We become like what we love.

Like grapes in the wilderness,

I found Israel.

Like the first fruit on the fig tree

in its first season,

I saw your fathers.

But they came to Baal-peor

and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,

and became detestable like the thing they loved.

Hosea 9:10

God’s rebuke of Israel for repeated idolatrous faith-breaking with Him reminds the people that they have always struggled to worship only Him. Although God had tenderly cared for His people, like a wild grape vine that He would transform into His vineyard, the fruit of all His care eventually yielded nothing but their neglect and unfaithfulness. God did not get His desired fruit. So He would prune and uproot the vine that He loved.

At a placed called Peor the people chose to go after the gods of the Gentiles with a driving, awful passion. They grossly disobeyed, mixed Baal worship with sexual perversion in a defection from the covenant that they once said they would always keep (read about it in Numbers 25). This was detailed in gross idolatry, and God would bring judgment upon the people for it. They ceased to be the people of His vine. They became detestable and vile, like Baal itself, the evil idol they worshiped. Baal worship included fertility rites and prostitution. It was destructive to families and lives, but obviously hugely attractive. And when Israel chased the idol of Baal they became just like the thing they loved: twisted, unfaithful, lustful, evil, detestable, and broken. Chasing false gods led them to quickly spiral down.

When my heart worships God, I pray that the goal I know by experience is closer fellowship to Him. But when I worship anything else, the sad truth will quickly show itself in the fruit of my life. We become like what we worship. This is why I must worship, adore, follow, trust, and lean completely on Jesus.