Hosea 9: Hosea Announces Israel's Punishment

Last week was a hard week.  I’m not going to lie…this week is pretty rough as well.  However, not one word in God’s inspired message to us is unnecessary.  God knows exactly what we need to hear.  Chapter 9 moves into the verdict as Hosea announces Israel’s punishment.  Read all of chapter 9 (Hosea 9:1-17). 



Let’s recap the punishment together:

É       Verse 2 – what will happen to the harvests?

É       Verse 3 – where will they go?

É       Verse 3 – what will they eat?

É       Verse 4 – what will come of their offerings?

É       Verse 6 – what will happen to their treasures?

É       Verses 11 through 16 – what will happen to their children?

Verse 15 says that “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there.” 


É       Read 1 Samuel 11:15.  What happened in Gilgal?  What did this signify the beginning of for the nation?





Gilgal is where the political and religious failure of the nation began.  It is where Israel substituted God as king for a human king for the first time.  In Hosea’s time, Baal worship was rampid there.  Both kings and idols were substituted for God.  This is the crux of all other sins… having other “gods” before the true God and not loving God with all our heart, mind and soul.

Jennie Allen writes:


Theologian Tim Keller says if you love anything more than God, even though you believe in God, if there is anything in your life that is more important to your own identity or significance than God, then that is a false god and it is a power in your life.  And you can usually tell that something here has become an idol because you have an extreme reaction when it is threatened. 1

But God often seems unconcerned with helping us maintain same, simple lives where everything fits and works.  I don’t know what God’s plans are for you, but I do know that we don’t hear from him until certain things die.  He doesn’t compete.  And when he does speak, it typically costs something.  2

God is good and cannot coexist with sin. 

É       Read Matthew 27:46.  How do you see this truth played out in this verse?




At the moment of Jesus’ death, He took on all our sins – past, present, future – and in that moment He was separated from God.  Jesus suffered this death, but even worse, this momentary separation from God, so we would not have to be eternally separated from God.  We tend to think of the physical torture of the cross, but perhaps the most agonizing thing to Jesus was being separated – even for just a moment – from God (refer to Luke 22:42-44).  This is our example of relationship & oneness with God.  Really sit on this for a moment.  It is worth any amount of worldly angst – even the death of His Son – to know God and be with Him for eternity.  We think how harsh these earthy trials are, but they are nothing compared to eternal separation from God.  Not all trials are from God, but all of them can be used to bring us closer to God.

James has a few things to say about trials and hardship:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  (James 1:2-4)

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  (James 1:12)


Let us use our trials as a time to draw near to God and let Him make us mature and complete, not lacking in anything.

Jennie Allen writes:

God has bigger purposes in allowing us to suffer, bigger than just winning.  He allows us to suffer because we change through suffering.  We hurt with other better.  We become humble.  We want him more….I’ve learned to quit wishing away the hard stuff, because I don’t want to miss all the good stuff that goes with it. 3

God is patient for us to come to Him.  2 Peter 3:9 says:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But His righteousness and justice will ultimately prevail.  Although the warnings seem vast as we read through these chapters, we don’t have time to wait.  We never really know when our time will come to face judgment.  We want to be alert and ready.
É       Read Matthew 25: 1-13.  How does this parable speak to you?



Thankfully, we have a savior who is waiting for us to turn to Him, to confess and earnestly walk in the ways of God.  A Spirit that will help guide us along the way.  We are not alone here on this tough journey.  We have everything we need in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The good news is that we don’t have to have a special ceremony or go to a special place to meet with our Savior.  We just need to call out to Him from where we are. 

As I was working on this chapter, Mandisa’s song, “Waiting for Tomorrow”5 was on the radio.  I thought these lyrics were appropriate…
 
Maybe tomorrow we'll start over.
Maybe tomorrow I will finally change my ways
Said the same things yesterday
Don't know why I'm so afraid
To let you in
To let you win
To let you have all of me

God, we are so thankful you are merciful and patient.  Please let none of our earthly trials go to waste.  Help us to use them to draw near to you and to become mature in relationship with you – to become perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.  Help us not to put off tomorrow what we know we must do today.  Help us let You in, let You win and let You have all of us.  Please do not let us suffer in vain or miss our opportunity for eternity with you!




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