I read through Hosea recently and some portions stuck out to me that I wanted to share. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how much we put God on the shelf in our lives and only go to Him when we need something or when we can’t figure out an obstacle on our own. That’s not the case or the purpose of our lives. He is all we need and should be our first focus every day. We have to choose Him and choose to be obedient to Him. He already chose us.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people; they set their heart on their iniquity. And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds.” Hosea 4:6-9
Destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge. What’s the opposite of reject? Accept -> apply. A dear mentor of mine often says “Knowledge isn’t power, applied knowledge is power.” This portion of Hosea is a solemn warning against having knowledge and not applying it, forgetting the law of God, walking away from Christ, not following Him, sinning against Him. Do not set your heart on iniquity (sin), set your heart on Jesus.
“Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no savior besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot Me.” Hosea 13:4-6
I have found a new love of reading the Old Testament and reading significant portions of the Old Testament at a time. It is such a beautiful reminder of God’s unfailing, constant, redeeming love for us, His children. Over and over we see where Israel would be saved, God would intervene in magnificent ways then they would turn their back on Him. I don’t know about you but if that were me, I’m sure I’d finally have enough (maybe after the second time) and say, okay, I’m done, no more. But that’s not what God does. Over and over He pleads with Israel to turn back to Him. Eventually sending His only Son to die for us. What a kind, generous, just, loving God we serve.
“O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously. for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, You are our gods. For in You the fatherless finds mercy.’ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him.” Hosea 14:1-4
Again, read these words. Picture all the things of your past or present that do not bring glory to God. Ways you’ve stumbled, things you’ve put above the place of God in your life. Now reread this scripture. He is pleading with us to return to Him and He tells us exactly how and what to say. We must repent but also turn away from those things.
I think often there is a repentant heart or a time of repentance for us. We may even become teary and emotional. But often it doesn’t stick. It didn’t always stick for Israel, either. Our focus and our goal shouldn’t be that “well, I’m going to mess up again and God’s going to be there to forgive me.” Yes, He will. But we should live in obedience to His Word and to Him. Get in the Word, follow Him and choose to live for Him. Yes, I mess up, we all do. Jesus is the only perfect One. But we shouldn’t be striving to ask for forgiveness, we should be striving to be like Jesus.
“Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9
Will we be wise and prudent followers of Jesus? If so, we need to understand these things, walk righteously, walk in His ways. But how do we do that? Get in the Word. Choose to spend time with Jesus, as Him to reveal His plans and to help you understand. Ask the Lord to give you a love for His Word. I did and I just love getting in the Word, learning, growing, being challenged, and sharing.
Read through Hosea and see what the Lord speaks to you in this time. Pray first and ask the Lord to reveal truth to you.