Please read Hosea 1.
Meditate on verses 1-2.
The word
of the LORD which came to Hosea the
son of Beeri,
during the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, Kings of Judah,
and
during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
When the
LORD first spoke through
Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea,
“Go, take
to yourself a wife of harlotry
and have children of harlotry;
for the
land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.”
The book of
Hosea divinely reveals God’s compassionate nature and love for you. In order to
better understand this prophetic writing from 2750 years ago, it is helpful to
set the background of the letter in the history of Israel. In 1445 BC, Moses
led the children of Israel out of Egypt. In 1405 BC, they entered the promised
land of Canaan. The Period of the Judges followed. During this 350-year period,
the 12 tribes cooperated together and were led by judges during times of
crisis. The tribes united in 1050 BC and formed a monarchy led by Saul, David,
and Solomon. Following Solomon’s reign, the nation divided. The northern tribes
formed the kingdom known as Israel in 922 BC. It is sometimes called Ephraim.
The southern kingdom was called Judah.
Hosea
established his tenure of ministry by listing the kings of Judah. An Israelite
himself, Hosea listed his own king, Jeroboam II. Jeroboam was the
great-grandson of King Jehu. God promised King Jehu He would delay His judgment
on the idolatrous northern kingdom for four generations. When Jeroboam II died
around 750 BC, the judgment on Israel began. God wanted Israel to know He was
judging them for their spiritual adultery of idol worship, yet His undying love
would always offer them the opportunity to return to Him.
God said in
Exodus 20:3-6:
You shall
have no other gods before Me.
You
shall
not make for yourself an idol,
or any
likeness of what is in heaven above
or on the earth beneath
or in the
water under the earth.
You
shall
not worship them or serve them;
for I,
the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children,
on the
third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
but
showing lovingkindness to thousands,
to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
As a
faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Hosea 1:2 as a prayer of
confession to your LORD.
“Forgive ________ and me when we commit flagrant
harlotry,
forsaking You, LORD!
Forgive
my country because the land commits flagrant harlotry,
forsaking You, LORD!
May we
have no other gods before You.
In Your
name, Jesus~”
The WATCHMAN
on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell