If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
DECEMBER 7
Hosea 6-9
So,
if you understand God's pattern in Hosea, He gives a pronouncement of judgment
followed by a declaration of salvation and hope for the millennial future of
Israel. Since we're reading a one-year Bible this pattern is broken. For
example, today we will begin with the salvation and hope declaration from
yesterday's judgment.
Just
for your information, the third cycle of judgment/salvation is: 4:1-5:14
(judgment) and 5:15-6:3 (salvation). Today we'll begin a fourth cycle of
judgment (6:4-11:7) and salvation and hope (11:8-11). Tomorrow we'll finish
Hosea and it will end with hope.
You
might not get all of the imagery or nuances from Hosea or the other minor
prophets, but at least when you get to heaven and you bump into these guys, you
can say you read their books. And for here and now, the Spirit will give you
what you need, this year and in the years to come.
One
thing to think about as you read this is that what we have written here were
probably different sermons or messages that Hosea gave to the people. Can you
imagine what it would have been like to hear this stuff? At first some people
might have made fun of him because his wife was a whore, but once they
understood that she stood as an image for the people, I'll bet the snickering
ended. After all the years of God working with Israel, heroically trying to win
the people back, God is expressing through Hosea what it has felt like trying
to lead these people, and mankind in general.
Yet,
in the end there is salvation; therefore, it is very intriguing that Hosea is
quoted in a couple of interesting places in the New Testament having to do with
God's plan of redemption.
Hosea
6
Vs.
1-3 This is the hope from the previous declaration of judgment we read
yesterday.
V.
1 Notice how God had just talked about tearing Ephraim and Judah like a lion,
but now God will bind up what He has torn.
V.
2 This is an interesting reference to being raised on the third day. I'll bet that is exactly what it means.
V.
3 This is a spectacular verse that will be on the lips and in the hearts of
that generation in the Tribulation that turns to the Lord. You might wonder how
this supernatural change will come upon Israel. Compare Isaiah 55:10-11 with
this verse.
Vs.
4-11 Judgment for Ephraim (the northern kingdom) and for Judah (the southern
kingdom).
V.
6 Notice what God really wanted. This is the same as the first commandment, to
love God. Also, this is quoted by Jesus to the Pharisees of another adulterous
generation at Matthew's party in Matthew 9:13, Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
V.
11 This could be pointing to the fact that Judah came out of their exile, or it
could be referring to the place of eminence this tribe will have when the
Kingdom is established.
Hosea
7
This
seems to be exclusively written to the northern kingdom. Notice that God
mentions their lack of crying out to or seeking the Lord. This is a sign of the
depth of their blindness, especially when you consider that the ministries of
Elijah and Elisha were exclusively to the northern kingdom. Along with this
lack of crying out was their hopeless religious confusion. They thought that
crying out involved burning incense on hills and "bowing down" to
Baal.
Vs.
1-7 They were totally corrupted, like bread that was totally leavened.
V.
7 Not one king of the north was a godly man. Notice that none of them called
upon God.
Vs.
8-10 Notice that you can see a pattern, in that this block begins with a
declaration about Ephraim and ends with their lack of returning or seeking or
knowing God. So, what does God focus on here?
Vs.
11-13 What is God's focus here? What do you think God meant that they spoke
lies against Him?
Vs.
14-16 This seems to summarize this lack of seeking God. Notice v. 14. They cry
out to God, but what they really desire is a return of wine and grain. They are
not crying out for Him or to Him alone. I think that's a lot like us. If
someone asked us what could happen that would really make us happy and feel
good, it would look like a million dollars, recognition, computers, cars, media
stuff, a house, etc. Could any of us be happy in a hut with the presence of
God, but no food that we knew of for the next day - no job, no insurance, just
the presence of God? Especially in the West, our spirituality is thinner than
we think. We would be crying out like these people and our desire wouldn't be
for God per se; it would be for the "stuff" of God.
Hosea
8
The
emphasis of this part of God's judgment seems to be how the people outwardly
claimed to know God, but never followed His Word.
Vs.
1-3 This is interesting because it is saying that the sign of judgment is in
the sky above them. Crying out with idolatrous and adulterous hearts seems to
be the focus. The more I read what Jesus said, the more I find Him telling
people not just to hear what He said, but to do it.
Vs.
4-6 They chose their own kings and gods according to their desires. How could
they say they knew God?
Vs.
7-10 The first part of this verse is famous. They would not only reap what they
sowed, but God would punish them by intensifying what they wanted. If they
wanted to go away from God, He would show them the result. Without His care and
protection, there would be no food. Not only that, the countries to which they
ran for help would use and disappoint them.
Vs.
11-14 What a funny contrast, even though they were sacrificing, they didn't
understand God or His Word.
V.
14 This is what the people sought instead of God to make them feel secure. God
would remove everything, until eventually, He was all that remained for them.
Hosea
9
At
the root of their rebellion was the satisfying of their needs. Again, it is
interesting how much teaching Jesus gave to His disciples on not being anxious
about life, seeking Him first and being rich toward God.
Notice
how often the mention of wine, food and offerings is mixed together. They were
religious, but if God is only a tool for us to get fed and have comfort and
satisfy our desires, our desires are really our god. And God isn't fooled by
our religiousness.
Vs.
1-3 This is what drove their religion and their actions, a prostitute's wages,
food and clothing. Notice that Ephraim returned to Egypt looking for help, but
was dragged away to Assyria. Even those who ran to Egypt for help were
eventually confronted and killed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
V.
4 God is not mocked. He wouldn't accept their worship.
Vs.
5-6 In fleeing the Assyrians, the Egyptians would take them and abuse them.
Vs.
7-8 In the day of their need, their lying prophets were no help to them.
Vs.
9-10 The seeds of their corruption were seen back in their history. Gibeah was
the town in Benjamin, at the end of Judges, filled with homosexual men who
killed the traveler's wife. This launched a civil war.
Baal-peor
came while the people were still being led by Moses in the wilderness, when the
presence of God was visible in the cloud and the manna was being given every
morning. Sin is a spiritual disease in us that defies every rational thought.
Vs.
11-17 Notice that this is all directed to Ephraim, the northern kingdom, and
the result will be exile. As far as we know, these people were lost to Israel
forever. There were some of the people, the remnant, whom God might have kept
track of, but it seems from Chronicles, that the only Israelites who survived
from all of the tribes were those who heeded warnings like this and moved south
into the land of Judah. Those people went into exile with the southern kingdom
into Babylon and were restored to Israel.
When
you read what God says about Israel, you realize that they are representing all
men. We are all fallen and we are all this sinful. Sin is awful and utterly
awesome in us. Sin will dominate us if we desire anything other than God, and
the only way we can desire God is through Jesus. In Jesus we are forgiven, and
the Holy Spirit gives us a newly created life, residing in us so we can follow
Christ. Israel tried to fulfill their desires and passions and sort of give lip
service to God. Sin is too powerful for that kind of life and deception. This
is the same for us even as Christians. If we desire anything more than Jesus,
it takes over. When Jesus told His disciples to take heed and beware of all
coveting of anything, He wasn't being religious, but vitally real. He was
trying to protect them and us. The reformers said "Sola Scriptura"
(only the Scriptures). As disciples our cry has to be, "only Jesus."
Our focus on Him and following Him in His Word and in the harvest is the only
way we can really live to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all
our soul, with all our strength and with all our mind. Paul told Timothy this
in 1 Timothy 6:12, Fight the good fight
of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about
which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. If we
don't take hold of it, something else takes hold of us.
3 John
V.
1 From v. 5, it appears that Gaius was a respected man in the church and had
some influence in terms of leadership and making disciples.
Vs.
2-4 Probably as a result of Gaius, there are people walking in the truth. This
guy is someone John knows and trusts.
Vs.
5-8 As in all the churches, there were traveling preachers and workers who were
passing through and going on to other lands. The gospel was new and there was a
world to reach. Gaius was one of those people who supported this work, in spite
of false teachers.
Vs.
9-10 Here is the reason this is being sent to Gaius and not the entire church. Diotrephes
was stopping the church from supporting outsiders. Under Diotrephes,
the church was becoming an isolated fortress. It appears that Diotrephes
was overly conservative and held a very self-centered, authoritarian view of
leadership. In the early church, there was a spectrum of error, but most of the
deep problems faced by Paul came from the very conservative, exclusive,
law-driven side of the church. It seems that Diotrephes was so law and
authority-oriented, that he didn't even recognize the authority of the apostle
John.
Vs.
11-12 This is the other reason John is writing Gaius personally, so that he
would welcome and help Demetrius. In fact, some think it was Demetrius who
carried this letter.
Vs.
13-15 Again, this letter was intentionally short because of the need for
Demetrius to be helped, and because John was hoping to come personally and tend
to the situation.
We
are used to seeing Paul having to defend himself and his apostleship, but even
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was not counted as worthy by a guy like Diotrephes.
Sometimes the church is just more fun than you can stand. Thankfully we know
the Lord of the church.
Psalm 126
This
song, sung by the worshippers coming to Jerusalem, could have been written
during many periods of Israel's troubled history. Since the psalm is talking
about the fortunes of Zion being restored and the city being a testimony among
the nations, it could be that this song was sung by those who returned from the
Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel.
Vs.
1-3 I can't imagine what it was like for these people who returned, or even for
a man like Daniel, to know that the Lord had allowed the people to return to
Jerusalem. It was a miracle.
Vs.
4-6 These verses sound like what Jesus said to His disciples in John 4:36, Already the one who reaps is receiving wages
and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
Today we work in the harvest following Him, denying ourselves, taking up our
cross, choosing to hunger now, being poor now and mourning now for this lost
world. Someday we will fully understand the work that He did through us, by
making disciples and bringing in the sheaves, and we will rejoice.
Proverbs 29:12-14
I guess if I had to put all
three verses together, I would camp on v. 13. The poor man and the oppressor
owe God faithfulness, since He gives both of them their life and understanding.
In God, they are both equal and so, I guess, the oppressor ought to be humbled.
To deny our debt of gratitude
would be v. 12, with the result that light leaves the land and it is ruled by
darkness, like in Ephraim, the northern kingdom.
To respond in faithfulness to
God is v. 14, with the result, as God showed to David, that God will further
bless that faithfulness. Our real faith and trust in God is seen honoring God
in the small things. The Lord notices (Luke 16:10).
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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