Highlights from Hosea #3 Hosea chapter 4 v 1-14

1. Highlights from Hosea #3 Hosea chapter 4 v 1-14

2. 1 The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land. Listen, Israel, to what he says: “There is no faithfulness or loving kindness in the land, and the people do not acknowledge me as God. 2 They make promises and break them; they lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Crimes increase, and there is one murder after another. 3 And so the land will dry up, and everything that lives on it will die. All the animals and birds, even the fish, will die.” 4 The Lord says, “Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them - my complaint is against you priests.[a]5 Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than you. I am going to destroy Israel, your mother. 6 My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests.

3. 7 “The more of you priests there are, the more you sin against me, and so I will turn your honour into disgrace. 8 You grow rich from the sins of my people, and so you want them to sin more and more. 9 You will suffer the same punishment as the people! I will punish you and make you pay for the evil you do. 10 You will eat your share of the sacrifices, but still be hungry. You will worship the fertility gods, but still have no children, because you have turned away from me to follow other gods [to prostitution].” 11 The Lord says, “Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses! [understanding] 12 They ask for revelations from a piece of wood! A stick tells them what they want to know! They have left me. Like a woman who becomes a prostitute, they have given themselves to other gods.

4. 13 At sacred places on the mountaintops they offer sacrifices, and on the hills they burn incense under tall, spreading trees, because the shade is so pleasant! “As a result, your daughters serve as prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. 14 Yet I will not punish them for this, because you yourselves go off with temple prostitutes, and together with them you offer pagan sacrifices. As the proverb says, ‘A people without sense [understanding] will be ruined.’ (GNB)

5. No Virtues and Many Vices 1 The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land. Listen, Israel, to what he says: “There is no faithfulness or loving kindness in the land, and the people do not acknowledge me as God.2 They make promises and break them; they lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. Crimes increase, and there is one murder after another. 3 And so the land will dry up, and everything that lives on it will die. All the animals and birds, even the fish, will die.” No faithfulness - lack of truth-telling and truth-doing No loving kindness - “chesed or hesed” - steadfast love - lack of kindness to neighbours in need No acknowledgement/knowledge of God - lack of understanding, intimacy & response

6. 4 The Lord says, “Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them - my complaint is against you priests.[a] 5 Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than you. 6 My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests…. 8 You grow rich from the sins of my people, and so you want them to sin more and more. 9 You will suffer the same punishment as the people! I will punish you and make you pay for the evil you do. “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke14 v28

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