The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 7: On Israel as an Oven, a Pancake, a Dove and a Bow. “Whenever I long to make my people prosperous again, whenever I desire to heal Israel, I am confronted by Ephraim’s guilt, and all I can see is Samaria’s sin.” (Hosea 7:1; Ephraim and Samaria represent Israel because Ephraim …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 6: Mercy and Knowledge. “My will (‘haspasti’) is that you show mercy (‘hesed’) and not sacrifice, and that you grow in knowledge (‘yada’) of Me rather than burnt offerings.“ (Hosea 6:6). In other words, hear the word of the Lord… I delight in loyal mercy to others and intimate knowledge of …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 5: Trapped into Spiritual Polygamy. “Israel no longer knows (‘yada’) Me, they don’t pay heed to Me, and they wouldn’t even recognize Me if they saw Me. Their evil deeds block the way for them to return to Me, their God, because they are possessed by a spirit of prostitution.” …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 4: Yahweh Makes His Case. “Israelites, hear the words of Yahweh, for He has brought charges against you…” (Hosea 4:1a). A Courtroom Setting. Here in chapter 4 we find Hosea standing up with his people and yelling out “Hear ye! Hear ye! Hosea here is offering a summary of the Lord’s case …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 3: Redeemed and Restored. The prophetic drama continues in this short chapter, and it packs quite a wallop… Betrayal, unfaithfulness, forgiveness, redemption, purification, eventual restoration, and hints of the coming Messiah. All in five verses! “And Yahweh said to me, ‘Go again to your wife, love her and show affection …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 2: Divorced and Remarried. A Broken Heart. It can easily be seen in Hosea 2 that Yahweh is taking Israel’s unfaithfulness personally. God evidently feels like a jilted lover, a betrayed husband. His chosen people with whom He has had a longstanding covenant of spiritual marriage have turned their back to Him, …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 1: Spiritual Adultery! “When the Lord Yahweh first spoke through Hosea, He said to him, ‘Go and take a promiscuous woman and have children who come from her unfaithfulness. This will represent how the land of Israel has abandoned Me and become a prostitute to other masters.” (Hosea 1:2). Spiritual Adultery. But …
The Gospel of Hosea: A Big-Picture Summary. “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd.” (Flannery O’Conner). On Prophets as Actors in God’s Street Theater. If the biblical world was a classroom, God’s prophets were the visual aids. As the Lord’s mouthpieces, they were often called upon to be symbols of His …
Adventure Quest #7: The Holy Grail of a Worthy God (Exploring the Final Frontier). To Quest (a very active verb): To engage in a long, difficult and adventurous journey that requires hard work in order to achieve a worthwhile goal or a valuable possession; to give oneself to a focused search, a single-minded pursuit, that frequently involves …
Adventure Quest #6: The Holy Grail of Genuine Neighbor-Love (Let’s Get Physical). “And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through …
Adventure Quest #5: The Holy Grail of Sacred Heroism (Becoming a Saint). If you consult your own soul with complete honesty, you will see that there is one and only one reason why you are not even now a saint. You do not wholly want to be.” (William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy …
Adventure Quest #4: The Holy Grail of Goodness and Virtue (Fruit from the Garden of the Heart). “Seek first and foremost the Kingdom of God and His righteousness… For everyone who continues to seek will find. Be a seeker!”(Matthew 6:33, 7:7-8). To Quest (a very active verb): To engage in a long, difficult and adventurous journey that …