing me....



 ⁴ They set up kings without my consent;
       they choose princes without my approval.
       With their silver and gold
       they make idols for themselves
       to their own destruction.
 ⁵ Throw out your calf-idol, O Samaria!
       My anger burns against them.
       How long will they be incapable of purity?
 ⁶ They are from Israel!
       This calf—a craftsman has made it;
       it is not God.
       It will be broken in pieces,
       that calf of Samaria.


They set up their own kingdoms. They chose their own kings and princes without asking God first. They made their own idols and gods. And God asks the question: How long will the be incapable of purity? That's an intense question. Like, how much longer can this drama afford to run? (Owl City, Tidal Wave =P)
The things they made were from Israel. Someone made it. It's not a god. It can be broken. Not from God.




 ⁷ "They sow the wind
       and reap the whirlwind.
       The stalk has no head;
       it will produce no flour.
       Were it to yield grain,
       foreigners would swallow it up.


What they did was meaningless. They planted nothing and reaped nothing. Useless. Worthless.



 ⁸ Israel is swallowed up;
       now she is among the nations
       like a worthless thing.
 ⁹ For they have gone up to Assyria
       like a wild donkey wandering alone.
       Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.
 ¹⁰ Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
       I will now gather them together.
       They will begin to waste away
       under the oppression of the mighty king.


Israel was swallowed by the world. It started to blend in. It became worthless. They sold themselves to other nations which lessened their worth.
God would gather them together only to have them waste away under an oppressive king.



 ¹¹ "Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
       these have become altars for sinning.
 ¹² I wrote for them the many things of my law,
       but they regarded them as something alien.
 ¹³ They offer sacrifices given to me
       and they eat the meat,
       but the LORD is not pleased with them.
       Now he will remember their wickedness
       and punish their sins:
       They will return to Egypt.
 ¹⁴ Israel has forgotten his Maker
       and built palaces;
       Judah has fortified many towns.
       But I will send fire upon their cities
       that will consume their fortresses."


Ephraim built the alters for sin offerings, but they became places for offerings of sin. (Clever play on words, eh? Not mine. The Bible's words. haha)
God wrote them lots and lots of things in the law, but they disregarded them. They offered sacrifices and they ate the meat (not sure if they were supposed to do that or not...), but God wasn't pleased with them. God would remember their wickedness and punish their sins. They would go back to Egypt. Where they were slaves. Israel forgot who made them. Judah protected their cities, but God would destroy them anyways.


Man. All of this seems so dismal.
But I guess that's what they deserved. Kind of a bummer, eh? =/

It's late. Way past my bedtime. So I'm going to go to sleep.
Tomorrow=school, urban vision, dance, break, dance, and dance. Then sleep. And Chuck somewhere in there! I love that show... :)

Annnnnd here's a DISNEY VIDEO! I haven't posted one in a while, and this just came up on Pandora, so I thought I'd share it. I haven't seen Hercules in a LONG time, but it's fantastic. :)


Goodnight my lovely readers!