A one sided love is painful to watch. In today’s study we would be looking at Hosea 11, exploring Israel’s indifference to God’s show of love and patience.
In this study, the tools we would use for this study are
- Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
- What does it mean?
- How does it apply to me today?
So let’s dig in and turn the bible to Hosea 11
Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
God’s love for Israel was from its infancy. God delivered Isreal from slavery in Egypt and called Isreal His son.
From the passage, however, the more the love God showered on Israel, the more Israel went away from God worshiping idols.
God trained and empowered Israel . God healed Israel. God continued to care for Israel as one of a beloved little child.But will Israel not return to God? Will their decision keep them under the control of Egypt and Assyria?
From the passage we see the false prophets are punished?
Though Israel calls God the most High but it’s only skin deep because of their actions.
God’s love for Israel is so great that despite their actions, God will not give up on Israel. He will have great compassion on them.
For I am God, and not a man says the Lord.
Through God’s compassion, Israel will follow the Lord.
As Israel gets released from the control of Egypt and Assyria, God will settle them in their homes..
Yet Israel is surrounded with lie and deceit and Judah is unruly against God
What does (this passage ) mean?
From the passage, however, the more the love God showered on Israel, the more Israel went away from God worshiping idols. Israel knowing their history and the covenant that God made to Abraham took for granted the love and attention God was giving to them. We saw in an earlier chapter that had God blessed Israel she did not acknowledge the blessings were from God but rather from an idol. Israel did not return or acknowledge the love God was showing her.
God trained and empowered Israel but Israel was unaware that her capabilities were due to God’s training. She looks to herself and idols but does not acknowledge God.
The false prophets were punished for leading the people astray and not warming or admonishing them according to God’s laws.
Though Israel calls God the most High it was superficial as their actions and choices showed their hearts were far away from God.
but it’s only skin deep because of their actions.
Their mouths are those they call but their hearts are not with God.
God’s love for Israel is so great that despite their actions, God will not give up on Israel. He will have great compassion on them. God always seems to leave a remnant .
How does it apply to me today?
God trained and empowered Israel but Israel was unaware that her capabilities were due to God’s training. She looked to herself and idols. It’s like when they were slaves, untrained and unempowered none but God delivered, trained and empowered Israel. Now Israel is like all grown up and trained and blessed and refuses to acknowledge the One who got her there.
To whom do we owe gratitude for who we are today? This is a deep question to break down. What makes you who you are? Is it your family of birth, your chosen family, your talent, your acquisitions. The list goes on and on but to whom for all these do you owe gratitude? While along life’ journey, God places people in our paths from parents, siblings, family, friends, employees, employers, business mentors etc. we are to appreciate them but the one who we owe gratitude is God. for He is the one who orchestes our life.
False prophets are punished for their deception. While they know they are falsely representing God, and leading people astray they do it for selfish reasons. For one to be able to decipher an information if it is true or false, one must know one scriptures, pray to God discernment and thirdly test all spirits.
The bible admonishes us in 2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is an effort and discipline we have to put into the study of the scriptures for ourselves.It is a personal responsibility every Christian has. Listening to sermons and preaching cannot replace one’s personal study of the scriptures. Studying the scriptures presents our mind, and spirit to God’s word to inform and change our mindset. When we discover a principle or truth from the scriptures it gives one clarity and safeguards when one encounters a false teaching.
The bible says to ask God for discernment. Psalms 119:66 reads;
Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. We can pray to God to teach and give us discernment.
The Bible enjoins us to test all spirits. In 1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Since false teachings aim is to deceive, and deception itself is sustile. A believer must be on guard to test all spirits, all messages that they listen to or read by the word of God to ensure validity before accepting it. Deception was what made Eve eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis. So as believers, we need to be on our guard.
The other lesson from Hosea11 is in regards to superficial worship. From the passage, Though Israel calls God the most High but it’s only skin deep because of their actions. Their actions were not in sync with what they professed with their mouths. Like our Lord Jesus said, in John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commands.
And in John 14:21
Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
As believers we claim to love Jesus and also claim He is our Lord, but do we obey Him? By our actions alone without words can it be said of us that we are truly believers. Followers of Christ Jesus?