Short Reflection from Hosea 1-14

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

[2:29 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒𝟙:𝟙𝟘

'Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' It will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'"

The first book of Minor Prophets begins with the revelation of God's amazing love for His people. Never doubt the love of God, friends!

The Israelites were so rebellious that God decided to discipline them, but He wouldn't destroy them completely. Rather, He would turn their designation from "My people" to " My sons."

No longer only random people, but God's children. We, Christians are likewise, children of God. Let's live like sons and daughters of God in assurance, confidence, and righteousness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟞

"'It will come about in that day,' declares the LORD, 'That you will call Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali.'"

Another deeper expression of relationship after discipline. Earlier, God was Israel's Lord (Baali, in Hebrew); after the discipline, God shall be Israel's husband (Ishi, in Hebrew).

God is not only your Boss, but your Babe (Lover/Husband!) 😉😅😎👍 Church's husband is Christ. We, both males and females, have a husband, He is Jesus, our Lord!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟛:𝟙

"Then the LORD said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'"

They say, "You never truly get over with your first love." 😂 I don't know how true is that!

And we never know whether Gomer was Hosea's first love, but the narrative portrays us that Gomer was unlovable. Still, Hosea went to call her back to portray God's unyielding love for His people!

If you are really down with spiritual deadness, Hosea is a good book to give you, life, seeing God's love is greater than your stubbornness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟜:𝟙

"Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land."

Society deteriorates when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God. A person's life becomes hard when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God.

When we read the following verses it's clear that faithfulness is referring to an adherence to the word of God. In other words, living by the laws of God. Kindness is referring to our actions as a result of our faithfulness to the word of God. Indeed, godly people demonstrate godliness in all things. Chief of them is kindness to all! Knowledge of God is referring to the understanding of the Scriptures.

Hosea's warning is true for us as well. Our society deteriorates. There's no knowledge of God, no faithfulness, and no kindness. Let's watch ourselves how we talk and treat the vendors, auto drivers, shopkeepers, all people. Where is our kindness? That kindness is a result of God's word working in us by the Spirit. That's why we read God's word daily and put up an update in this group that His words may have an effect on us.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟝:𝟙𝟝

"I will go away and return to My place 𝕌ℕ𝕋𝕀𝕃 they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

What a beautiful word "until" is in this judgment! There's a limit to God's judgment because He is merciful. God is not like a man who loses his temper. God is totally cool and under complete control! He punishes his sinning people so that they may realize that the way of a transgressor is hard, and true happiness is found in obedience to Him. That they have to acknowledge: their sins and desire to walk with God.

Indeed, ice cream is nice, sin is sweet, but God is sweeter!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟞:𝟞

"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

God wants us to be faithful. To be loyal to Him. To walk with Him. To obey Him. To stick with Him. Like a wife sticks with her husband. To love only Him. To adore only Him. A wife can hang out with other men in a workplace, and a wife can love other men, but never as she would with her husband.

And to be faithful, one needs the knowledge of God. We must know what God hates and what pleases Him, and be obedient to that!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟟:𝟙𝟞

"They turn, 𝔹𝕦𝕥 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕌𝕡𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕, They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt."

Our cry, our sadness, our wailing, and our pain should drive us upward, to God. Recognizing God is above all, that He is able to save us, that He is our solution, that He has a good (the best) plan for us, that His ways we shall accept!

Alas! The Israelites didn't turn upward. Their turnings were all without a benefit!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟠:𝟙𝟚

"Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing."

The same could be said of our generation, church, and even us individually. There shall be no excuses in the days of the Lord.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟡:𝟙𝟜

"Give them, O LORD--what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

Look! What's Prophet Hosea doing? He is cursing (making an imprecatory prayer) his people for their unfaithfulness!

How shall I curse those who are unfaithful in our (this) WhatsApp group, who refused to keep their commitment? 😬😆😂😎 Actually, there's one group, where I did it! 😎 He was so lazy. So, I had wished for him that every girl will reject his marriage proposal this year, that every girl he approaches will turn him down until he is responsible enough to lead his wife in sanctification! Will happen soon in this group as well! 😂😎

Btw, there's no reason one cannot put up one Bible verse at least for one day in this group within these 30 days!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟘:𝟙

"Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars."

If we aren't familiar with the biblical vocabulary, we will think this is a good verse. Actually, this is a tragic verse! The "altars" and "sacred pillars" are referring to the idolatry of the people. So, the meaning is, the more they prosper, they forget God, they depart from God, and they live like the other nations.

Again and again, from the first commandment of the Mosaic Ten Commandments, the Scriptures reveal how much God hates, despises, loathes idolatry.

Do you go to a party when you get your salary, or to a movie hall? Well, next time, think about what you are doing and see, if you have become more like the Israelites!

 

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."

This is the God who has also loved us and made us His children! If the Father loves us so much, may we keep loving our family members of faith without giving up! 👍🙏

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟚:𝟙

"Ephraim feeds on wind, And pursues the east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt."

Wow! Look at the imagery! It's totally a worthless and useless endeavor! What's their fault? Not depending on God.

Friends, a life lived without God is a worthless life! C. T. Stud is right, "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last."

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟛:𝟡

'It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help."

He that quarrels with his Maker is a miserable man! He who does not delight in God is living a hard life. There were times when I didn't delight in God, and when I even quarreled with the Lord. Well, God's Grace is real too!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟜:𝟡

"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them."

I have seen in real life that the way of a transgressor is hard.

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

Bible Reading Reflection from Hosea 1-7

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

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙

The life of a prophet is not easy. He was told to marry a woman, most probably not of his preference, for he must be expecting to marry a godly girl.

Then he was told to call his children awful names:

1. Jezreel — judgment on Israel (v4)

2. Lo-ruhamah — no more compassion (v6) 

3. Lo-Ammi — not my people anymore (v9)

   # When we read the prophets, we will see God's righteous judgment against sin, whether it be committed by His people or the Gentiles.

   # Also, we will see God's mercy even amid His serious judgment that whoever turns back to Him will be delivered.

   # Also, we will see God's faithfulness that He has preserved remnants (the faithful) because He remains committed to preserving and fulfilling His promises.

Judgment. Mercy. Faithfulness. Even the names of the children of Hosea reveal these three characters of God vividly!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟚

I see the beauty of the book of Hosea. He first proclaimed judgment upon Israel, and then when we, readers began to ponder what has happened to God's promise of preserving His people, Hosea proclaimed Salvation of God.

In Chapter 1, verse 1-9 is the rejection of Israel. Then v10-2:1 is the restoration.

Then chapter 2, v1-13 is the judgment again, v14-23 is the salvation.

I think this is true in our life too. God chastises us in sin and blesses us in righteousness. He will lead us into trouble for our sins, but He, because of His faithfulness, will rescue us again.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟛:𝟝

"Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days."

Hosea, a prophet of God would have divorced his wife just as Joseph tried to divorce Mary, the mother of Jesus. And once divorced, he cannot marry her again. She shouldn't be accepted by her former husband again according to Mosaic Law.

However, God has the habit of doing illegal things. He can because it is His rule! 😂 I remember God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son on fire! 😱 What an evil demand! Huh!!?? But we realize that's how He is going to kill His Son Jesus for us.

Hey, btw, He doesn't break His rules. Otherwise, He can't be trusted. It looks like He is changing His rules here and there from our not-that-smart perspective, but it's not.

So, coming back to divorce, God divorced Israel, and then, He took her back. That's illegal of God according to Mosaic Law. But again, Law is for man, God is above the Law!

And even here, God is telling Hosea to bring his wife back!

Now, I am not a prophet. I have no special revelation. I am not a special man. I am just an ordinary Christian; therefore, I cannot do as Hosea did. Hosea's life is a special episode because God wants to communicate His love for us through his life.

I thought of sharing from verse 5, but if I do, it will be too long.😬

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟜:𝟞

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."

Why is our heart troubled? Why is our life full of trouble? Why are we unable to navigate issues in our life? Why are we not prospering? Why aren't we joyful? Why aren't we living like a tree planted by the streams of water?

Answer: Lack of Knowledge, the Knowledge of God, the Scriptures, the Bible.

Albert Mohler said that our generation is the most illiterate generation in church history when it comes to Bible knowledge!

Psalm 1 tells us that a blessed person is the one who seeks to know God for he will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. (Ps.1:3)

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟝

v6. "They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the LORD, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them."

Wow! God had withdrawn from them!

Did not the Scriptures say that whoever seeks God will find Him? But here they didn't find Him. In fact, God ran away!

Well, we see the answer in v15

"I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

They were seeking, but not earnestly. God seeks earnest seekers. God wanted them to acknowledge their sins. In other words, "confession" of sins (1John 1:9).

Did not the Scriptures say that God saved us while we were His enemies? How comes He is rejecting His people now?

Well, we see the answer in v2, it's chastisement. [Chastisement in the Christian understanding is not a punishment that will be suffered in hell, but a punishment in our present life. And of course, no matter how one may suffer in this present life, it cannot be compared to the suffering of hell.]

Is this the Old Testament God? Is Jesus of the New Testament different?

Well, Jesus withdrew Himself many times from the crowd. They sought Him. He wasn't found. When they finally found Him, Jesus rebuked them for their superficial seeking. They wanted physical foods, not Him. We may read that in John 6 especially v15, 24-27.

It’s interesting to see the teachings of the Bible are unchanging: both in OT and NT.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟞:𝟙

"Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us."

Hosea was urging the Israelites to come back to God in the first-person plural pronoun "us". He identified himself with the sinning Israelites just as Jesus identified Himself with sinful humanity.

How we ought to urge one another, to encourage one another, to revive one another, to stir up one another in godly things, in repentance, and in all good works!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟟:𝟙𝟚, 𝟚

𝕧𝟙𝟚. "When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly."

𝕧𝟚. "And they do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds are all around them; They are before My face."

God is unchanging. He is faithful. What He says He fulfills. That's true too: to save and to damn; to reward and to punish!

In this chapter, I see how God remembers each and every sin wicked people have committed. And like fishing, He will spread a net to catch them. They will not escape God’s net. As a man sow so shall he reaps.

I thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ. God doesn't remember (to find fault) my sins anymore. Christ has absorbed each and every sin of mine. That's as far as eternal judgment (Last Day Judgment) is concerned.

However, God disciplines His children just as a loving father disciplines his child. So, every now and then, when I wilfully sin, He chastises me. His chastisement is bitter at the moment, but it's for my own good. And there's the peace and joy of God when I submit to His chastisement.

Chastisement against the believers and punishment against the unbelievers is different! BTW, God chastises unbelievers too.