Bible Reading Reflection from Hosea 8-14

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible] 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟠:𝟟

For they sow the wind

And they reap the whirlwind.

The standing grain has no heads;

It yields no grain.

Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.

I love the way how it is described. Rich in pictures. Biblical authors are excellent writers.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟡:𝟛

"They will not remain in the LORD'S land, But Ephraim will return to Egypt, And in Assyria they will eat unclean food."

The punishment proclaimed over Israel is harsh and terrible. Yet they deserved such punishment. And if God has chosen Israel from among all people, has given them the laws, has shown them the wonders, has protected them by His Spirit, and still, they have failed to live a life pleasing to God, and God has unleashed upon them a worthy punishment, what hope do the Gentiles have?

And now to reflect personally, I agree with Spurgeon that God should send me to hell for all my failings. And I agree with Paul Washer that it will still be the mercy of God even if God strikes me dead today. And yet I agree with Apostle Paul too, that if we are in Christ, who is there to condemn us anymore?

And as I think of this world, surely God will judge this wicked world, if he had judged His own people by destroying their lives, their children, their fields, their homes, and their freedom by taking them to Assyria as captives!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟚

"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you."

In the midst of this announcement of judgment, Hosea also proclaimed what Ephraim (the Israelites) must do.

God does not just punish us. There's mercy in His judgment. There's a way of escape in times of His judgment. Those who obey God will be delivered even in the midst of judgment.

That's why even here we see the righteous commands of God. So, no matter what God will do with the wicked world (India or America), we will be delivered if we seek Him, and of course, His deliverance could be something different than we imagine!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟙:𝟠

 "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

 How can I surrender you, O Israel?

 How can I make you like Admah?

 How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

 My heart is turned over within Me,

 All My compassions are kindled."

God's compassion for His people is expressed in human emotion (anthropomorphism)! God loves His people more than we can ever imagine. And well, it's not because His people are lovely. He loves because He is love. No matter who and what I was, am, or will become, God loves me more than anybody could ever love me.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually."

A repentant person will be a righteous person. He will turn away from his sins, wickedness, wrongdoings, and will start doing the right things, and his life will be a demonstration of love for others. And this is possible because his trust, his joy, his strength comes from God. He relies on God every day!

We are called not only to go to heaven after we die. We are called to be abundant in righteous deeds, especially because unrighteousness and oppression are all around us. May I be more kind to the Auto-drivers, Vendor-walas! May I be gentler when I talk to customer care!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟛:𝟟-𝟠

"So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear them."

Wow! In NT, Peter compared the evil to a lion looking to devour. Here, God is more than a lion, but also a leopard, bear, lioness, and wild beast! 5 metaphors of fearsome animals. To destroy His own people.

God is love, but He is also Wrathful. Since He loves good and holiness, He has to hate wickedness and sin. I have to hate what God hates and love what He loves!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟜:𝟜-𝟝

"I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon."

It's so satisfying to see the end of Hosea in this way. It's better than a fairy tale "and they lived happily ever after," because God will heal their apostasy.

That's the similar promise/assurance, Jesus gave to Peter on the shore of Galilee. Peter denied Christ 3 times. And Christ entrusted His flock under him three times. Could Peter fulfill that? He denied before, would he deny again, especially since Jesus would no longer be physically around? Jesus predicted the nature of his death, revealing, that Peter, from now will not deny Him anymore, will not apostatize, but will remain faithful to the point of death.

God, healing the apostasy of Israel! This God of Israel, God of Peter is my God. "He will hold me fast!"

Listen to this song: https://youtu.be/BP0dtwXWQ_M