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Hosea 10 (ESV)
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 You have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
14 therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people,
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;
mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
because of your great evil.
At dawn the king of Israel
shall be utterly cut off.
REFLECTION:
- Hosea used fields and crops as a metaphor for our lives many times. This time he used a piece of cultivated land (12). This piece of land is soft and stone-free, and after careful preparation, seeds are ready to be sown on it at any time. Are you ready to let God work on you? To confess our sins and accept God’s forgiveness and guidance can loosen the hard ground deep in our hearts that has not yet been cultivated.
- The Israelites believe the lie that military power can guarantee safety (13). Believers today may also be deceived by lies. Those who want to lead people astray tend to exaggerate, simplify and repeat the lie in order to increase its trust-worthiness. In order to avoid falling into the trap, believers can ask themselves: 1. Do I believe others for personal gain? 2. Have I overlooked some important facts? 3. Do these words violate biblical truth? 4. Are there any relevant verses in the Bible that can help me decide whether to believe it or not?
- In 740 BC, Shalman invaded Gilead, destroyed the city of Beth-arbel and killed many people, including women and children (14). Such atrocities were not uncommon in ancient battles. Hosea predicted that Israel would also suffer this bad luck.
- Since Israel places its faith in military power rather than God, it will eventually be destroyed by military power, and the king of Israel, who takes the lead in idolatry, will be the first to suffer (15). God’s judgment does not necessarily appear immediately, but it is bound to come.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to remove the idol in your heart, not to be deceived by worldly lies, and let God reign in your heart and bear the fruits of justice and love.
HYMN:
