the moth lion

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (15)

devotional post # 2109

Hosea 5:11-15

Hos 5:11 Ephraim is oppressed, broken as a judgment, because he was keen to walk after garbage.
Hos 5:12 But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah.
Hos 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his boil, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound.
Hos 5:14 Because I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear in and go away; I will carry off, and no one will rescue.
Hos 5:15 I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress eagerly search for me.

the moth lion

The prophet mixes similes as he describes the LORD’s behavior toward Israel and Judah. The slow eating away and decay of a moth, and sickness, is soon discarded for a young lion, which tears off bits of flesh and takes it away. Hosea wants his people to know that the ordeal and oppression they are facing is God’s doing. He wants them to return to the God with whom they have covenanted, because that is the only way to restore their relationship with God, and their spiritual health.

LORD, we are tired of following after garbage. We want to pursue you.

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the power of overflow

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2108

Hosea 5:8-10

Hos 5:8 Blow the shofar in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we are following you, Benjamin!
Hos 5:9 Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I will make it known for certain.
Hos 5:10 The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out the overflow of my wrath and let it destroy like water.

the power of overflow

As I write this, I remember scenes of destruction caused by waterfalls which have suddenly overflowed their boundaries due to torrential rain. Although this devotional will be posted in several months, for me the memories are only a few days old. The picture that Hosea portrays is that God’s wrath is like those waterfalls: kept in check by limits but always there to cause devastation when those limits are exceeded.

LORD, may we always remember the power of your wrath and stay within the limits of your sustaining grace.

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withdrawn from them

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2107

Hosea 5:5-7

Hos 5:5 The presumption of Israel testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim will trip over his guilt; Judah also will trip with them.
Hos 5:6 With their flocks and herds they will go to seek Yahveh, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.
Hos 5:7 They have dealt deceitfully with Yahveh; because they have given birth to alien children. Now the new moon will devour them along with their fields.

withdrawn from them

The northern kingdom presumed that they could get in bed with the gods of other nations, and still find a faithful husband waiting when they came to worship Yahveh. It doesn’t work that way. They will trip over the invisible furniture of their own guilt, because Yahveh has withdrawn from them. The next new moon festival will bring loss, not harvest. Violence will come to the northern house. There is no God there to protect them from the consequences of their own pride.

LORD, come back to us, before there is nothing left to return to.

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not hidden from him

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (12)

devotional post # 2106

Hosea 5:1-4

Hos 5:1 Hear this, O priests! Listen attentively, house of Israel! Use your ears, house of the king! Because the judgment is directed at you; because you have been a trapping net at Mizpah and a net stretched over Tabor.
Hos 5:2 And the ones who have rebelled have buried themselves deep in a pit, but I will discipline all of them.
Hos 5:3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; because now, O Ephraim, you have committed prostitution; Israel is defiled.
Hos 5:4 Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. Because that wind of of promiscuity is inside them, and they do not know Yahveh.

not hidden from him

Hosea speaks out against the priests and royal family of the northern kingdom. He tells them that they have rebelled against their covenant with Yahveh, and will be held accountable to him. Those responsible for this rebellion have attempted to dig deep, and hide themselves, but God knows who they are. That wind that Hosea said had enveloped them and was going to sweep them away — that wind is inside them (literally in their bellies). The same idolatry that they first tolerated, then championed, is now an addiction they cannot kick. It had defiled their nation, and would lead to their demise.

LORD, forgive us for our disloyalty. Cleanse us of our unholy addiction to those things which are false. You know us; we want to know you.

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twister

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (11)

devotional post # 2105

Hosea 4:15-19

Hos 4:15 Though you be unfaithful, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and do not vow, “As Yahveh lives.”
Hos 4:16 Like a stubborn cow, Israel is stubborn; can Yahveh now keep feeding them like a lamb in a broad pasture?
Hos 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.
Hos 4:18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to prostitution; their rulers dearly love shame.
Hos 4:19 A wind has enveloped them in its wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

twister

I grew up in North Florida, and I have seen a number of tornadoes. The winds envelop their victims and take them away. Whether it’s a cow or a house, there is nothing you can do.

Hosea describes Israel’s wickedness as a wind that has enveloped it; they will be taken away by it. He tells them not to pretend that they still worship Yahveh. They are under Yahveh’s judgment, and they will experience the shame of his condemnation. There is nothing Judah can do about that but avoid the condemnation by avoiding the sin.

LORD, give us the wisdom to leave the stubborn cows alone, to seek those who are still seeking you.

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nice shades

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (10)

devotional post # 2104

Hosea 4:12-14

Hos 4:12 My people look for answers from of their wood, and their walking staff to tell them things. Because a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have left their God to commit prostitution.
Hos 4:13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shades are nice. For this reason your daughters commit prostitution, and your brides commit adultery.
Hos 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people who do not understand will be ruined.

nice shades

After spending a lot of time hiking in the great outdoors, I have a special appreciation for a passage like this. Sturdy walking poles, glorious mountain tops, cool shaded areas — these are words which remind me of the experience. The Israelites spent a lot of time walking outdoors, and they picked up the habits of the pagans who did the same. They forgot the God in the sky above them, and started worshiping the blessings all around them. Hosea reveals that this defection was due to a lack of understanding, and leads to ruin.

LORD, you are the one who blesses us. Our hearts yearn for you, not just the blessings you have given us.

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heart disease

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (9)

devotional post # 2103

Hosea 4:7-11

Hos 4:7 The more numerous they became, the more they sinned against me; I will change their pride into shame.
Hos 4:8 They feed on the sin of my people; their soul lusts to take on their iniquity.
Hos 4:9 And it will be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their actions and repay them because their works.
Hos 4:10 They will eat, but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the task of keeping Yahveh;
Hos 4:11 prostitituion, wine, and new wine have taken away the heart.

heart disease

A heart disease has infected the priests in Israel. They became numerous, prideful and sinful. Instead of hating the sins of the people, the priests became envious, and lusted after their sins. The LORD decided to punish the priests for their sin by making them decrease in number. As their heart for God reduced, so did their number.

LORD, increase us. Increase our love for you, and our desire to lead others to you.

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ignorance is not bliss

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (8)

devotional post # 2102

Hosea 4:4-6

Hos 4:4 Yet do not try to argue your way out of this, or pass the blame on to others, because my argument is against you, priest.
Hos 4:5 You will stumble in the daytime; also the prophet will stumble with you at night-time; and I will destroy your mother.
Hos 4:6 My people are being destroyed because they lack knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

ignorance is not bliss

The popular saying suggests that ignorance is bliss, but that was not the case for Israel’s priests and prophets. They were products of a rebellious nation, children of an unfaithful mother. Their lack of knowledge of God’s word led to further rebellion and transgression by the people. Those who should have had the light of scripture stumbled at it all the time. The LORD held them accountable.

LORD, may those of us who know your word be diligent to pass it on to our generation, and the next.

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a land drying out

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics (of Hamilton NZ) August 2017 (7)

devotional post # 2101

Hosea 4:1-3

Hos 4:1 Hear the word of Yahveh, O sons of Israel, because Yahveh has an argument with the inhabitants of the land. There is no truth or covenant loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land;
Hos 4:2 but there is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all limits, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Hos 4:3 For this reason the land is drying out, and all who live in it are wasting away to nothing, and also the wild animals and the birds of the sky, and even the fish of the sea are being taken away.

a land drying out

Drought slowly transforms a land, taking away all its life. Hosea tells the people of the northern kingdom that they are in a spiritual drought, caused directly by the people’s refusal to abide by the limits of God’s commandments. Obedience to the Mosaic covenant was intended to fill the land with truth, covenant loyalty and knowledge of God. Rejection of those commands, and insisting on breaking all his limits has caused the land to dry out. It will result in physical devastation of the land as well.

LORD, restore our lands to the vitality that comes from obedience to your word.

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probation

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky-devotions-pics-of-hamilton-nz-august-2017-6

devotional post # 2100

Hosea 3:1-5

Hos 3:1 And Yahveh said to me, “Go complete the circle, show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just like Yahveh loves the children of Israel, even though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”
Hos 3:2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.
Hos 3:3 And I said to her, “You must live as mine for many days. You will not be promiscuous, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.”
Hos 3:4 Because the children of Israel will live days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods.
Hos 3:5 Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek Yahveh their God, and David their king, and they will come in fear to Yahveh and to his goodness in the final days.

probation

Hosea is instructed to buy back his wife, who had fallen back into prostitution. He redeems her for a small price, and restores her to her home and family. But she is on probation. She has to abstain for a period of time. She is being used as an example, to prophecy to Israel that they would go into exile, and would put away their idolatry during this time. In the final days, Israel will return to God on his terms — they will fear him again, and he will be good to them again.

LORD, dig deep into our hearts and lives, and show us the vestiges of idolatry and double-mindedness that we need to abandon. We wait for your love again.

Posted in adultery, faithfulness, idolatry | Tagged | 1 Comment