Monday, February 27 2012
Hosea 7
Verse of the Day: V7 “They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.”
1. God Heals (V1-6)
V1 “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.”
God would have healed the people of Israel if they had confessed and repented their sins and wickedness. However they chose to hide their sins and wickedness thinking that God could not see what they were doing. They failed to realise that God saw everything and knew everything, and there was nothing that God could not see or know.
V2 “And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.”
2. God Hates (V7-9)
V7 “They are hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.”
God hated the sins of rebellion and wickedness of the people of Israel. Instead of calling upon the Lord to confess and repent of their sins and wickedness, the people openly challenge and rebel against their judges and kings, and even sought to destroy and kill them. The people of Israel and Ephraim, God’s chosen people, who were supposed to be holy and godly people, were no different from the wicked and ungodly people of the world. They had mixed themselves with the world and had grievously sinned against God.
V8 “Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.”
3. God Humbles (V10-16)
V10 “And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.”
God had to humble the pride of Israel by allowing their enemies to attack and defeat them so that they realised that without God they could do nothing. Indeed, let us call upon the Lord and He shall answer us and show us great and mighty things which we know not.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to call upon You in good time, bad time and all the time.
