Bible Studies

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The Scriptures
Hosea 1:1-10 – Unfaithfulness Redeemed
Key Verses: (NCV)

• 2: “When the LORD began speaking through Hosea, the LORD said to him, ‘Go, and marry an unfaithful woman and have unfaithful children, because the people in this country have been completely unfaithful to the LORD.’” – Hosea is a prophet at a time when the evil kings of the northern kingdom, Israel, have completely left God in search of gluttonous pursuits and foreign gods. The Lord uses the marriage of Hosea and Gomer as an illustration of how He feels about the unfaithfulness of His people.
  
  
• 3-4: “So Hosea married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea’s son. ⁴The LORD said to Hosea, ‘Name him Jezreel, because soon I will punish the family of Jehu for the people they killed at Jezreel.” – Even within the joy of the birth of Hosea’s son, a message of God’s pending judgment is revealed.
  
  
• 6: “Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. The LORD said to Hosea, ‘Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will not pity Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them.’” – It is not clear if Gomer’s next two children are from Hosea or as a result of her unfaithfulness. Their names exude the attitude of God’s wrath against the sin of Israel.
  
  
• 7: “But I will show pity to the people of Judah. I will save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or weapons of war. I, the LORD their God, will save them.” – The kings in the southern kingdom of Judah had been more faithful and, as a result, would be protected by God. (read Isaiah 36, 37)
  
  
• 9: “Then the LORD said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.’” – Through the naming of the third child, God dissolves the covenant with Israel that He made through Abraham.
  
  
• 10: “But the number of the Israelites will become like the grains of sand of the sea, which no one can measure or count. They are called, ‘You are not my people,’ but later they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” – A new promise is revealed; a promise of redemption.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Have you been unfaithful? God has revealed Himself to you and you have responded by dedicating your life to Him. How have you been doing? Are you striving to follow Him wherever He leads? Are you focusing all your love and energy on Him? Or have you begun to pursue other interests? Do you take the blessings He has provided you and use them for His kingdom or for selfish endeavors? Have other gods such as wealth, beauty, health, power, prestige, splendor, comfort, or wisdom become more important in your life than God? How do you suppose that makes Him feel?
  
  
• Should you be punished? Do these stories in the Bible regarding the unfaithfulness of Israel and their resulting punishment cause you to feel uneasy about the issue of judgment and punishment in your life? Does God continue to punish people for their unfaithfulness today? If you were to stray from His love and begin leading of life of unrepentant sin, what do you expect God would do? Would He bring pain into your life to get your attention? Would He simply write you off as a lost soul? Or does He pursue you like the loving and forgiving husband Hosea represents in these stories?
  
  
• Has God asked you to do difficult or extraordinary tasks? Consider what God asked Hosea to do – marry an unfaithful woman and then love her through all things. How have you responded to the difficult tasks God has put into your path? Do you obey and trust Him? Are you willing to experience pain and difficulty so that others may grow closer to God? Are you a willing vessel to be used by God regardless of the outcome for you personally? Have you known people willing to sacrifice everything for God? What do you think of them? What would the world be like if more people responded in this fashion to God’s call?
  

Promises of the Gospel:

Hosea is asked by God to do extraordinary things. Not once does he stop to argue, debate, or question God’s instructions. He willingly steps into a painful relationship in order that God’s message to His people is clearly conveyed. This message is that God is hurt by our unfaithfulness to Him. It breaks His heart. Even when we choose to completely leave God in search of fulfillment in sinful ways, God continues to pursue us and strives to bring us back into His loving arms. Punishment may result for our unrepented sins but redemption is always available and it is a promise on which we can always rely.

FUMC Devotionals

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