Verse of the Day: V19 “O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.”
1. Children (V1-4)
V3 “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
God through Prophet Joel commanded the people of Israel to teach their children of the great judgment of God, as God sent the mighty locusts to destroy completely the land of Israel when they rebelled against Him. This lesson shall the children of Israel teach their children, and their children would in turn teach another generation. Indeed, this is how the legacy of the Word of God has been taught and preached even in this day and age.
V4 “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.”
2. Crisis (V5-13)
V5 “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.”
The crisis of the nation of Israel during the time of Prophet Joel was the sin of drunkenness. The people of Israel including the leaders and the priests had become drinkers of wine day and night, that they had neglected their work in the farms and fields, their families and children, and in particular, the joy of serving and worshipping the Lord.
V12 “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.”
3. Cry (V14-20)
V14 “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,”
Prophet Joel commanded the people of Israel to fast and cry to the Lord for His mercy and repent their sin of drunkenness as this was the only way for God to spare their land and their lives from complete destruction, and to restore the joy of the Lord in their lives.
V19 “O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to cry to You for mercy that I may have joy in You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 04:02 pm
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Verse of the Day:V4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
1. Return (V1-3)
V1 “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.”
The Lord through Prophet Hosea lovingly pleaded with His people, the people of Israel, to return to Him from their backsliding. The people of Israel were once a holy nation called of God to be the light in this dark and evil world. However, the people of Israel time and again sinned against God, and the loving God through Prophet Ezekiel pleaded to the people to return to Him.
V2 “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take way all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
2. Recover (V4-7)
V4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
When the people of Israel returned to God and worshipped Him, the great God, the great Physician, shall heal them of their backsliding, and they shall recover from their spiritual sickness. Indeed, it was never God’s intention to inflict sicknesses and sufferings upon man. God’s ultimate desire was to love the people of Israel freely so that they shall be like the olive tree, spiritually strong and prosperous, and like the cedar trees in Lebanon, spiritually fragrance and sweet smelling in this dark and evil world.
V6 “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.”
3. Repent (V8-9)
V8 “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.”
A remnant of the people of Israel repented of their sins, and refused to have anything to do with idols, but to love and serve the one and only true God. As a result, they had the fruit of God, the fruit of loving others including their enemies freely, as they sought wisely and prudently to walk in the ways of the Lord who loved them freely.
V9 “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to love others freely as You have loved me freely.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 09:35 am
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Verse of the Day: V4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
1. He Is Our Saviour (V1-4)
V1 “When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.”
The Almighty God exalted Ephraim when he trembled and feared God, and taught the people of Israel to trust and obey Him. However when Ephraim started to stray from God and worshipped Baal, the Devil, God struck him dead because he had offended Him. Indeed, let us fear God as He is the only God who can truly save our souls from the fiery pits of hell to the pearly portals of heaven, and there is no other Saviour beside Him.
V4 “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
2. He Is Our Help (V5-13)
V6 “According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.”
Even though time and again the people of Israel sinned against the Lord yet God not only helped them out of their troubles, but He blessed them abundantly. However, as soon as they were filled with abundance, they forgot the Lord, and returned to sin against Him, and subsequently they destroyed themselves as they failed to call upon the Lord for help.
V9 “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.”
3. He Is Our Redeemer (V14-16)
V14 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”
The Almighty God through Prophet Hosea warned the people of Israel that He would completely destroy them if they continued to sin and rebel against Him. However, if they would repent of their sins and rebellion, He would be their Redeemer. Indeed, when we believe in the true and living God, He shall be our Redeemer, and we shall not perish but have everlasting life with Him in heaven. However, when we reject God, He shall condemn us to the fiery pits of hell because of our sins and rebellion. The choice is yours!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You for being my Saviour, my Help and my Redeemer.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:19 am
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Verse of the Day: V6 “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.”
1. Israel Failed To Wait Upon The Lord (V1-2)
V1 “Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.”
Both Ephraim (also known as Israel or Jacob) and Judah failed to wait continually upon the Lord to deliver them out of the attacks of Assyria, Egypt and all their enemies, but instead they compromised with them. Hence the Almighty God pronounced severe judgment and punishment upon them as their efforts of compromising with their enemies were like chasing after the east wind which would come to nothing and were all in vain.
V2 “The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.”
2. Israel Failed To Wait In The Womb (V3-6)
V3 “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:”
Even when Israel was in the womb he was already fighting with his brother to be the first one out of their mother’s womb. Jacob was so competitive that he even fought with God thinking that he had the power to overcome God. In the end God injured and humbled him and made him realised that he could never win God but to wait continually upon Him.
V6 “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.”
3. Israel Failed To Wait And Give Thanks (V7-14)
V13 “And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.”
Time and again the people of Israel failed to wait continually upon God’s leadership and direction and to give thanks to Him for all that He had done for them. When the Almighty God sent His prophet to deliver them out of their bondage under the mighty Egyptians, they were unthankful and ungrateful to Him, and instead rebelled against Him. Hence God severely judged and punished them for their ingratitude and rebellion against Him.
V14 “Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to wait continually upon You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:12 pm
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