Thursday, January 26 2012
Hosea 1
Verse of the Day: V2 “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.”
1. God’s Way Is Not Our Way (V1-3)
V2 “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom: departing from the LORD.”
Will you marry a prostitute? This was exactly what God commanded prophet Hosea to do. It must have puzzled Hosea as how could God command His holy and godly man to marry an unholy and ungodly woman. However, this was exactly what God commanded Hosea, and Hosea obeyed God and never questioned God even though he could not fully understand God’s way.
V3 “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”
2. God’s Mercy Is Not Our Mercy (V4-7)
V6 “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.”
God declared that He would have mercy on the people of Judah but not the people of Israel. Though Hosea could not fully understand why God’s mercy was to some, and not to others, he continued to obey God, and named his daughter, Lo-ruhamah or No Mercy.
V7 “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.”
3. God’s People Is Not Our People (V8-11)
V9 “Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”
Many people think that they are God’s people, but one day when they meet God, they shall be very disappointed as they are never God’s people. They profess to be Christians but they never possess the Holy Spirit, and are never obedient to God’s commandments.
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23).
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to obey You even though I cannot fully understand.
