It has often been a problem that when people know blessing from the Lord, they then in their comfort indulge more freely in sin (v1). This is sadly what Israel did when blessed by God, they used their prosperity to go further into idolatry. The big problem was their ‘false’ hearts (v2). They were not a genuine and sincere people, but rather twisted and rebellious.

The people see God as being like their failed kings (v3). Kings who did little good for the people and who the people didn’t respect, are very different from the Lord who rules over all. We cannot compare God to rulers we see around us, God is on a different level in regards his being and capabilities and is to be revered with all of our lives.

Neither is the Lord to be compared to false gods such as at Beth-aven (v5), who can be taken away. Idols were totally dependent on people to make them, to move them, to provide for them. The lord is so different, He needs no-one in regards His existence or for anything else. Rather we need Him for everything. By using idols, the people and lowered God in their thinking. We mightn’t worship idols of wood, but we can lower God in our thinking.