Hosea 12:1-14
Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt. The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name! But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.
"I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of your appointed festivals. I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them.”
Jacob fled to the country of Aram; Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep. The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him.
This is not an easy chapter to follow. Israel needs to be reminded of scheming Jacob and to forget their proud independence and reliance on foreign powers. The people deride the prophets of their own day. They need the reminder that it was through a prophet that God brought the nation into being.
Why?
The Lord reminded Ephraim, Isreal, and Judah their ancestors were led by the Lord and came out of Egypt. All of these are the grace of the Lord. But they were changed and forget the grace of the Lord. So the Lord will judge them by their deeds.
The Lord reminds them to maintain love and justice and to wait for our God always. This is our way of being Christian today.
God used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, so the Lord bring us from sins by Jesus Christ
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以法蓮指以色列，北國以雅各的價值觀經過神一一調整成為神的器皿。
以法蓮的問題就是吃風，只是感官的刺激，靈裏不會飽，於是繼續追求感官刺激。以色列人需要埃及協助，卻又把橄欖油送給埃及，結果到底誰得利。
雅各想爭什麼也沒有，他遇見神以後改變了，以法蓮該學習雅名。以法蓮是商人，自以為聰明，用欺騙方法偷斤減兩詭詐天平獲取利益，且不認為自己有錯。神要以法蓮回到曠野，曠野什麼都沒有，只有依靠神。如以色列人在曠野的日子什麼都不缺。
雅各逃到拉班似乎雅各贏，若非神保守，他一定敗在拉班手下，以後就沒有以色列人，也沒有出埃及的事蹟。神揀選了原來不是好人的雅各。我們這一生是要吃風，還是以為自己有成就有能力。
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How?
Maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always!
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