Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love

Hosea 10:1-15

Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars;

Their heart is deceitful, and now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will demolish their altars and destroy their sacred stones.

They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.

The high places of wickedness will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated—as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.

So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.

Outwardly, affluent Israel made a great show of religion, but inwardly the people moved further and further away from God. The calf-image at Bethel had become the nation's only 'king, a king marked for destruction. Now they are reaping what they have long sown. Yet they could still sow an altogether different crop.

Why?

The Lord gave Israel a spreading vine, but his fruit increased, and he built more altars. This is totally disobeying God's grace and mercy. Their heart is deceitful, for their heart away from the Lord so their heart away from the honest.

Sow righteousness reaps the fruit of unfailing love. Planted wickedness, eaten the fruit of deception. The Lord is fair and righteous. What the Lord needs is our pure heart and mind and more honest deed with mercy and honor the Holy Name of the Lord.

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不要以色列人在豐收時狂歡，行宗教儀式，愈豐收愈敗壞。古代如此，今天的教會也是如此，因為1)以為豐收是依靠自己，2)心懷二意（敬拜耶和華同時敬拜巴力，或者靠神也靠自己）。所以葡萄愈豐收，愈拜巴力，即按照世俗的方法，愛神也愛世界(愛世界，愛神的心就薄弱了)，人愈有成就愈覺得自己功勞大，對神所有保留，對我有益就做。

心懷二意即榮耀變為羞辱。獻給亞述王，頭號大王（耶雷布王），以色列王變成老二這就是羞辱。拜金牛犢是羞辱，牛本來人效力，人反過來拜牛。教會如果走錯路，按照私意，教會就會荒涼！羞愧到求死。心懷二意的人自己也沒有查覺，完全不自知。

基比亞以前發生的事，如今的基比亞人以為過去的事與他們無關，如今他們一樣犯一樣的錯誤。

以法蓮喜愛踹穀，如同牛工作時可以吃穀物。表示我們在負軛的時候，其實是恩典，外表看似重擔、壓力，卻是可以享受恩典。所以神要以法連走上神的道路，載重公義，讓神把軛加在我們身上，不是栽種後收成，而是我們願意負軛開始降下公義的雨。負主的軛愈得享安息！

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How?

What I have depended on? I depended on the Lord, for God is my Lord, my shepher,d and my way.

God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins

Hosea 9:1-17

What will you do on the day of your appointed festivals, on the feast days of the Lord? Even if they escape from destruction, Egypt will gather them, and Memphis will bury them. Their treasures of silver will be taken over by briers, and thorns will overrun their tents. The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac.

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.

My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations.

It was probably at the height of the festival to mark the grape harvest that Hosea spoke out. The people may call him a fool, but he knows he is God's watchman, and he will not hold his tongue. Israel will become a slave nation to Assuria, as they once were to Egypt. Sin has become habitual, ingrained, to the point where God finally withdraws his love. Having wandered from God they will become wanderers among the nations. David Hubbard makes the sad point that 'from the time of Hosea's threat until the present the vast majority of Israel's sons and daughters have listed Diaspora as their address.

Why?

The days of punishment are coming, because of the sins of Israel.

The prophet, along with the Lord is the watchman over Ephraim, but people call him a fool. So they will be wanderers among the nations.

This is a sad destination because these people do not what they are doing.

When people turn to the world is dangerous, but they do not know and the selfish and proud full of their heart and mind.

How?

Keep my heart along with the Lord, May my heart and my mind always focus on the Lord, and keep my step along with the Lord.

‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’ But Israel has rejected what is good

Hosea 8:1-14

Israel cries out to me, ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’ But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him. They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. 

They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour.
Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up.

Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king.

Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.”

Israel will be caught up in the whirlwind of God's judgment. They have made gods, made up laws, and set up kings to suit themselves: as if God and his laws did not exist. But neither idols nor allies will avail when the God they have forgotten strikes.

Why?

We acknowledge you in their mouth, but Israel has rejected what is good. This is a worshipping the Lord ceremony but their deeds were away from the Lord. So today most of our lives are like the Israelites. 

What is my fortress and what is my foundation? Jesus Christ is my savior, and the Lord is my fortress. worship the Lord with all my heart, pray to the Lord with a pure heart and devote our good deeds as sacrifices to the Lord.

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前兩章，神想辦法讓百姓轉向神，但是人卻不聽！

人也在找路，最後是白忙一場。有人敬拜神，奉主名趕鬼。他們立王卻不由我，不詢問神！立王沒有錯，但是動機不對，為一己之利。立金牛犢為神，就是因為政治動機，即信仰中摻雜屬世的動機，用信仰來包裝政治動機。基督徒不會一開始就想犯罪，但是加入私意，剛開始沒有感覺，但是信仰就會變質，最後所有屬靈成份消失。動機應該是討神的喜悅。種下去是空的，收穫也是空的，甚至更差的暴風。

倚靠亞述，找亞述倚靠金錢，結果反而變成重擔。

宗教活動其實為了自己的私意。如買賣的聖殿，不結果的無花果樹，萬事不互相效力。

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How?

Worship the Lord is not by mouth, but by our deeds. Walking on the right way and loving others.

I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely

Hosea 7:8-16

Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with gray, but he does not notice. Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him.

Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely.

They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. They slash themselves, appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me.

I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they plot evil against me. They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

Israel turns to foreign peoples, foreign powers, and foreign gods; but never to the Lord. Hosea's language is vividly pictorial.

Why?

Because of the strong foreign country so Israelite turn to their country, their gods, and their culture. This is similar to this generation. 

The most powerful country and the powerful king is the Lord. But people do not know this truth. They are blind in their heart, so they do not return to the Lord or search for him.

This is the sad destination of most people in the world. For all of us are sinners. Only the blessed who trust in the Lord by the chosen and grace of the Lord come upon us.

How?

Give thanks to the Lord and may the Holy Spirit remind me to give honor to the Lord and search for his grace and power. Keep praying to the Lord.

All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me

Hosea 7:1-7

whenever I would heal Israel, the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets, but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me.

They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies.

Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me.

At court, it is the same. Kings fall at the hands of hot-hearts and conspirators.

Why?

The Lord sees what his people did the sins, even God likes to heal Israel, but their crimes were revealed.

Man did evil and they do not realize that God remember all their evil deeds.

All their kings fall, and none of them calls on the Lord. So the Lord is sad and angry with their deed. The consequence is their crimes like flaming fire burning themselves.

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第六章責備祭司

第七章責備君王、百姓，都在巴結，百姓巴結有權勢者，君王巴結強國。最強的國是耶和華。他們國中卻無一人尋求神。他們對罪不敏感，人根本不認為自己有罪，上司會照顧我就好了。方法是說謊，對神卻不忠！

對人說的話，好像討人喜悅，諂媚如火爐，使他們長官也陷入火中，害死他們。人不按正規方式求醫吃藥，卻偏要去找密方。

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How?

Be aware of what I am doing and what I am thinking. Be humble before the Lord!

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings

Hosea 6:1-11

Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled.

“Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed. “Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,

Suffering turns the people to God again. But there is no deep or long-term change. Their 'love' evaporates like dew in the hot sun. It is lasting love and real knowledge of him that God looks for.

V 4-6 expresses God's loving perplexity about his people. Jesus picks up the important statement that God wants his people's love, not placatory sacrifices.

Priests have turned butcher. At the heart of the nation's religion, at Shechem, there is intrigue and murder.

Why?

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. This is our target in our whole life. And we have to pay our effort to make it. Then we will know the Lord as we see the light of the sun rise.

Some people's return to the Lord is not a long-term change, but like mist and dew soon disappear.

The Lord declared, I desire mercy, not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offering. God like our hearts turns to Him and put the Lord on high with all our strength. The sacrifice and offerings are not important. 

The ceremony we can see by eyes, but the Lord can see our hearts by the Spirit.

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我們要刻意安排自己去認識神，早起陽光，天降甘露。這是我們想要認識神的心態。

當我們想多認識神，現在想法是多參加聚會，多參加宗教活動。然而宗教活動可能只是表面禮儀。其實人的行為多偏離神。祭司群表示許多祭司也落入禮儀中，反而失去與神建立關係，即行出憐恤。裝出來的不能持久，如霧散去。神為人預備道路，人卻走不上去。在人不能，在神都能。當神的工作臨到時，神會讓人走上去，是人悔改的時候。

神在何西阿書中一直在說神一直賜下愛的憐憫給人。

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How?

Live out the life of Jesus in my heart and let people know that I have the Spirit of the Lord with me.

I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah

Hosea 5:1-15

Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.

Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.

They are unfaithful to the Lord; they give birth to illegitimate children. When they celebrate their New Moon feasts, he will devour their fields. 

Judah’s leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water. Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.

“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face— in their misery they will earnestly seek me.”

A generation has grown up to who God is a stranger. The alarm is sounded on Judah's borders, for Judah shares the sin to which Israel has become addicted. Not even the great king of Assyria can save them from God's judgment.

These verses probably refer to the Israel/Syria war against Judah. Verse 15 expresses God's longing. Will suffering achieve what prosperity has not, serving, as C.S. Lewis puts it, as God's 'megaphone to rouse a deaf world'?

Why?

The judgment has come upon Israel and Judah for their sins. especially the nobles, the kings and the priests.

God knows everything has been done in his people, no one can hide from the Lord.

But God's love is still in his people, after the anger, God has mercy poured on his people.

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Chap4 責備祭司，Chap 5審判祭司

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How?

Great is the Lord, his love and righteousness endure forever! May my mind and my heart be with the Lord forever!