Well these are the last days….of December 2011. If you've been keeping up, you might be exhausted. If you haven't been keeping up, hopefully you're thinking that January 1, 2012 looks good for a new beginning. I know there are Christmas parties and church things and it's so busy that God will just have to understand and be happy to hear tired prayers while you're multi-tasking. But if you do have time to catch your breath somewhere in the day, I'd encourage you to begin reading. Tomorrow we begin Revelation. Revelation is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing for reading it and heeding it. And besides, if you have a couple of quiet times between now and the end of the year, you won't feel like such a spiritual schlep when you regather your nerve endings January 5th when the kids head back to school and you begin another year in the Word.
Also, just as a public service announcement for those who have too much time. Back last December 13 on this blog I put up a short story I wrote, a few chapters a day. It's done by Christmas. You might find the story interesting. http://fencerail.blogspot.com/2010/12/sharing-story-and-reason-why.html
Hosea 10-14
Our last day in Hosea. As you're reading though all of this, keep making observations and look for associations either in the text or between things said here and other parts of the Bible. Keep yourself awake and observant.
Hosea 10
Notice that it seems this is all exclusively aimed at the northern kingdom.
V. 2 The breaking down of altars was done by King Josiah. You remember who he was, right?
V. 5 This altar at Bethel was one of two that Jeroboam set up, so the people wouldn't go to Jerusalem to worship. After all, he thought, didn't Israel worship a calf in the wilderness? And if it was in the Bible, then it must have been biblical, right? This is what determined the dark path of the northern kingdom. To be fair though, it was Solomon, the wisest guy in the world, who introduced idolatry into Israel's blood stream.
The joke here is that the Assyrians threw their "god" on a wagon and carted it away.
V. 8 Interestingly, the people of earth will say this during the tribulation in Rev. 6:16.
V. 9 Again, the events at the end of Judges were big things. The story of Gibeah was a poison that never left the veins of Israel. There was also another story at the end of Judges. As a result of that story, guess which tribe of Israel is not represented in 144,000 in Rev. 7:4-12. Those little stories had huge results because they showed a poison that infected a people.
V. 12 This is rare in Hosea to find God calling out to the people in the middle of His pronouncement of their sins and their judgment. It must have been because of the imagery of sowing and reaping and seeking the Lord (instead of Baal the fertility god) for their needs.
V. 15 Bethel means "house of God." During the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this place had good connotations. Can you remember a showdown at Bethel where God pronounced judgment? This is the final fulfillment of what God said.
Hosea 11
This chapter laments the northern kingdom's seeking for help from Egypt.
V. 1 Guess where this verse is quoted. Look at Matthew 2:15. In the history of Israel this was a great moment, and too, in the history of salvation.
Verses 3-4 are contrasted to verse five.
V. 7 As God has said before, their calling out to God was for themselves and their appetites. It was not from true repentance or a sincere desire to draw near to God.
This ends this long portion of God declaring the people's sin and His judgment on them.
Vs. 8-12 Now comes the promise of hope and salvation.
V. 8 The cities mentioned here are obscure, but flip the page and look at Jude 7. These were the surrounding cities. Kind of cool, huh?
God's compassion is tender. This is either the image of man to his child, or because this is Hosea, the image of a man to his unfaithful wife whom he still loves.
V. 9 To get an idea of what God is alluding to here and His resources as God, look at Isaiah 55:8-9.
Vs. 10-11 He has used both of these animals before in a negative sense. Now God is saying when they hear His roar they will be glad and seek Him for shelter and protection. This time the dove will have sense and seek Him.
V. 12 As we've seen in Ezekiel, those in the southern kingdom were also idolatrous, but God rescued the majority of those people from exile. I think their faithfulness was seen in that they still had men like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel & Co. and others who sincerely worshiped God. The northern kingdom was devoid of godly leaders.
Hosea 12
V. 1 This seems to stand alone as a rebuke to Ephraim (the northern kingdom).
Vs. 2-6 There will be punishment for Judah and thereby God will, in symbol, punish all of Jacob. Jacob was a liar and a thief, but there was faith found in him. God will nurture that ember of faith in Judah, representing Jacob, and they will return to God. These people are the ones God brought out of exile and they are the seed of those who will be present when Jesus establishes His kingdom.
Vs. 7-9 For Ephraim's dishonesty and injustice, God will lead him again into the wilderness.
Vs. 10-14 Because of Ephraim's provocation God will humble them as he humbled Jacob by making him work for someone craftier than he. God will guide them by His prophets.
Hosea 13
Vs. 1-3 Ephraim was an exalted and respected tribe which carried the birthright given by Jacob. But Ephraim was a fool and led the nation into foolishness.
Vs. 4-14 Actually, it was God who exalted Ephraim. So, since God gave and was not thanked, but rejected, God will now humble and lower them. Notice that in verse four God ransomed them out of Egypt. Then in verse fourteen He says He will not ransom them now.
V. 14 Notice that this is a famous verse quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:55. In Hosea, death will consume Ephraim, but in 1 Cor. 15:55, death no longer has any power.
Vs. 15-16 Back to the thought of Ephraim being exalted among his brothers. That is ended now, once for all.
Hosea 14
This is the final message of hope and salvation
Vs. 1-3 God not only encourages them to return in repentance, but He tells them what to say.
Vs. 4-7 God promises them restoration.
Vs. 8-9 This is an interesting challenge from the Lord. It sounds like the appeals of wisdom in Proverbs, but more like the challenges in the book of Revelations to take heed to the message of the book. Look at Rev. 22:10-21, and compare Hosea 14:9 with Rev. 22:11.
Jude
So, meet another of Jesus' brothers. Jude wrote with apostolic authority, so he must have been a respected leader in some circles. Like James, this letter is filled with images and references to the OT history.
Vs. 1-3 Although he had planned to write a letter encouraging these people about their salvation and growth, he found it necessary to warn them to put up a strong fight against false teachers.
V. 4 There was a line of teaching, seen even in 1 Corinthians 5 and 6, that since God is interested in saving our spirit, and since the body was fully kaput, one should feed the spirit and whatever the body does doesn't count. This led people to embrace the kind of spirituality we've been reading about in Hosea where you give lip service to God on Sunday and then let your body and its desires lead your life the rest of the week.
When we live in a way that is dishonoring to Jesus, we deny Him by our lifestyle and choices. Since the faith has been delivered to us, it is vital that we guard and protect it, especially from hypocrisy.
V. 5 Here is one example of apostasy, the children of Israel being led out of Egypt. Paul refers to this in practically the same way in 1 Cor. 10:1-5, including the reference to Jesus.
V. 6 Although these angels had great privilege and power, when they overstepped God's command and will, they were put in prison. This, I believe, is a reference to what happened in Genesis 6:1-5.
V. 7 The area around Sodom and Gomorrah was like the garden of God, and apparently Lot was a witness to them, but they didn't heed the word and were destroyed.
Vs. 8-13 These teachers are compared to those who had great privilege and went astray, and Jude described them in very graphic terms.
Vs. 8-10 These people were arrogantly involved in defying the spiritual forces, ranting against demons. I've heard of people doing this in such a proud way that it makes you wonder why Satan doesn't just whack them since they are so proud and unbalanced in their attitudes. Actually, Satan probably likes it. This gives these teachers a following among the unsteady, but the true spiritual attitude is the one Michael showed.
V. 11 Notice the apostates and false teachers shown here. Cain was the firstborn son of Adam. Balaam was a prophet of God. Korah was a Levite. All of these people had a position of respect before God which they misused to their own destruction and the destruction of others.
Vs. 12-13 They bring nothing to the church. They are empty and deceitful.
Vs. 14-15 Both in the oral tradition of the Jews and then written in the non-biblical book of Enoch (110 B.C.) it was said that before Enoch was taken (about 65 years before the birth of Noah) he pronounced judgment on his generation. This would have been that generation mentioned in Genesis 6.
V. 16 Jude's final description of these people. They are not just teachers, they are complainers. Look again at 1 Cor. 10, and Paul mentions some of these same things.
Vs. 17-19 These warnings appear in John, in Peter and in Paul's letters. John, Peter and Paul said they would come. Jude says they have arrived.
Vs. 20-21 Just as Paul challenged Timothy so often, the people were first to make sure they were close to the Lord and following His Word.
Vs. 22-23 Then they were to minister to the weak and doubting and to those lost in error; some of whom were unbelievers. In doing so, they were to keep themselves clean.
Vs. 24-25 Focusing on our Lord is what keeps us from stumbling and makes us able to bring glory to God.
Psalm 127
As the worshipers approached Jerusalem, this song reminded them of the foolishness of toil and anxiety when only God can bless us. Then it brought them to focus on the true blessing God gives; our children, both physical and spiritual.
Vs. 1-2 These verses talk about our striving where only God can give us success.
Vs. 3-5 These verses tell us where our real passion and labor of love should be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qULtV42ft7s
This is a good song dealing with the part of Psalm 127 that Keith Green doesn’t cover.
Proverbs 29:15-17
How funny that these proverbs appear with this psalm.
It seems interesting that verse sixteen, about the increase of wickedness, is sandwiched between two verses of parents loving and investing in their children. And yes, the rod and reproof and discipline are love. It works for the Father, and we would be remiss to dismiss discipline, reproof and the rod. Hebrews 12:6-8
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment