Erica's Bible Study and Journal: Hosea

Hosea 14:1-9 Summary

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:57:45 GMT

Wow! After all the corruption and sin of Israel, God is still willing to turn away His wrath if they will repent. If they would go to Him and offer up the acknowledgment of their iniquity, He was willing to forgive them. He didn’t want any of their empty sacrifices. He’d had enough of that. He wanted their penitent hearts. He wanted them to realize that their idols could not save them. The things they made with their own hands were not worthy of their adoration and devotion. This is still His plea with us today!

Verse 4 is such a beautiful look at the heart of God. He says if they repented, He would “heal their backsliding” and “love them freely”. All they had to do was turn back to Him and He would repair the breach they had made and love them without reservation. That is what He is still doing today for all of us through accepting Jesus.

Where He promised to make them desolate if they continued in sin, if they left sin and came to Him, He would refresh them and cause them to flourish. God doesn’t want us to love Him so He can control and manipulate us, or so he can deprive us of anything. He wants us to love Him, so He can give all He has to us.

The ways of the world lead to emptiness and hurt. You can look at TV any day of the week and see someone who appears to have it all (money, fame, beauty, various sexual partners, power) and they have no peace. They wind up on drugs, or in trouble with the law, or otherwise lost in situations they shouldn’t be in if the promises of the world are true. The allure of the world is a lie. But in God is everything we were made for.

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Technorati Tags: forgiveness,God,love,sin,iniquity,promise,freely

IceRocket Tags: forgiveness,God,love,sin,iniquity,promise,freely

Hosea 13:1-16 Summary

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:36:07 GMT

When Ephraim (Ephraim and Israel are sometimes used interchangeably) spoke with reverence to God, he was raised up in the estimation of the people. But when he turned to Baal (idolatry), he died. That is the story of the world. Those that reverence God live in a way that allows God to hold them up as witness of his goodness. Those that turn from him are dying eternally.

Not only did Ephraim turn to idolatry, but also they found ways to grow more and more idolatrous. They made idols of silver according to their own idea of what god should be. They worshipped things that were made by men. Logic would seem to dictate that if you can make a god, it couldn’t really be a god. It’s like worshipping a cake. It didn’t have even the power to make itself, yet I trust my life to it and show it devotion. As absurd as that sounds, that is what idolatry is in all its forms and many are guilty of it today.

As a result of their sin, they would be like morning clouds, dew, chaff, and smoke. All these things are temporal and of no consequence. One moment they are there, the next they are not. God was going to show His Godhood to them. When they were in the wilderness and had nothing, he provided for their every need. They eventually came to believe they were their own source, not God, so they cast Him off. Now he was going to lie in wait for them like a lion on the prowl and their iniquity would be their destruction.

It may seem to outsiders that all was well with Israel, but great sorrows were coming on them. God would dry up everything they valued. They could no longer rest on their own self-confidence and sin. God would bring them to remembrance of who He really is.

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IceRocket Tags: Israel,idolatry,God,temporal,sin

Hosea 12:1-14 Summary

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:27:19 GMT

I have decided to add "summary" to the title of each blog like this so that those that visit my space for the first time know that I am not spouting my sentiments, but summarizing a chapter in the bible. If you are unfamiliar with the Bible, reading a passage like the one that follows, may be confusing. As always, I encourage everyone to read for yourself. Don't take my word for anything. Take God's word for everything.

In this chapter, God tells His people that everything Israel pursued was vanity. The only thing they produced was more deceit and destruction each day. Even Judah was corrupt. From the time of Israel’s birth (the patriarch, not he country), he desired God so much that he pursued Him. He spoke to his descendents through His example. For that reason, if no other, God said they should return to their God, obey Him, and depend on Him.

Instead, Israel (the nation) was the master of deceit and enjoyed being an oppressor. They relied heavily on their greatness and wealth and even thought it justified their sin. However, God had other plans for them. They would again live in tents like they used to do during the feasts of tabernacles. He had warned them for many, many years through the prophets. The time of warning was ending and God was going to give them what they had been giving to him: reproach.

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IceRocket Tags: summary,Bible,God,Israel,Hosea,prophets

Hosea 11:1-12

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:31:13 GMT

In this chapter, God recalls how good things were between Himself and His people when He first called them. He loved them like a father loves his child. This love was the impetus to bring them out of Egypt. Taking them by the arms, He taught them to walk but they took it for granted. He used a man, Moses, to lead them from captivity through the wilderness and He removed their burdens. Despite His care for them, and the warnings of His prophets they still rejected Him in favor of idols.

The human condition is still very much the same.

The conflict between God and Israel is the same conflict between God and all people. It is true that most of us don’t bow down and sacrifice to little statues (although some do). However, all of us are guilty of giving priority to something (or some things) to the exclusion of God. No matter what circumstances He uses to try to get our attention, we reject Him in favor of our own way.

The Israelites looked to Assyria for help but Assyria would actually be the ones to conquer them. There would be turmoil and destruction of all they held dear. But God had no choice. They were determined and actively pursued their sin and eventually sin has to be dealt with. The only reason it isn't dealt with the moment it is committed is because of God's mercy.

Even though they hated God, he still felt compassion for them. He didn’t want to eradicate them forever as He had done Adman and Zeboim (two of the cities destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah [Deut 29:23]). He would not unleash all of His anger against them because none would survive if He did. If God were like us, He would. (How many times would you have destroyed someone who didn’t treat you as they should? I’d do so almost daily.) I am thankful that He is not like me.

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IceRocket Tags: compassion,God,human,sin,mercy

Hosea 10:1:15

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:20:35 GMT

God is still pronouncing judgment against Israel. This may seem like overkill, but He has been patient many years at this point and has a lot to get off His chest. He said they were useless because everything they produced was for their own selfishness. Their hearts were divided against Him so the idols that caused the division would be destroyed. As is always the case, God has to judge sin, but He does it to bring those He chastises back into relationship with Himself.

Israel is guilty of making false agreements with God. When God made covenant with them, He did what he promised. They did not do their part, which was to follow and trust Him. Now that judgment was about to overtake them, they were afraid and mourning over their idol worship and the priests that had rejoiced were seeing their folly. They would be given to Assyria, along with the idols that were supposed to save them,as a gift. They would suffer shame rather than their previous glory.

Once they were removed from their land, their altars and idols would be covered with thistle and thorns. These gods couldn’t save Israel or themselves. The life of luxury and plenty that they had enjoyed would be replaced with servitude. They had sown wickedness by living strictly to please themselves and would harvest the fruit of it. They would learn to sow righteousness and harvest mercy. They just had to learn it the hard way.

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IceRocket Tags: righteousness,God,fruit,shame,learn

Hosea 9:1-17

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:56:42 GMT

Israel was ordered not to rejoice because their infidelity would no longer be ignored. It is easy when we seem to be getting away with something to think that God doesn’t notice or that everything must be okay. Just because God doesn’t judge immediately doesn’t mean he won’t judge. It is actually mercy on His part. So it was with Israel. God said their food and wine (basically refers to self-sufficiency rather than reliance on God) that they loved and trusted so much would be cut off.

Also, all their offerings to God would be disdained by Him. Their sacrifices would be profane and polluted to Him. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, they tried to add God to their list of gods. And two, they thought empty ritual would be enough. (Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.) Not only would the sacrifices be corrupt but the solemn feasts they were to observe. The feasts and the sacrifices were all pointing them toward God and if they had turned away from Him, they were meaningless.

The nations they turned to for help would turn against them. The material things they loved would be abandoned. Judgment was upon them and every iniquity would be remembered. Even the so-called prophets corrupted themselves. God fondly remembered when He founded them and they were a new nation reliant on Him. Then they quickly turned to false gods and loved them instead. For that, all that gave them glory would fly from them. They would be barren; they would lose their children and be in constant mourning. God would cease to love them and would throw them away as they had done to Him.

Fortunately for them, God is quick to forgive and anxious to forget when we return to Him.

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IceRocket Tags: judgment,mercy,false piety,God,love

Hosea 8:1-14

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:37:05 GMT

God continues to proclaim His verdict against Israel. Because they had broken covenant with Him and broken His law, he would come against them as a bird of prey. They would cry out that they knew Him, but they had thrown aside all that was good. They appointed kings without consulting Him. They appointed princes without seeking God’s will. They took the wealth He had given them and used it to make idols and build altars. These things showed their separation from God. The only thing that mattered to them was what made them feel good. (Sound familiar?)

God didn’t give them idols to worship just like He didn’t give them the government they chose. He told them from the beginning that they would reap all the goodness He had to offer if they followed Him, but that following their own desires would lead them to destruction. The time was near for them to see just how true that was. Their idolatry would prove worthless when faced with God’s anger for their sin.

There are some who read something like this and say that a God that would punish sin is cruel, or that a God like this is only interested in controlling people. Some would say that religion based on this God is only interested in crushing the will of the people or keeping them from having fun. While some groups do that, anyone who takes the bible as a whole (rather than building doctrine on certain parts and throwing out the rest) knows that God is not cruel and doesn’t control anyone. But He created us a certain way and when sin was chosen over God, it diverted us from what we were designed for. Everything God has done since the fall has been about restoring us to where we were intended to be with Him. Besides, who wants a God that treats good and evil the same or who is willing to let us do anything that comes to mind without consequence? Just like a parent that loves their child has rules and guidelines to protect them, so our God is.

Israel had willingly and willfully rejected God. They had sown and would reap accordingly. They would be fruitless and anything they did gain would be consumed by foreigners. They would be empty of all pleasure. Although they went to Assyria and others to try to hire their allegiance, God would gather these nations against them. Because they chose their altars for sin, God would give them over to it. He showed them the abundant good of His law and they treated it like it was foreign and defiled. They tried to appease God by including Him in their idolatry but He doesn’t accept such sacrifices. How can almighty God share his glory with idols? They had built temples and walled cities, but nothing would prevent the fire of God’s wrath.

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IceRocket Tags: covenant,worship,God,pleasure,consequence,divine

Hosea 7:1-16

Tue, 27 May 2008 23:27:52 GMT

God continued pouring out His heart to His people. He was prepared to heal them all when he perceived that sin was still in their midst. They thought they could hide the sin in their hearts, but their sin had surrounded them. The king enjoyed their wickedness. They are consumed with sin. The princes made the king sick with wine because he couldn’t refuse it and always wanted more. He also was in league with those that scorned God. Sin is never satisfied. If it is ever entertained, it will only grow and spread.

They were all so enflamed with their own desires, that no one was left among them to call out to God. They were so distracted with sin they didn’t even notice when God removed Himself and their strength. Because of their pride and blindness, they didn't turn to God at all. Instead, they looked to Assyria and Egypt who were powerless to help them.

Since they were running away from God, they were running to their doom. Even when they called out to God it was not from their heart. They conspired against God and found comfort in eating and drinking and revelry. Because of their boasting and pride in themselves, they would be destroyed.

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IceRocket Tags: God,heart,people,wickedness,sin

Hosea 6:1-11

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:12:58 GMT

Because this chapter is a continuation of the previous, it appears that when God withdrew from Israel and cuts off his support of them, they gather with the intention of finding Him. They understand that God has judged them, and He is the only one that can heal them. God leaves them desolate, but they return to Him and are revived.

Verse 6 lets us hear God lamenting over the condition of Israel and Judah (Ephraim and Israel are sometimes used interchangeably). The good that was in them has dissipated like dew. He tried to reach them through the prophets, but they wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want all their vain rituals. He prefers mercy to sacrifice and a relationship with them to burnt offerings. They would not love him but were treacherous against Him.

The cities were polluted with blood and the priests were murderous by their consent to those that murdered and their own lewdness. The things that went on among His people were horrible and were not part of His plans for them. I sometimes wonder what Israel would be today if they had obeyed God from the beginning. He had promised great blessings to them if they obeyed. He also laid out the consequences for disobedience. They chose disobedience as we do so often today. Why do people do what they know will likely hurt them? Because it feels good NOW. If you haven't suffered the consequences of it yet, it's not too late to learn from Israel's mistakes.

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IceRocket Tags: lewdness,understand,Israel,God,mercy,gracy

Hosea 5:1-15

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:56:05 GMT

God, through Hosea, is speaking to the priests, king, and people of Israel. Judgment was on its way to them because they were like a snare and a net trapping God’s people and leading them away from Him. They had been diligent in their revolting. Nothing God did or said to them (through the prophets) mattered to them.

Here God let them know that nothing they did had been hidden from him. They were doomed to fall because they refused to follow God. The recompense for their sin would be so unbearable, that they would gather their flocks and go in search of God. However, they would not find Him because He withdrew His presence from them. God cannot dwell in the presence of willful sin. (You won't hear that very often today since so many leaders ignore sin or preach that it doesn't exist. But despite them, God says sin is real and he can't condone it)

They didn’t honor God so he decided to leave them to their own devices and desires. They would find that their provisions would be devoured in a month’s time. All would be desolate without God. And Israel was not alone in this. Judah also cast of those things that were bound as truth by God and God would pour out His wrath on them as well.

Verse 11 sounds a little strange. It says Ephraim was being judged for willing walking after the commandment. This is not God’s commandment. This is the commandment of man to worship idols. This can be derived from everything the bible says. God wanted His people to live according to His command. They are being judged because they refused.

Because of their persistent sin, Israel and Judah became sick as a nation and rather than turn to God, they turned to Assyria. Of course, there was nothing Assyria could do to cure them. People have not changed. When we are in need of something to fill a void, or fix brokenness, we look to the external for a solution when the only cure is God. God had to let Israel and Judah be judged for evil, just as He has to judge the present world. He can’t allow evil to continue into eternity. However, just like he says in the last verse of this chapter, although he pulls away and lets us have our sin, He will receive us back to Himself if we acknowledge our offence and look to Him.

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IceRocket Tags: judgment,sin,God,hidden,repent,forgiveness

Hosea 3:1-4:1-19

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:49:06 GMT

Gomer had apparently left her family and become an adulteress and prostitute. God told Hosea to go get her. He was not to do it with anger but with love like God’s love toward adulterous Israel. So, this man of God, humiliated by his wife, betrayed in every way, BOUGHT his wife back from the man she was with.

I don’t think God could have painted a clearer picture of His relationship, not only to Israel, but also to us. We reject Him and His ways. We pursue our own desires. We look to other things to give us what only He can. Yet, He purchased us with the blood of Christ.

After Hosea, got her he told her she had to remain celibate as he was celibate for many days. She would wait for him while he waited for her. He did this because that was how God was going to deal with Israel. They would be freed from idolatry, but they would be separated from God. After that time passed, THEY would seek God (rather than the reverse) and would again reverence Him.

Chapter 4 describes in great detail the depths of the adultery of Israel. God through Hosea hurled accusations at them. They were appointed to judgment because their depravity and idolatry knew no limit. They refused to know God. It was not that God had kept them from the truth. They wanted no part of it. They instead chased idols, drunkenness, and revelry.

Even while in the midst of their sinfulness, God still took the time to address them in hopes that they would turn back to Him. The same is true with us. It is absolutely amazing that no matter how depraved we are, God not only made a way for restoration, but also wants us to be restored to Him.

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IceRocket Tags: prostitute,God,salvation,idolatry,relationship,restoration.

Hosea 2:1-23

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:16:21 GMT

God began the chapter by telling Hosea to call on his brothers and sisters asking them to plead with their mother Israel. Israel had turned to whoredom and was no longer God’s wife. If Israel didn't return to Him, He would strip her naked and make her a dry, barren land. Her children (the people Hosea is talking to) will not receive mercy either.

Israel as a nation had decided to chase other gods and even believed that all the good things they had came from them. God decided to cut them off from gods by taking away those things they so loved. He would remove his hand and let them see how worthless their lovers (idols) were. He knew that once they really understood that their idols were nothing they would come looking for Him. Then Israel would realize that all the things they had had come from God.

To help them along in this process, God was going to take away all that He had provided for them. He would reveal Israel’s lewdness in front of the nations that surrounded her. He would take away their joy and confidence in their ability to do what they wanted. Their desires (like my own) were sinful. These sinful desires only led to their own hurt and made them slaves.

He would destroy all the things that Israel believed came from her lovers. He would judge her according to the days when she was entrenched in idol worship. Once she saw her mistake, He would lure her into the wilderness and speak to her. He would give her what she lacked and restore her hope. He would cause her to forget her idols. He would make living things dwell with her in peace and remove war from their midst. He would remarry them, this time forever. Heaven and earth would be in harmony and those that were not His people would become his people and he would be God to all.

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IceRocket Tags: Mercy,God,brothers,idols,Israel,remarry

Hosea 1:1-11

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:46:17 GMT

Hosea is a prophet during the time before the captivity of the Jews. During his time, Israel was a divided nation. The north was Israel and the south was Judah. Not long after reaching the Promised Land, God’s people turned to idolatry of every kind. For centuries, God pleaded with them. Hosea is one of God’s many merciful attempts to turn them away from their sin and the destruction coming to them for it.

God told Hosea in this chapter to marry a wife of whoredom. It isn’t clear if she was a whore when he married her or if she became unfaithful later, but I’m sure this was not Hosea’s first choice. As awful as this arrangement must have seemed to him, he obeyed and married Gomer.

Hosea was not told to marry such a wife because God is cruel. His love for and marriage to this woman of ill repute was a representation of God’s love and “marriage” to his people who were constantly unfaithful to Him.

After they were married, they had their first son. God instructed Hosea to name him Jezreel which means “God will sow”. This was indicative of the coming judgment against Jehu and it would come in the valley named Jezreel. Next, they had a daughter and named her Lo-ruhamah meaning “not pitied” because God would no longer have mercy on Israel. He would however continue to show mercy to Judah and would save them without the aid of man. When Lo-ruhaman was weaned, they had another son and named him Lo-ammi. That means “not my people” which indicated that God would disown His people. However, they would continue to multiply and prosper and eventually God would reclaim them. He would again join Israel and Judah and they would be ruled by one government.

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