Hosea 8

Hosea seems to be giving Israel crap for not appointing rulers without the direction of God first. They exercised only what was within their own understanding such as national security, economic prosperity etc. Because they were so steeped in sin, God in His authority will send Assyria to break them. Even though Judah was considered less immoral than Israel, God would still punish them as they too weren't turning to God to the standard He wants from them. Israels sin was outright and obvious, but Judah's was more subtle. Judah built fortified cities and trusted in it more than God. 

I see obvious contrasts here to modern Sydney. Israel seems to be our current pill popping sexual deviant culture while Judah is our wholesome church clean cut culture, yet none of these puts us at a right relationship with God. God has given us very good things like family, financial security, a cold beer on a hot summers day etc. Doesn't matter whether large or trivial, if we allow these things to dictate our lives more than God, then we have a problem that we should take to God.

Prayer/repentance:
- Worship the creator, not the creation
- Aspire more for Holy Living