The Lord‘s Relentless Judgment on Israel
13:1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
“Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist
or like the dew that goes early away,
like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or like smoke from a window.
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I am to them like a lion;
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys you, O Israel,
for you are against me, against your helper.
10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
13 The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from Death?
O Death, where are your plagues?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Though he may flourish among his brothers,
the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
rising from the wilderness,
and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched;
it shall strip his treasury
of every precious thing.
16 Samaria shall bear her guilt,
because she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword;
their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their pregnant women ripped open. (ESV)
A Plea to Return to the Lord
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
from me comes your fruit.
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them. (ESV)
wow, how often do you hear a sermon on Hosea 11 & 12? My guess is because you would have to deduct that the Holy one is a God of furious anger and justice as well as a God of compassion and mercy, and as I read this about israel I cant help but to think, how much worse are WE? How much do we say”our god” to the work of our hands, oh Lord forgive us!
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
Praise God for salvation and the Gift of the Holy Spirit to counsel us, for the ways of the Lord ARE right!! Father strengthen me to to walk upright in Your ways, and keep me from turning to the left or to the right, that I might not transgress and stumble.
Grat prayer Johnny! He answers prayers like that lined up with His will!
Love this!
Praise God for salvation and the Gift of the Holy Spirit to counsel us, for the ways of the Lord ARE right!! Father strengthen me to to walk upright in Your ways, and keep me from turning to the left or to the right, that I might not transgress and stumble.
true!
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
I never cease to be amazed that God takes the Israelites back. They sin and sin and sin some more and God still accepts them back when they repent and turn to him. In the New Testament God provided the ultimate way to get rid of sin in Christ. In the Old Testament they had to sacrifice animals continually but Christ was the final sacrifice. The work is done. I don’t have to sacrifice anything to be made right with God. I have been saved but yet I sin again and again and God forgives me again and again. The patience and grace of God blows my mind!!
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
Then: God speaks through Hosea and his messed up family to show how He hates sin and will exact punishment on Israel but in the end comes to the point of mercy and grace with them.
Always: God will punish sin (our real need for a perfect Substitute) but does provide the antidote for the penalty required (Jesus) to those He has chosen (Israel and the Church).
Now: Turn to Him and admit our sin, ask for His mercy and let Him cleanse us today. Then live as He says in the book and tell others about the penalty for our sin and the grace of Jesus. He does all the work!
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
God’s faithfulness amazes me! He guides the Israelites out of Egypt, provides and protects them throughout the entire journey, and gives them the land of Israel. Throughout this time, he performs many miracles, displaying his incredible power. Yet, they continually reject his love. They become filled with their own longings and passions and forget about all that he has done for them. He continues to show his love by punishing them for their unfaithfulness, yet instead of turning his back on them, he welcomes them back when they repent.
At the Girl’s Summer study this week, we talked about this very thing. I also forget the times that God has been faithful to me. During tough circumstances, I forget how God provided for me the last time. I forget that he is all-powerful and completely sovereign. I rely on friends or my own strength or abilities to get me through, rather than relying on God. How shameful that I think I can better handle a situation than the perfect Creator! May I never forget about the faithfulness of my Savior and may I continually elevate my view of Him.
These verses pierced my heart, as well. Great comment, Kates. Let us remind one another of God’s presence and goodness, and let us be careful to not allow ourselves or one another to trivialize or minimize God’s perfect provision.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
Here it is talking about how when the Israelites were in the desert and needed water and they needed food, the Lord cared for them and provided for them until they were full. However, once they were satisfied and did not need anything else from God, they forgot and ignored Him. I do not want to be one of the people who talk to the Lord only when I need him for something. With all that he has blessed me with in my life, and all the sins I have made, I need to be repenting and thanking him for his forgivness and blessings more than I am asking for things! I also need to be asking for the right things. I should pray for a friend who is being led down a wrong path, or I should pray for a revival at my school, and all the other things like this. But it is wrong of me to daily pray to God for a red sports car or that I would become president, and then become upset when this does not happen! I pray that during my time of prayer I would ask You for spiritual blessings more than I would ask You for materialistic things Lord! I pray that I would always remember the power of prayer, and instead of worrying about something, turn to you in prayer and ask for Your help!
Great prayer Shossa. Pray for spiritual blessings like wisdom, knowledge, understanding of his word these are prayers God will answer and you will be blessed.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
Wow this just seems to be just like Christians today! When we need God, we go to Him, but when we are full and when He has given us what we needed, we forget God. Its so easy for us to point fingers to them and think about how dumb they were when God gave them all that stuff then they forgot about Him. But its soo incredibly just like us, and we too are the blind and stupid ones! I cant just forget who gave me life and saved me from my sins! God has given me SOO much, why do I forget Him? Ive heard multiple people say that during trials your closet to God, which is true because we are constantly in prayer for Him to help us. But I need to always be in Gods word, thanking Him and never forgetting His almight glory! He has given me everything, how dare I ever forget that.
Great comment, Kels!
JUST what we talked about this morning!
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
It is just like Kelsey was saying we seem to always go to God in hard times! But what dont the other times! Sometimes when I am going to God it is because big problems not small ones! But I should be going to God in every situation.
Maranatha
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I am to them like a lion;
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild beast would rip them open.
Before these verses it talked about God always being with the Israelites helping them in all situations. The Israelites decided they did not need God anymore and God was upset. Then God comes out and says that now since they turned away he will be ready to devour them. God must be so sad to turn on the people he made. He must be filled with grief that his people turned away. The Israelites, just like me, are sinners and are full of sin turning away. The Israelites pretty much slapped God in the face and told him they didn’t need him anymore. Just think how our parents feel when we act as if we know it all. When we shut our parents out of our lives. Our parents would be sad just like God and they will try harder to connect with us, sooner or later become lions trying hard to catch us so that they can stop us from going our own ways. I realized that I was one of those types of kids. God would not want me to stray from him, so I should not stray from him or my parents. God is the only one that can give me life and he is wise and can tell me what to do through my parents. After these verses he comes and asks the Israelites where are their rulers/kings to save them. Truthfully, only God can be king and only he can save. I pray that people in this world will realize that God is the only one to save.
Excellent insight and application, Bells. Thanks for this thought- and heart-provoking comment…
Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
i need to work on returning to the lord when i am going astrey so that i will have eternal life
less words, more meaning. very true bro! :)
You still owe me that three paragraph essay comment though, for “you know what” Josh. Tomorrow :)
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
Almost all of Hosea has been about God’s wrath on the people of Israel. They had forgot about him, taken other gods in the form of idols, and were absolutely distant from God. Pretty much, they had it coming. I don’t know about you, but the wrath of the almighty God is not exactly something I want looming over me.
Despite all of this, in the last chapter of the book, God pours out his loving mercy on Israel, asking them to return to him. if that weren’t enough, he then says this verse, basically stating that he is going to heal up their weakness, love them, and turn his anger away from them. What did they do to deserve this? Nothing. Yet our God’s mercy and love are so great that despite all of what they did, he still forgave them, loved them, and saved them. Sound like anything else the pertains to us? By sending Jesus to die on the cross, God did the exact same thing he did for the Israelites. We are all sinners, and we didn’t deserve it at all either. I am so grateful for the mercy of our God! All of us Christians would be absolutely dead in our sin without it, yet for some reason we often forget about the importance and don’t even remember how much we owe our lives to the Lord. God did so much for me, and I want to be living a life that glorifies him in return!
6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
We learned from Bobby a couple weekends ago that there is a lot to gain in godliness from contentment; we should be satisfied with what the Lord has given us. But here it talks about a different level of contentment. It says that they became full, were filled, and then forgot God. This happens to so many people (probably everyone at one point), where God has blessed us so much and so we get caught up in our blessings and start to believe that we earned them. This is horrible! It is things like that that make God want to punish people like the Israelites, because they spit on God’s gifts by thinking they got it themselves. I want to give constant glory to God for everything He’s given me.
2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.
I love this because it emphasizes an important point: God’s mercy is the only thing capable of saving us. It doesn’t say “Go sacrifice a lamb, then pray a prayer, and then you’re forgiven.” It does say plead with God to show mercy to you and beg that He would take away sin’s domination over you. THEN, after that comes the sacrifices. This is important in our lives as well, because many other religions and people believe that we are saved by doing some sort of good deed(s). However, once we repent and put our faith in Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, THEN we start to do good works for God.
Can’t wait for Joel!
you’re leGit bro! :)
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
When God loves us, he wants his love to be returned. He does not want us to forget him and go love something else. In other words, God doesn’t want to be involved in love triangles.
I was reminded of this last night when I saw hundreds of people (mostly teenage girls) waiting in line for the latest Twilight movie. I wrote a blog about it and you can listen to an old sermon about love triangles here:
http://www.churchforhighschoolers.com/blog/why-god-hates-love-triangles/
Hope to see everyone at Beach Night as we talk about how God is Jealous!
Hello Pastor Bobby! I was wondering who Ephraim is? I should’ve asked this a few days ago : P
Great question! Ephraim is another name for the northern kingdom of Israel! Hope that helps!
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them
It’s so amazing how much mercy God gives us and yet we take it for granit and always turn back to our old ways. I really need to be working on throwing away my old sins and always going back to what God wants me to do. In the end, everythings going to be burned and God is still going to be there!! There is no reason why I shouldn’t be trying to get as close as I can with God and not trying to return to my old sins.
maranatha!!!!
cannot wait for REVIVAL X!!!
Yo lauren im feeling you!
im excited for Revival X too
I am so excited for Revival X too! Feeling this dawg!
16 Samaria shall bear her guilt,
because she has rebelled against her God;
i think this verse makes a good point, because if we sin, we should feel guilty after for doing whatever we did. thats bascially God telling you that you should have never done what you did in the first place. what we need to always do every single day of our lives is pray and ask the Lord for forgiveness. and he will forgive you, just try your hardest to not make that mistake again.
BEACH NIGHT TONIGHT!:)
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
The same truth can be taken from this chapter as from most of the other chapters in this book (it is the theme of the book): as pastor Bobby would put it, God hates “love triangles.” He is a jealous God who wants His people to love Him and Him alone. When they turn from Him and love something else more, He turns on them in anger and punishment. But when they finally see their sin and repent (turn back to God/return to God), He forgives them and loves them again. What I can obviously learn from this is to not put anything before the LORD in my heart. But this verse (#6) stood out to me especially. See, it was only when the Israelites were full of themselves, when they thought they could make it fine on their own, that they fell into idolatry. And that’s just how it works. When I start thinking that I’m doing fine, that there are no problems in my life, that *I* will be able to deal with whatever comes my way, that’s when I’m most susceptible to fall into sin! Lord, please do not let me be blinded by pride. Please let me be humble so that I may not love anything more than You!
Great Comment! Its so awesome to see you to apply this verse!
Amen brother! Nice to finally hang out with you Ian! Great conversations tonight!
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
Wow! In Chapter 13 we see that God carried them when they had nothing and when they wanted a king(an earthly one) He gave it to them and then took him away. God gave them all they needed yet they still turned away looking for other things. I liked this verse because if they had known and gone after the Lord they wouldn’t have been in trouble. They wouldn’t have stumbled. God helps us when we call out to Him. In Proverbs 3:5-6 it talks about trusting in God and He will make straight our path to Him. If we are weak, He gives us strength(Philippians 4:13). All things are possible with God and I need to remember that. He created the world, He can do anything He wants. :]
BEACH NIGHT TONIGHT! 6-9! See you all there!!!
love that verse too! and ill see u at beachnight tonightt
im bringing hopefully 2 friends from school and my family friend Anna. :)
13:10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
Israel would turn to foreign kings and countries to save them and not the Lord. Or Israel would ask the Lord to give her a king (like with Saul) because they wanted to be like other countries. In short, they didn’t want the Lord to lead them. But when Israel needed her kings and allies, they deserted her, or in some cases were the ones attacking her. The Lord through Hosea tells us how foolish it was for Israel to trust in kings, kings which He was truly sovereign over (v.11). When the Israelites called on the kings of other countries, they were abandoned, forgotten, and deserted. It is futile to trust in anyone but the Lord. And yet we do this all of the time. We trust in ourselves to study for a test, to get into a good college, to make money. Rather than trusting in the Lord with our future and maintaining an ATAPAT mentality, we rush into things without first considering the will of God. When the time comes, our own flesh will fail, our family members will fail, and the only One that will be able to truly lead us and ALWAYS be there for us will be God. I am praying that I will not be like Israel, and call on things that won’t respond. I am praying that from the start I will call on the Name of the Lord my God, and that He will always be before me. I know that when I need my God He will always be faithful, and He will do to me according to His will. And unlike the kings of other nations, or idols on this earth, God is the One that I can always trust in.
14:2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
When Israel turns back to the Lord, there are conditions. In these two verses, we see Israel confess her sins as a nation and turning from them, to God. We see repentance! To be saved, one needs to trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, and turn from their life of sin to God, just as Israel did here (they trusted in the promises of God, that He would provide a Savior). Salvation has never changed, it is always on the basis of repentance and faith. And today Christians need to be constantly confessing our sin and turning from it. Though we are saved in the “big” repentance of our lives, we still need to confess our sins, and allow the Lord’s sanctifying work in us. We do need to be restored to the joy of God’s salvation when we sin (see Psalm 51:12). Each day, I need to confess my sin before God and repent of it. I know that as a Christian, I must hate sin like God hates it, and make war on it! In this case, I want to be like Israel and genuinely repent and obey the Lord, not just offer up an empty sacrifice.
EXCELLENT comment, Cam. Totally trackin’ with you on this…
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
God had been with the people of Israel as they were walking in the wilderness. He had helped them and had given them food, water, and many other provisions. The people were happy about that when it happened, but after not that long they started to forget all about what God had done to help and provide for them. I need to make sure to thank God every day for providing for my needs, as well as things that I want and can have. I am so privileged to live in SoCal and to go to this church, the list goes on and on!! Thank you Lord for everything you’ve blessed me with!!!
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
the times that we rely on God the most is when we arer in need, but sometimes when all is going wel, it is easy to forget that God who is making it well, and think that we are the reason taht it is well.
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
As it has been shown for chapter after chapter in the book of Hosea, Israel has turned from the Lord to worship other things. However, there was a time when they were excited about God, committed to worshiping him! They had a love that we call first love. First love is the same thing we see in brand new Christians. Many times, the Christians that are most on fire are the one who have just been saved. They devour the Bible, wanting to read it as much as they can. They long to spend as much time in prayer as they can. They want to tell everyone they see about how their life has been radically changed through Jesus Christ. Yet after some time, there typically comes a change. It isn’t abrupt. Yet little by little, that bright fire burning strong begins to dwindle down. The fire never dies out, but it just doesn’t burn as bright as it used to. The initial excitement and fervor is not there, for the first love for God has been lost.
I want to live a life not where my love for God is going down, or even staying the same, but where I am growing to love God more and more, day after day. I should be able to look back at when I first became a Christian and say that I love good even more now than I did back then. Israel as a nation has turned from God; they have lost their love for him because they seek satisfaction in other things. Knowing that it is only in the Lord that I can find satisfaction, I need to go all out in pursuing him. Like a new Christian, I want to daily savor the taste of Scripture, love spending time in prayer, be excited about talking to others about the gospel and my testimony, and go all out in loving God like I never have before!
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me
God is so great! He provided for the Israelites in their time of need and he cared for them. The people were thanking God at the time for all he had given them, but when they began living their lives normally again, they completely forgot about God! That sounds a lot like people these days, going to God when they really need him, and then totally forgetting about him once their life seems to be going okay. In reality, that is not okay at all! God is our provider and our Savior, so doesn’t he deserve to be treated like he treats us? Of course we are going to mess up sometimes, but we always need to turn to God for every situation and not just the situations when bad things are happening. Thank You Jesus for your unfailing love!
Hosea 13:3-4 “Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a window. But I am the Lord your God, from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.”
Pastor Ben gave a message about how we are like mist in this life..reading verse 3 reminded me of the challenge he gave us..~go to starbucks, get a HOT coffee, open the cap..and try to catch some of that mist-y stuff in your hands..and let us all come along so we can laugh.~ We are like mist!! Our lives are so short and forgettable. Only recently I’ve noticed something..the only people we remember from a long time ago, are the people that did something REALLY big. Like Stephen the martyr who died for Christ..Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States who tried to free slaves..Rosa Parks who changed everything for colored people…John Macarthur for his commentaries on the Bible and multiple books talking about God. These people are those that are remembered. They did something BIG for mankind. So if I want my life to not just be a wisp of smoke, I should do something for Christ. About Christ..naming Christ..Proclaiming Christ.
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 upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”
This verse is a verse that as soon as I read it, I read it through again..and again. To try and understand it more and more. Let the wise and discerning understand, that the ways of the Lord are RIGHT..(not only are they right, they are the only way)…Hosea has produced more verses that mean so much to me than I expected. The words pouring out of this book have reminded me, encouraged me and even changed me. I’ve learned so much about God, His people, and what I need to do for Him.
GREAT comment Megan! I too need to do something that proclaims Christ because we are only here for a short time. Going to miss you at beach night tonight! :[ Have fun! :]
Thanks Payton!! Sorry :( I wish I could come spend time with you guys..I’ll think of you! Next time, mk?
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
So here God is saying that He is the only God. The Israelites at the time were not being faithful and had many other idols. So here God gives it to them straight. There is no other salvation except through Him. So this verse just demolished any shred of credibility of any other religion. Pretty cool huh? God is the One and Only, and no one goes to heaven except through Him!
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
The people could return to God by asking him to forgive their sins. The same is true for us: we can pray to God and know that our sins have been forgiven because Christ died for us on the cross. Forgiveness begins when we see the destructiveness of sin and the futility of life without God. And we must admit that we can not save our selves, our only hope is in God’s mercy. When we request forgiveness, we must recognize that we do not deserve it and therefore can not demand it. Our appeal must be for God’s love and mercy, not for His justice. Although we can not demand forgiveness, we can be confident that we have received it because God is gracious and loving and wants to restore us to Himself, just as he wanted to restore Israel.
Good to see you on here girl!! Great post!!
3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
In their act of returning to the Lord the Israelites needed to confess that only in God is found safety and protection. No treaties or alliances with surrounding nations would bring peace, nor would a strong army full of soilders on horseback. Any claims of security and safety that are based on anything other than God’s soveriegn hand of control over our lives is only an illusion. I know I am guilty of trusting in the country and county I live in as the reason for believing I am safe and comfortable. I need to have faith like the Israelites were called to have that would be steadfast even in the face of real danger.
I also love in verse 4 how God says, “I will love them freely”. How marvelous is the love of God that He is willing to heal and forgive our iniquity and love us freely. Who does not want this kind of love from the most powerful and only true God?
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
God always provides us with what we need. These verses are saying that you cannot only rely on God when you are in need but we need to be just as reliant in him when we are in comfortable positions as well.
15 Though he may flourish among his brothers,
the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come,
rising from the wilderness,
and his fountain shall dry up;
his spring shall be parched;
it shall strip his treasury
of every precious thing.
God hates a prideful person and when you think the most important thing is to be pleasing to others and not to God God will always cut you down and put you back in your place
Yes, He does Jimmy, but not the things that are against His plan ;)
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
I like these two verses because it shows just how important fighting sin and living a life of righteousness is to God. Verse 14 gives us two options, walking upright in the ways of the Lord or stumbling in our own transgressions. The problem is that it is so much easier to walk in our sins and follow the passions of our earthly flesh. I want to be striving to walk in the ways of the Lord by thinking about Him and His awesome power and holiness throughout the day. God has sacrificed His son for me, and I need to be loving Him by living in His commandments.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
13 The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
at the opening of the womb.
The people of Israel are like a baby who will not allow itself to be delivered. Though they are living in sin, they will not repent and let God save them from their iniquity.
While I am saved through grace, I still must fight daily against sin. I’m grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who can help deliver me from sin–but it’s also up to me to actively seek aid from the Spirit and listen to His promptings. God has promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that for every temptation, He will provide a way of escape. But I need to constantly listen to the urgings of the Holy Spirit so that I will be able to see those ways of escape, and then I must actually take the escape routes through the strength of the Spirit. And when I do stumble and sin, I need to also listen to the Spirit as He convicts me so that I will immediately repent and not try to justify my sin. I thank God for constantly offering deliverance, and may I not be stubborn but always eager to accept God’s offer.
Passage: Hosea 13:2
And now they sin more and more,
and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
One of the problems that God has with His people is that they keep turning away from Him to worship their idols. They have come to conclusion that the satisfaction they are seeking does not come from God, but from the world. This is why they fall into sin so much. In this time, the israelites are literally “making” idols. They are taking gold and silver and pounding it into a mold, then worshipping it. They don’t realize that you can never worship something that was made by your own hand, it is impossible that this object could be God! Our God is sovereign and perfect, and was there before all of creation. We cannot create for ourselves a God that was there before the beginning of time. Yet, today we still commit this crime against God. He tells us strictly not to have idols and to love him above all other things. So we think “Well, if I’m not bowing down to it and praying to it, its not really worship” But our God is a jealous God, he doesn’t even want us putting things above him on our priority list. How many people spend more time on Facebook talking to friends, than in prayer talking to God. Although Facebook is a totally awesome way to connect with friends, our God is a very jealous God who wants our undivided worship. Can we say that God is the #1 priority in our lives?
This is something that I personally know that I need help with, and can always get better at doing. My prayer is that I will not make things like facebook, school, and friends idols by putting them above God on my priority list. God is my creator who is both just and merciful. I owe everything to Him! And this should be an incentive that is more than enough. He saved me from myself, and since I owe my life to Him, I need to live like I owe my life to Him. My life needs to reflect my belief, and it is my prayer that I will not make for myself idols the things of this world as the Israelites did. I need to be putting God at the forefront of my mind.
ELLO… I read
I like verse 6,”but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.”
I like this verse because it shows me what not to do. This verse is saying after GOD had given Israel what they wanted they turned away from HIM and forgot HIM. I need to make sure that when GOD gives me what I need which HE does everyday that I don’t become more distant from HIM but instead become closer and thank HIM for what HE has given me. I need to come closer to GOD everyday.
CYA
I really enjoyed reading Hosea today. God is so powerful! Reading this is making me realize more and more that sin is never worth it! When you sin you’re going against God. This brings me to the thought of the verse in Romans saying “If God is for us who can stand against us”? This is true. If God is for us no one can conquer or stand against us because we have the all powerful Lord of the universe!
Maranatha!
have fun on your trip ;)
I read today and liked this verse…..
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
Even after every thing the Israelites did, God still desired their hearts. God is a very zealous God and no matter what we do He is always seeking after our hearts until we finally realize we need Him to be in our lives. I am so thankful that He just doesn’t give up on us, but continually initiates the fact that He really loves us and wants a relationship with us. Because of all that God has done in my life and all that Jesus has done on the cross for me, I owe Him my whole life and with everything I desire to do it like Jesus would. I also liked this verse….
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
When we are walking in the Lord we will be showing it by the way we live. If we are constantly stumbling in the Lord’s ways, then we know that we are not a follower of Christ. I want to be keeping on the upright path and not stumble; Father help me to always be focusing on you so that this won’t happen!
WWOOOOOOOOOOOWWW
Back on SOTD, AND PLANNING ON STAYING HERE.
Hosea 13, yeah. Just like Isreal I too thought that I was to good for SOTD, or I thought I was to spiritual, but then I caught myself stumbling over something so stupid. I was like a little kid who stuck his finger in the socket, and knew it would hurt any way. Guys I am telling you that we are always thinking that we are to good to sin in sertain ways, but I tell you the truth the biggest sin that I have been struggling with lately is thinking I am too good to worry. ANd because of that the Devil, or the Lion who is roming around looking for Christians won the battle with me, that day. But I am here to say that I can not let it happen again, we need God our helper. We are truely nothing with out him. The moment that we think we are strong enough to do it on our own, we will fall down, and fall hard. I am nothing with out my Lord God my savior, maker of Heaven and Earth, and maker of new spirit. He forgave me and saved, me but last week I still thought I could do it on my own, and boy was I wrong. My last plea is that everyone realize that we are nothing with out God, he truely is our only strength, and without him sin will over come you.
Yay :)
Shane? (my guess)
Ya I’m kind of curious to know who this is. And great comment by the way. :D
Prase the Lord!
“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 upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them” (v. 14:9). God has spoken to His people, and whoever listens shall repent from sin and have faith in God. But, he that doesn’t shall be punished and will be “dashed in pieces” (v. 13:16) and have his breast torn open (v. 13:8). God uses these powerful images to show His anger bent on His people for their disobedience. Reading through Hosea, it is clear to see God’s wrath is built up through disobedience. However, the end of the book shows God ready to redeem His people. God will return to them, but only when they come back to God. And it is such an amazing thing how God works in their hearts to allow them to return. It’s not as though the peoples wanted to return to God, but He had to “take away all iniquity; accept what is good” (v. 14:2). Without God’s work in their hearts, His people would have never wanted to return and would sentence themselves to God’s wrath, but because of God’s mercy He found a way to acquit the guilty through a changed heart wanting to return to God. Hallelujah to the Redeeming God.
2 And now they sin more and more,
and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
“Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”
Woo this book is really good, each and everytime im getting it more n more. the first chapter i was really confused but now i get it. :] These kinds of veres really get to me how they are not for God, some peoplem might no the truth about Jesus Christ but they dont care or wanna do the worldy things…
i cant wait for beachnight tonight 6-9pm
see u all there! also praying for revival X get signed up if u are not.Maranatha!!! :]
Aw Anita I just want to say it so great seeing you on SOTD everyday! Your so encouraging!
9 He destroys you, O Israel,
for you are against me, against your helper.
This verse really convicted me! God is our ultimate helper and healer and he wants us to trust in him with all of our heart, mind, and soul. I am going through a tough trial right now and it is requiring me to trust in God with everything. This life gets a lot easier when we cast our troubles on him and learn to trust. One way of trust and relying on Him is to communicate with him throughout the day. Like Pastor Mike says, we must have time to talk with God in private and we must also send him “text message prayers.” Trusting in our Lord is so important and i thank God for putting me in this trial and teaching me this lesson. Thank you Lord!
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; 6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
This happens. A lot. People get caught up in the things of this world and they forget God. They think oh, it’s not so bad out here with these non Christians and they forget to go to church and have Christian fellowship. I have a friend that is going through this very thing right now. I don’t have a good way of getting in contact with them, so right now, I know that I have to just keep praying for them with all my heart and just have to be here for them. I don’t want to win arguements, I want to win souls, and right now repremanding them is not going to work, as one of my Christian friends already tried that and the wandering Christian didn’t listen. But the power of prayer is so great, and we just need to be patient.
Dear Lord, I pray that when I wander, I WILL NOT BE STUBBORN TO OTHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP AND WILL L-I-S-T-E-N!! I AM LOST WITHOUT YOU, AND I DO NOT WANT YOU TO TURN YOUR BACK ON ME.
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have been perfectly on God’s path either, and have been ignoring some temptations from satan. I am aware now, and I think God has taken out the person in my life who has been causing me to waver on that path.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.
I do not know why we are constantly seeking approval from other humans. Seriously, God is the most powerful AND WE KNOW HIM! We are his children, and yet we sometimes are sad because of someone not accepting us or not liking us. (By we, I mean I). I thank God so much for my Christian friends and am going to keep praying for my wandering christian friend.
I absolutley loved your comment! You made some really good points and your so honest! Way to go and keep it up!
I read…
Pastors of our day would rarely preach on the character of God shown in Hosea 13. Hosea characterizes God basically as a stalker in verse 7 waiting to rip someone open (who is not following Him) as it says in verse 8. When we are tempted to sin, we need to realize at that moment to cause us to stop to think of how God thinks of what you are about to do. Let us NOT ABUSE GRACE and live like we have the power of the resurrection, as God tells us we have.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
13 The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son,
for at the right time he does not present himself
at the opening of the womb.
The commentary in my study Bible made this a lot easier to understand. By Ephraim not going out of the womb when he should he risks death. God is likening the birth of a child to repentance. When someone refuses to repent he risks dying in sin and never experiences the life that comes with repentance. I want to take heed of the “birth pangs” in the Bible which warn me to turn from sin and live in righteousness!
In the fist verses it talks about God. But instead of talking about him as a loving God it talks about Him as a ferocious lion. And it talks about His just trait. Many pastors and christians are afraid to talk about this side of God because it may “offend” people or scare them. So instead they tell people that God loves them for who they are. And that is not true. God hates our sin and he makes it very clear. As christians we need to include this part of the word when ministering to others.
MARANATHA!
way to post chica!!!
Israel being devoted to idols is so tragic considering all that God has done for them and how he is their savior and their help! We aren’t looking at something that could even compete with God, rather people crafting silver into an image and then acting like it has power. Reading these last two chapters, I’m thinking about Psalm 115 where it says:
4Their idols are silver and gold,the work of human hands.
5They have mouths,but do not speak;eyes, but do not see.
6They have ears, but do not hear;noses, but do not smell.
7They have hands, but do not feel;feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8Those who make them become like them;so do all who trust in them.
I do not want to let my heart long for some false god of my own making! Why would I do this when God is my savior and my help, he hears me and he sees me. I will keep reminding myself who God is by being in his word each day and thinking of his attributes and how they do not compare to the sad “gods” I get distracted by in this world.
Once again Hosea gives us an illustration of the 21st century we live in and the way America is heading.
Think back to 9-11 2001? Everything was, pray this and God that because of the epic tradgedy. But hear we are 9 years later and we have forgotten.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I am to them like a lion;
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild beast would rip them open.
When we are going through the pangs of pain we cry out to God, yet turn so quickly. This was clear of Israel and the wrath God unleashed.
Cling to the cross through good times and bad.
ok, who are you?
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
For some reason, this concept of stumbling and then returning immediately to the Lord brings me back to when I was learning how to drive. My Dad took my twin brother and me out to drive a stick shift car, and it was my turn to drive. We were headed to the library, and when I was parking, I popped the clutch and the car jammed up into the library wall. For all intents and purposes, due to my carelessness, ego, disregard, or whatever, I STUMBLED.
We went into the library; I was feeling discouraged, disappointed in myself, and doubtful. When we left the library, I’d resigned to the fact that it was my brother’s turn to drive, and I would be ousted. But to my surprise (AND my BROTHER’S!), my Dad said, “OK, Stac-here’s the keys. Hop in–you’re DRIVIN’!”
I was lacking faith, I was embarrassed, I was downcast. And there was my accuser in this little scenario: my twin brother. He was in the background, FLOORED that my Dad would enforce such a proposterous suggestion. He was quick to remind both my Dad AND me how I’d crashed into the library, for crying out loud! But my Dad encouraged me to get back in the seat, and embrace the responsibility I’d adopted in my heart to learn to drive competently, responsibly, and with integrity.
Sure enough, in that same hour, I was supposed to shift from 3rd to 4th, but I went from 3rd to 2nd on a highway! The whole car JUMPED, and my brother was in the back seat freaking out! My Dad was upset, but he maintained his calm, and he stayed his course in keeping me on path and keeping engaged–to not give up by throwing in the towel!
This is a little picture of what I understand God to be saying to us when we stumble. GET UP! Do not stay down, but quickly get up and get back in the saddle! He calls us to RETURN to Him, to His path of righteousness, and correct our stumblings by receiving His Holy Spirit’s counsel, admonishment, and love to guide us in His path of righteousness for all our days. No matter WHO stands accusing us. If we stumble as His children, we are to get UP and enter His light so that He can deal with any darkness we stumbled into. And QUICKLY! No loitering in the dark alleys of the night of our hearts.
Thank You, Father, for commanding us to return to You.
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
I am so thankful that even though I had lived in sin and rejection of God, He healed my apostasy and brought me back to Him completely forgiven. And now saved, He has helped me take root like a Lebanese cedar so that I would never fall away. LORD, thank you for never letting me fall out of your hand. Even though I continue to fail, your forgiveness and faithfulness never fail. May you forever be praised for this and please help me to show forgiveness to those who wrong me and faithfulness to others like you have shown to me.
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
God is the one and only. He is awesome in every way possible. Why turn from a perfect God to metal images?
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
Great promise by God to the Israelites, God allows the Israelites to come back to Him when they were abandoning their faith and were apart from God. God had mercy on them. Just as the Israelites were far away from God and abandon Him for awhile, God still let’s us come back to Him. God will have mercy on those who He has mercy for.
God says that He gives His love freely, this shows that the Israelites didn’t have to do anything in return. God has kept to His promise from the time of Abraham. God still shows that His love is unfailing. He turned His anger away from them when He could have been still angry. God is also slow to anger, which is nice.
have fun at beach night! ;)
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
This is a great verse. GOD gives us decrees, and we are expected to follow him. He does not say to do our best, or do what we want, but to follow him. He loves the righteous, and the righteous follow his commands.
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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them. (ESV)
i love this verse! it is true… God has a path for us and we shall not question or stray from the path because he is ALWAYS right!
Beautiful Andie! :)
So great to see you on here Andie!!! I love it when you post! You are so right! God’s ways are always best and He is always right! We need to walk in God’s ways and not try to create ways of our own.
What a beautiful picture that Hosea leaves with us. God is a jealous God and it’s a good thing in His case! He loves us very very very very very much and His love never fails. It goes on for infinityness! No matter how many mistakes we make, He still loves us the same. I pray that I may be loving no matter what happens in my life, whether someone is rude at the nurses office (lol Sarah) or if they point a gun at my head. God help me to be as loving as Jesus was….THAT was true love. Maranatha.
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
This verse reminded me that God is a jealous God. He wants us to know He is the only God, and that He is the one to glorify in our lives. Nothing else, or no one else created us, and everythings in this earth. He sustains us with every breath we take. He is the one who sent Jesus Christ to die for our sin. He didn’t have to do any of that, but He loves us. And he wants us to love Him wholeheartedly back.See everyone at beach night!
10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.
“why do a lot of people want to be popular so much?” actually, I DON’T know the answer to that question. the state of being popular has been there for as long as I remember. then I saw these verses, it reminded me of 1 Sam 15, when God rejected Saul for not sacrificing the spoils from the battle against the Amakelites(?). Glorifying God, that’s the place to be :D He gave us a King to govern, and that didnt work out so well…until Jesus came. He spread His ministry far and wide, and then went away for a while. And He’s coming back, whether its 10 years from now, next year, or maybe even tommorrow! until then, I’m going to serve Him with everything I have.
Revival X: The Place to be :D
Keep up the great posts Janiel! Nice to have you back on SOTD!
But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
This entire passage shows that although our God is a God of wrath, he has great compassion to those who repent and believe. God loves those who love him, and who see that he is the only way for us. We must confide all our worries and sins in Him and try to be more outgoing Christians to please Him.
Great comment Ritika!
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
I think i once read a kid book about the Israleites taveling from Egypt to Israel, and a little boy was wondering if God could still hear him even though he wasn’t where he normally was when he prayed. Even though it was a totally silly kid book because the kid probably ended up sinning against God and dying in the desert, it still had a great point. God always hears us. HE was faithful to the Israelites no matter what, and we need to make sure He is always our first love!
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
This is such an important verse to christians! Whenever we stumble away from God, we always have to immediatley come running back to Him. Im so thankful that because of Gods steadfast love, He is always there waiting for us to come back to Him. Gods love is so indescrible, no one could love you more. I pray that as summer continues people, including me would realize Gods never ending love and praise Him for this amazing attribute He has!!! MARANATHA! :)
Vs 4-8
There is no other God. No one else can claim to be the savior and claim the truth. Christ chose to give His life for us, and we definitely do not deserve His mercy. God has a right to be jealous. We all tell our friends that we love God and we do all we can for Him. I am no different. I need to live my life like I say I love God, not just say I do an then keep moving on without living like it.
samaria shall bear guilt because sha has rebelled against her god they shall fall by the sword their little ones shall be dashed in pieces and their pregnant woman shall be ripped open. hosea 13:16
this is a great example of god’s jealousy for our love that he deserves. it also says that people who don’t love god shall fall by the sword and their pregnant woman shall be ripped open.
Atta boi Spence! Keep it up on SOTD my young friend!!
Nice seeing you tonight at TN beach night Spencer
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
God is so amazingly merciful and forgiving. For God wanted the israelites to come to him they just were not willing and didnt want to.
God wants us and all of us not just 75%. We need to be able to give all of ourselves to him without holding back.
“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 upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9).
This is definitely one of my favorite verses in all the book of Hosea! What is wisdom, and which path should I choose? Isn’t that the question in every Christian’s mind? How do I know that the path I am on, is the path that the Lord desires me to be on? How will I know that I am walking on the Narrow road that leads to life, when the line of right and wrong is so blurred? Are their not those who think they are on the Narrow road, yet are really on the Wide road to destruction?
With a compelling call to forsake idolatry, repent, and turn back to the one true God, God ends with a maxim, letting everyone know that His ways are the only true ways (basically Jn. 14:6), and those who are upright, the truly regenerate, born-again Christians, will walk in those ways. This is hope! This is the assurance of salvation that is poured out in the book of 1 John. There is no need to be worried about salvation, for if I am walking as Jesus did, given I am a hopeless sinner, than I have hope of life.
This is why we must fight sin! Not because “matching up” with Jesus’ life saves us, but not “matching up” is evidence that we are not saved. The road is Narrow, idols are everywhere, and there is only one true way, the Narrow way, and that is Christ’s way. Amen!
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
God brought up His people out of nothing. During the time that they had nothing, they were completely dependent on Him and gave him 100% of their love and attention. When God gave them everything they needed, they became less dependent on Him and their love lessened as well. This is the way we live; we seek Him when we have nothing, but once He has given us the worldly things that we desire then we lose interest in Him and our love and affection towards Him lessens. Instead, we devote our time to other things that make God jealous. We should be devoting 100% of our time and love to Him.
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
MMmmmmmm this verse was AWESOME!!! such an amazing reminder that without God, i am nothing! he is my only savior! I need to learn from Israel’s example that without God, nothing is possible. if I dont trust in God, I will be completely helpess, but when I have the Savior of the world of my side, I can get through any trial in life:)
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.
Israel finally realizes the sin that she was in and turned to Christ and repented!! With the Beach Night talking about how I need to be non-waivering with who or what Im giving my love to!! I need to be loving the LORD and the LORD only with all of my heart and not share Him with other things!!
God doesnt want to be shared!! He would wrather you not love Him at all than love him even 95%!! I must stay on track with keeping my love for God #1 in my life and not waiver with other temptations that are creeping in to take God’s top position! My God loves me beyond I can imagine.. I need to be loving Him with all I can!!
God is jealous and does not want His love being shared with things that definately it should not be shared with!! Bobby’s analogy was great tonight about a couple who one person gives another person more attention than that spouse!! That person would be jealous!! Thats how God feels when I put other things in front of Him!! This makes me realize that I make God feel that way when I put Him after other things and that is not right!! I want to love God above everything else and not sway back and forth with other worldly things!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes! Awesome to see you on here again Mark!
14:2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.
God is gracious and forgiving and there is way for us to escape the consequences of our sin. That way is too ask for forgiveness of our sins. To repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ. Its called salvation. It sounds so simple, but Jesus Christ is the author of salvation. And that why I am praying for Revival X that God will save many for his glory and honor.
Missed you tonight brother!
God after all of this jealousy and anger finally comes to the point where he is able to forgive them, despite them being unfaithful to him, and quite frankly hating him.
That’s a comforting thought for someone like me. A sinner, just like the people of Ephraim, I know that just like them God gives me the same chance to come back to him. As if I had never failed in the first place.
4 But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
This passage is a total foreshadowing of Christ. The whole Bible points to Christ! Here, God is their savior in a way, but it is also telling us that there is no other savior besides God which shows #1 Christ’s deity and #2 the oddity of the crucifixion. We see that Christ must be God becasue Christ is our savior and there is no other savior besides Christ. You just can’t get around the fact in scripture that Jesus is our lord. This also points out the mystery of the gospel. Why did Jesus have to die? Why would he die? Jesus had to die to save us from our sins. he’d already been giving mercy to His people (namely the Israelites), but He needed to actually settle the debt that we owed. He took that debt upon himself and paid it in full. That is why we don’t re-crucify him when we do communion becasue that is just in remembrance. He didn’t have to die, but out of his great love he did. Jesus is my savior and he reigns forevermore.
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 upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
Whoever seeks the wisdom of God let him understand but to those who seek their own understanding will stumble in it.
Proverbs 3:5 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
Verse 9 coincides with tonight’s theme at beach night regarding idols. This verse talks about the biggest idol that we face, our self. We are born into idolizing our self from childbirth. Only thru the Grace of God are we are able to find victory over our self centered sinful nature. God enables us to have discernment and understanding of what is righteous so we can walk in concert with His will. The last line of this verse is a staunch warning to those who continue in their sin that they will lack understanding and stumble. Lord God grant me wisdom and understanding so I can walk in your upright ways. Lord thank you for an honest night of introspection into eliminating anything that might come before you.
Proverbs 10:29 29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.
I enjoyed reading this chapter. Some verses stood out to me. Like verse 6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
We should make sure that we are always going to God. Unlike the verse we should always be thinking of God. Sometimes when there are hard times that is when people go to God. We should always be going to him not matter if we are in good or bad times. Also this should remind us that we can be distracted by earthly materials and get led astray but we should always have our mind set on him.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
I was thinking about this the other day. We see this same thing happen with people today. When time are tough, they run to God hoping that he fix their problems, but when times are good, they forget all about God and just want to live it up. The other day I was cleaning my room thinking that I was off to a pretty awesome summer and the thought popped into my head that I need to be thanking God for that and praising Him for His goodness. Let’s not just seek God as some sort of magical creature who grants us our 3 wishes when times are tough, but let us realize that He is always good and always deserves our praise!
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
Isn’t this so true? When times are tough (“wilderness”, “drought”) it’s easy to rely on God. We’re keenly aware of our need for and dependence upon him. But then when things go well (“full”, “heart lifted up”) we so quickly forget our dependence on him. It’s a danger that we’ll face this summer. Life is good. Lots of free time. Good times. But God is the provider and sustainer of all good and perfect gifts! I’m purposing to let those facts become a consistent reminder of God’s love for me so that I’m compelled to love Him back! Rather than forgetting Him, I can become more thankful for His good gifts each day.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our innermost thoughts, and how we work…he created us. He knows what our desires are, and how to get our attention, and he is always providing. He gives us everything we need. He has given us an unbelievable amount, clothes, house, food, cars, phones, the beach, the sky, family, friends…the list is endless. I don’t want to forget all of the wonderful things that the Lord has given me, or take them for granted. I need to constantly out my life into perspective, and be living my life sold out for the Lord. He is a jealous God, and wants all of me, 100% and that is what i am going to give him. I want to be close to him, more than ever before this summer.
14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
I want this to be my prayer everyday, because i mess up a lot, and am so thankful that the Lord has saved me. I deserve death, and he has given me life. I am constantly sinning, and yet he never fails to forgive. It is mind blowing that the Lord would accept me into his family. There is no reason why i shouldn’t be living every second of every day for him. Lord thank you for salvation, and for being a jealous God.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
These two verses were so convicting! I can look back and see in my own life when I needed God’s help and prayed he would give it to me in times of need. It’s those hard times that we need God the most and are constantly relying on him. But why is it that when all things are going good, we all of a sudden don’t need him anymore? It’s so easy to forget that he is the giver of those blessings! Tonight my prayer is that no matter what the circumstances in life may be, that I always run to the Lord first and thank him for all his provision and protection, through the good times, and the hard times!