Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

God is always desperate for us to repent truthfully and truly from our hearts. To worship in spirit and truth. To submit and obey. To improve our lives and the lives around us by the acceptance of His Mercy and Grace. For us to love as HE loves. When we wilfully refuse to obey (sliding backwards), we put ourselves in a terrible position. This is the position Israel had put itself and why God was pleading with them to return in love to His love.

Israel was a fruitful vine, but it had been picked clean. The blessing that had been on them had departed because THEY had departed from IT. Their hearts were divided, not focused on the Lord. They had no king to defend them, because they had gone their own way. They were justifying it to themselves saying ‘what would a king be able to do anyway?’ They swore a covenant with God, but swore falsely. They had LIED. God was going to take the idols and destroy them – and the people would MOURN the idols. They were hopelessly lost and not seeing the truth of the situation. The Lord told them that they had been sinning since Gibeah (Judges 19-20). God had had enough. His plan was NOT to do this, but their actions were DEMANDING this harvest. He pleaded with them to soften their hearts. To sow righteousness so that they could reap mercy. If they continued trusting in themselves and not the Lord, they would continue reaping wickedness and iniquity. If not, then they would be destroyed because of their great wickedness.

God spoke about how He had loved Israel. From when He had called them out of Egypt. He called them and brought them out, but they had sacrificed to idols and burnt incense before them. The Lord taught them to walk, but they refused to see that HE was the one who healed them. He yoked them with gentle cords (Matthew 11:28-30). He fed them. He told them not to return to the bondage He saved them from. But because they refused to repent, the sword would slash them. They would be devoured because of their own reliance on their own thinking. They were DEVOTED to refusing to obey. They deserved what they were going to get, but He was going to be merciful even in that. A remnant would return. They would return in anxiety, but they would return.

Israel was hoping Egypt would save them from Assyria, but they might as well have been feeding off wind. They would NOT be saved by Egypt. Neither would Judah (who went into exile 124 years later for failing to repent). They were all going to be punished according to their deeds. Yet they COULD return to Him. They could observe mercy and justice. They could wait on Him. But Israel were like merchants who loved to cheat with false weights and measures. He was their GOD. The God who brought them from Egypt and GAVE them all this prosperity and abundance. He had spoken to them in visions and through the prophets. But they turned and provoked God. They were guilty of bloodshed. They had provoked and it would be returned to them.

When they humbled themselves, God exalted them (1 Peter 5:6-8). But when they turned to idolatry, they were brought down. They were spiritually dead. Not only did they sin through idolatry, they continued to sin. Offending more and more. They totally and completely rejected God. Because of that, they would evaporate like dew. They would be cast off the Land. God IS God. Yahweh was the one who saved them and brought them out of Egypt. Yahweh was the one who was their Saviour. Water in a land of drought. Giver of pasture. But they rejected Him. Therefore, He would be like a bear deprived of her cubs. Like a leopard lurking by the road. Israel would be destroyed because Yahweh was their only hope – and they had turned against Him. The Lord would judge them and find them guilty. They and their children would perish. Terrible, but dseserved.

“Return to Yahweh your God, O Israel, for you have stumbled because of your sin. Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Say to him, “Take away all guilt; accept good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips.” (Hosea 14:1-2)

This has been a book about betrayal and judgment. But the Lord CANNOT let it end without a genuine call for repentance. He was asking them to return. They would not be saved by anyone but Him. He wanted to save them. He wanted to heal their obstinate refusal to obey. He wanted to turn His anger from them. He wanted them to grow like delicate lilies. He wanted to spread His protecting branches over them. He wanted to cherish them. Those who choose to dwell in His shadow would return. They would grow like a vine, full of fruit and sweet scent. They would scoff at idols, and find their Source in Him. If anyone was wise, God called them to understand these things. He called them to know His ways and walk in righteousness. He called them to be prudent and to be wise.

Summary

Key Players: God, Hosea

Key Verse(s): Hosea 10:1-8, 11:1-4; 12:9-14; 13:9-14; 14:4-9