The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them,but the rebellious stumble in them.

Hosea 14:1-9

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” 

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow.

Ephraim, what more have I[c] to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

After the fierce tones of chapter 13, this last chapter is full of love and pleading. The way is open. There is no need to pass through the fire of judgment. The only requirement is loyalty to God: this is the way to find love and forgiveness and embark on a new, transformed life. This is a truly wise course.

Hosea set it out so clearly. Yet his contemporaries ignored it all. The Assyrians swept down and destroyed their splendid capital, Samaria. They took the remaining Israelites into exile and repeopled their land with foreigners. When God gives warning of judgment, he is not playing with words.

Why?

The salvation is today, if anyone returns to the Lord will be saved from sins.

Our God is full of compassion and love. May all who are wise, let them realize these things.

We can ask the Lord to get the wisdom. The real wisdom comes from the Lord Almighty.

---------------

第一~第三章何西阿如神娶回淫亂的妻子。表示神的愛願意挽回屬神的人。

人只要悔改比任何獻祭的牛犢更好。神不喜悅的我們不再做。我們是否認定自己的軟弱，認清自己沒有依靠，如此才會完全的倚靠神！

神把自己比喻如甘露，13章的甘露一下子就是不見。這裏的甘露微小，但是卻讓百合開花，愈來愈成長，充滿生命的氣質，生命紮根穩固。神給我們一點點就足夠，受用不盡，而且甘露每天都有，到處都有，隨處可得。這就是神的恩典！

與神的關係如情人，如夫妻親密！神看我們如夫妻關係，願意向我們委身，我們是否也向神以身相許?

---------------

How?

May the wisdom and love of the Lord be with me all of my life. I will obey God's word and listen to the voice of the Lord.