Hosea 11
COMMENTARY:
: 1 When Israel was a child, then I LOVED him, and called MY SON out of Egypt. (7121 “called” [qara’] means to shout, appoint, summon, proclaim, announce, invite, or utter a loud sound.)
DEVOTION: Matthew in his Gospel [2:15] quotes this verse in reference to Jesus. An angel told Joseph to go to Egypt to save Jesus from being killed by Herod’s men. Herod had sent his army to kill all the babies from two years old and younger. He didn’t want any other king born in his kingdom. The LORD knew the plan and sent Jesus away. Then HE called HIM back to Nazareth.
One of the words used in this chapter is “love.” It is used two times in relation to Israel who was going to be judged because they wouldn’t repent and stop living in sin. There is a difference between living in sin and sinning. We all sin daily. We are supposed to confess our sin and ask the LORD to restore us to a state of fellowship with HIM. Those who are living in sin are those who practice sin on a daily basis and never ask for forgiveness. They are individuals who are genuine believers who need to be chastened of the LORD because they are not listening. Or they are individuals who have never made a genuine commitment to the LORD and there is no chastening happening in their life, so they think God doesn’t care. The real truth is that they are not in HIS family. HE doesn’t chasten those who are on their way to the lake of fire. They are the ones who will stand before HIM and say “didn’t we do these things in your name” and HE will say “I never knew you.”
CHALLENGE: If we sin and continue in it without the LORD getting our attention we should go back and examine to see if we really care to please HIM.
: 7 MY people are bent on backsliding from ME. though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt HIM. (7311 “exalt” [ruwm] means to be high above, to praise, glorify, honor, show oneself powerful, or lift high.)
DEVOTION: God’s people indulge themselves with going away from the LORD. They like the other side of the tracks. They like sin. It is the natural flow of their lives. This is very displeasing to the LORD.
The LORD has sent HIS prophets to warn them that there are consequences to their actions but they don’t care. They only seem to care when they need something from the LORD.
Most of us have gotten into trouble and call on the LORD to get us out of the trouble with a promise that we will serve HIM better from that point on.
However most of the time we forget our promise to the LORD and go back to our old lifestyle. It is better not to promise than to promise and not keep it. The LORD continued to be longsuffering with Israel and HE is longsuffering with us.
In the long run HE wants us to come to the point where our life starts to exalt HIM. We are here to bring glory to HIS name. We can only do it through the strength that HE can provide.
CHALLENGE: Exalting HIM requires work on our part. HE provides the strength to do the work. Praise HIM!!
: 9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. (6918 “Holy One” [qadowsh] means saint, holy, set apart, sacred, divine name, pure, clean, or title of God.)
DEVOTION: This title is used forty-four times in the Old Testament. There has always been a distinction between God and man. God acts in a manner that represents HIS attributes. The attribute mentioned in this chapter is LOVE. HE loves HIS people Israel in spite of their reaction to HIM. HE has to chasten them but HE is doing it out of love.
Human beings are not always as loving as they discipline those who have done them wrong. Human beings have a tendency to get even with those who mistreat them. Human beings tend to be unforgiving even after they have rendered their punishment. Human being tend to not forgive and forget.
God on the other hand is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Does that mean that all will repent? NO!! The majority reject the offer of salvation the LORD gives. HIS people in the Old Testament were continually rejecting HIS offers. They wanted to do their own thing without answering to the LORD which was impossible. They were always going to answer to the LORD either here or in eternity. So are we.
One promise we have in this verse is that the LORD is in the midst of HIS people. HE promises to never leave us. This means even when HE is chastening us HE is right there by our side to help us through that time period. HE loves HIS people even when HE is mad at them for what they are doing. Humans can’t seem to do that.
CHALLENGE: We need to be able to love those who are making us angry. We can lovingly discipline them. Remember our ministry with others to one of reconciliation.
: 12 Ephraim compass me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the saints. (539 “faithful”[’aman] means to support, confirm, uphold, nourish, or pillars.)
DEVOTION: There is a contrast here between what is happening in Israel and Judah. The ten tribes are not following the LORD. They are given to backsliding. They are given to false worship. They are taking counsel of themselves and not of God. They are lying and full of deceit regarding their relationship to the LORD. They had a low opinion of God. Their view of God was that HE was too small.
The LORD asks some questions regarding the northern kingdom. How can HE give them up? How can HE deliver them as they continue in sin? HE doesn’t want to make them like the cities HE destroyed in Abraham’s time while Lot escaped. Remember the LORD destroyed four of the five cities of the plain where Sodom and Gomorrah were located. HE loved the nation but they had turned their back on HIM. HE had to chasten them but HE was not going to destroy them like other nations HE has dealt with. HE promised a return in the future.
Judah or the southern nations were different at this time. They were ruling by obeying the rules of the LORD. Judah was nourishing to the saints. The leaders were feeding the people with the word of God. They were still sinners but they were trying to worship the LORD.
Today we need leaders that are feeding the LORD’S people the Word of God. Too often the leaders are scattering the people of God. Too often they are only feeding milk to Christians who have followed the LORD for years. There needs to be meat served at our church services. The people of God need the whole counsel of God not their own counsel like the Israelites. What do the people attending our churches know regarding the Word of God? Are we able to defend our faith to those around us? We are the witnesses the LORD has left on this earth to reach our world for Christ. Are we reaching out? Are we supporting those who are serving the LORD? Who has our backs as we serve the LORD?
This one attitude of God is very reassuring to those of us who need to know someone really loves us enough to be there to support us at all times. A saint is a sinner saved by grace alone through Christ alone.
CHALLENGE: We need someone always at our side to encourage us in these dark days. Will you be an encourager????
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