During the declining reign of Jeroboam II of Israel, Hosea was called by God to prophesy to His people. Hosea was given instructions to marry a woman of whoredoms, and God told Hosea that the woman would be unfaithful. Hosea went on to marry Gomer. Children were born, then as God had said, Gomer left Hosea to pursue her sinful desires. However, at some point Hosea finds her, redeems her, and brings her back home in reconciliation.
Hosea depicts God’s persistent love to His people. The book of Hosea demonstrates how the people of Israel were once close to God, but then fall into sin. And although they sinned, God still loved them, but judgment would come unto them. They would be punished for their disobedience. Yet there was mercy. Repentance would bring restoration.
The first three chapters discuss Hosea’s wayward wife. Chapter one tells us of Hosea’s wife and children. In Chapter two, we learn of punishment and restoration. In chapter three, Hosea is reconciled with his wife. The remainder of the book of Hosea is about God’s wayward people. In chapter four, God charges Israel for its sins. Chapter five through part of Chapter 6, regards God’s judgment against Israel. The last part of Chapter six, God wants Israel’s love.
Israel is described as a crooked bow in Chapter seven. Israel is told that it will reap the whirlwind in Chapter eight. In Chapter nine, Israel wanders aimlessly without God. Chapter ten, Hosea predicts punishment to the people of Israel. Chapter eleven describes God’s fatherly love. God invites His people to return to Him in Chapter twelve. And then in Chapter thirteen, God expresses His anger with Israel. But we finally learn that repentance will bring restoration in Chapter fourteen.
Today we will focus on seeking the Lord and repentance.
In verses 12-13:
Hosea utilizes examples about fields and crops. He discusses a furrowed field and the ground that is prepared to get seeds. It is not, at this point, stony and hard. It has been deliberately arranged and accessible. Are our lives prepared for God to work in them? We can furrow the hard ground of our souls by recognizing our wrongdoings and holding nothing back from God's pardoning and direction.
• Proverbs 11:18, The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
The Israelites confided in the untruth that military force could guard them. Believers today are capable of succumbing to lies. The individuals who need to lead others off track frequently adhere to these guidelines for compelling lying: make it grand, keep it straightforward, and rehash it regularly. Believers can abstain from succumbing to lies by asking: Am I accepting this because I might gain something personally from it? Am I limiting significant facts? Does it go against an immediate order of Scripture? Are there any scriptural equals to the circumstance I am confronting that would enable me to realize what to accept?
• Psalm 33:16, There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
• Ecclesiastes 9:11, I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
In verses 14-15:
Hosea was telling the people of Israel that their fate would be like that of the city of Beth-arbel when it was attacked by Shalman. Israel put its trust in military might as opposed to in God, and therefore, it would be decimated by military force. The king of Israel, who had driven the people into worshiping idols, would be the first to fall. Divine judgment is at times quick; however, it is in every case sure.
• 2 Kings 17:6, In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
• 2 Kings 18:9-10, And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
In 14:1-3:
The people could come back to God by requesting that He remove their transgressions. The equivalent is valid for us: we can implore Hosea's supplication and realize our sins are pardoned on the grounds that Christ died for them on the cross (John 3:16). Absolution starts when we see the ruinous tendency of transgression and the uselessness of existence without God. At that point we should concede that we cannot save ourselves; our lone expectation is in God's benevolence. When we demand pardoning, we should realize that we do not merit it and along these lines cannot demand it. Our petition must be for God's adoration and benevolence, not for His judgment. Even though we cannot demand absolution, we can be sure we have gotten it, since God is generous and cherishing and wants to reestablish us to Himself, similarly as He needed to reestablish Israel.
• Micah 7:18-19, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
• Psalm 68:5, A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
• Micah 5:10-14, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
For whom is now the time to seek the Lord? Everyone needs to seek the Lord, those in government, parliament, government officials of both city, state, and nation. People of our communities, our businesses, our churches, and even ourselves; we all need to seek the Lord.
• Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
For what reason is it time to seek the Lord? Believers need to be urgent, in season and out of season. Sinners need to give heed to what they have heard. The time for planting is passing us by and the time for harvest is ready but there are not enough workers in the field. The time that we have for seeking the Lord will soon end.
• Hebrews 2:1, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
• 2 Corinthians 6:2, (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
• Psalm 39:7, And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Do not put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today, for tomorrow may never come.
