Christian Living

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They Asked For It
It’s All Against Me

Hosea 7:13-16
Woe unto them! For they have fled from me: destruction unto them! Because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me

And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me

Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do them imagine mischief against me

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt

They made mistakes
They had mishaps
They misunderstood

There is no reason why someone should wish that they were dead because of some mistake, mishap or misunderstanding in their lives. It is no one else’s fault but ones own self if they fail to accomplish their life dreams and destiny. Take another look at the situation you are confronted with. Why are you there? What happen in your life that caused you to allow yourself to fall to such folly? Did God leave you or did you leave him?

These are some of the questions one asks themselves when they are confronted with many things in their lives. The first thing they want to do is to lay the blame somewhere. Well the blame begins usually with the one in the situation. Many situations in the Christian life should never have occurred.

Hosea’s name means save, signifying salvation. He was one of the Minor Prophets, the son of Beeri. Hosea was a contemporary of Isaiah and uttered his prophecies during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam II, King of Israel. He was doubtless a native of the kingdom of Israel, for he speaks of “our king” and “the land” meaning N. Israel. His prophecies are almost entirely directed to that part of the Jewish nation. Not a great deal is known of his life, but his book, the book of Hosea, reveals his sad and sympathetic heart in view of the wickedness of his people.

Hosea was the prophet of love and a son of the soil; he was familiar with not only the geography, but also with their religion and life. He began preaching during the time of great national prosperity, there were rival politicians who sacrificed the nations interests for their own and conditions rapidly changed everything. The Israelites found themselves going from bad to worse. Hosea declared that there is no truth, nor mercy, nor the knowledge of God in the land. They swear, lie, kill, steal, commit adultery, they break out and blood touches blood. The outlook for Israel was hopeless. They called on God and he was there, they made mistakes and he was there but they still were against God and blamed him for bringing them out of Egypt to die.

To show Hosea just what God was faced with concerning these hardhearted people, God to Hosea to go and take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms. The woman whom he married was Gomer and she soon became unfaithful to him. But from his domestic experience and infelicity, he learned the lesson of Israel’s unfaithful relation to the Lord. To some the thought of the Lord having commanding a prophet to ally himself to a woman already known as of impure life is absurd and monstrous. It is often said that when a person marry someone other than what they deem to be proper, it could not be of God. Since when does others get to determine what God said or did not say, it is for his purpose whatever the case may be. God brings about understanding to those he want to impart some wisdom of certain things to. A man cannot tell a woman what happens when they have a baby, just as a woman cannot tell her how it is to breastfeed if they have never done it. Sure what the book says is one thing but true experience causes no mistake about it. Hosea understood what God was saying when he said the people of Israel was delivered and I gave them a good life, but yet they walked away from me for the things of the world. He wanted him to know that they should have a burning fire kind of passion for him just as Hosea had for Gomer, which is recorded as not a mere explosive flash of strong emotion; but a burning fire shut up in his bones, which no infidelity on her part could weaken or personal suffering on his part could quench.

Through Gomer’s treacherous rejection of his affection and loyalty, Hosea discovered there was no true love apart from pain and conversely also, that there is no real pain without love. This strange wife made a good prophet. He was a prophet of love, but when he had to rebuke, he did. His messages or sermons were considered hard to interpret but they bear his own personal stamp. Hosea was a prophet of emotion and heart, rather than of logic and theology. He heard the complaints of the people, offered consolation but often condemned them of their sin.

Hosea warned the people about their lack of knowledge. He charged them with this because they misunderstood God. They were proud, arrogant, and their worship had become formal and stereotyped. They had been called to separation but they conformed to others things corrupting themselves. They submitted themselves to idolatry, and now they sin more and more and has made themselves molten images of their silver, bent to backsliding, corrupted themselves with political religion, and gave themselves over to idolatries with complete abandon. 0In all of this Hosea yet offered them the opportunity to be forgiven if they would turn to the Lord again. They asked for all they received but yet blamed God and turned against him. The prophet however never gave up, he pleaded with them to come back, if you only knew how God loves you, you would come back, take with you words and pray, and God will receive you graciously. Fill your hearts with humility and receive God’s benefits.

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