Because of This the Land Dries Up!

Hosea 4:3
Because of this the land dries up,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.

When the land dries up, there is no water there will be suffering. We want to know what makes the land dry up. When the land dries up, there will be no food for animals. When animals die, human beings lose their investment. We need to know what makes the land dry up and consequently destroys human investments. When the land dries up, crops die and human beings lose their source of food. When land dries up, the beauty of the land is gone. We need to know what causes the land to dry up.

Our text today tells us that, because of this the land dries up. What is this that causes the land to dry up? What is this that brings such a miserable state of affairs? When the land dries up, we have suffering and death all around us. Because of this, the land dries up! We will read the previous verses in order to understand why such a conclusion would be reached.

Hosea 4:1
Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
Hosea 4:2
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Hosea 4:3
Because of this the land dries up,
…”

God says the community is not faithful, they have no love and they don’t acknowledge God. Therefore, because of this, the land dries up. Faithful means we should be trustworthy. Faithful means we can be trusted by our fellow human beings. Unfaithful people borrow without paying. Unfaithful people never keep promises. Unfaithful people always disappoint. Unfaithful people do not follow Bible teachings. Unfaithful people do not return tithes and offerings. Unfaithful people make nonsense of the marriage vow. Unfaithful people take the oath of office with no intention to keep it. Unfaithful people are a dangerous lot to relate with. Because of this unfaithfulness to God and fellow human beings, that the land dries up!

Lack of love means there is hatred and indifference amongst us. We either hate each other or we don’t care about each other. We hate based on race, tribe, language, nationality, status, etc. These are things that should cease when we get converted, we should never speak and deal with people using discriminatory language. We gang up against each other. We struggle to wrestle power from each other. We do not wish each other well. We are indifferent. We feel nothing and do not care about the plight of others. There is no love at home, nor in church or in the community. Because of this, the land dries up!

God also says that in the land God is not acknowledged. People acknowledge talent but not God. People acknowledge experience but not God. People acknowledge the level of education but not God. We are quick to credit science of the progress and solutions but not God. We thank governments for intervention but not God. We praise human beings who helped us, but not God. We see no role of God in life. We do not notice God behind the scenes making everything possible. We are blind to spiritual realities. We only notice economic and development key indicators, but not God. If we ever mention God it is out of routine and not a conviction. Because of this, the land dries up!

The bible tells us that a community without faithfulness, love, and acknowledgment of God, has something else. It is full of cursing and lying. No one speaks the truth and we believe the lies even when we know that in all probability we are dealing with lies, we still believe the lie. Cursing is wishing each other ill. Cursing is the use of abusive terms in our speeches. Cursing is indecent language. The land also has murder, stealing, and adultery. In fact, God says the people break all bounds. They keep no rules. Consequently, there is bloodshed after bloodshed. Because of this, the land dries up!

The land is that community. The land is that family. The land is that person’s life. The land is that country. The land that dries up has those characteristics. You may not control all the land, but how is the land where you have control? How is the land of your personal life? Could it be drying up because of these things? How is the land of your family? How is the land where you have a final say like a boss or leader? Could that land be drying up because of these things? How is your land and the land where you have influence? Remember the word of God says, because of this the land dries up!

When the land dries up, the environment is toxic, people live in suspicion of each other. When the land dries up there is endless fighting. When the land dries up what was once a love affair is a regret and pain. When the land dries up the last place you want to go is home. When the land dries up, you hate your own life and contemplate suicide. When the land dries up we have money problems, loneliness problems, relationship problems, health problems, stress problems, etc. Many of us may be living or working on dry land. We need to examine if the Bible could be addressing us when it says, because of this, the land dries up.

May God help me so that in the land of my personal life and the land where I have a say, the land will not dry up. May there be faithfulness, love, and acknowledgment of God. May this land never dry up, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

1. Rei Kesis YouTube Channel (subscribe, click on the notification, and share) –http://youtube.com/reikesis
2. Rei Kesis books on Amazon (Amazon will sell and deliver anywhere in the world. For those in Kenya you can buy from any ABC close to you. ABC is Adventist Book Center) –https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rei+kesis&ref=nb_sb_noss
3. Rei Kesis daily blog –https://reikesis.com/