2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord."
Can you even imagine if God told you to do that? All that saying about to not yoke with unbelievers takes on a whole different meaning when God commands you to do something. It's what that debate is even today amongst believers and non-believers, on the morality of God. Is something pious because He commands it, or does He command it because it is pious? The famous Euthyphro's Question. But it turns out that God tells Hosea to do this to illustrate His relationship with the people of Judah.
10 "Yet the Israelites will not be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'
God tells Hosea to name his children after the cities that God is going to punish, which is pretty depressing and a little humiliating. But- God is still good and He says that the punishments will not last forever, and they will be reunited with Christ once again. God does things in crazy, weird ways.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Jonah 4
But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left - and also many animals?
Jonah 4:10-11
I remember this passage being one of the most complex to read. It's because at first i couldn't understand what the point was for God to grow that plant, and have that worm eat it, etc etc....basically Jonah's PO'ed at God's compassion at these people. he tells Him, that's the reason he didn't want to go in the first place, because they were so stubborn and sinful who ran away from God, but the fact that God was having mercy on them just bugged Jonah. he's so angry to the point where he tells God to just kill him.
but to show Jonah where God's coming from, God takes away the plant that was giving Jonah the shade. Jonah gets angry at the plant for dying, and complains to God again, but this time, God explains in the passage above. Jonah is to compare his anger at something that he never cared for to God's anger at His people whom He created and loved.
it was a simple illustration for Jonah and even for us today, that God's anger and love and compassion is a million times greater than our own.
Jonah 4:10-11
I remember this passage being one of the most complex to read. It's because at first i couldn't understand what the point was for God to grow that plant, and have that worm eat it, etc etc....basically Jonah's PO'ed at God's compassion at these people. he tells Him, that's the reason he didn't want to go in the first place, because they were so stubborn and sinful who ran away from God, but the fact that God was having mercy on them just bugged Jonah. he's so angry to the point where he tells God to just kill him.
but to show Jonah where God's coming from, God takes away the plant that was giving Jonah the shade. Jonah gets angry at the plant for dying, and complains to God again, but this time, God explains in the passage above. Jonah is to compare his anger at something that he never cared for to God's anger at His people whom He created and loved.
it was a simple illustration for Jonah and even for us today, that God's anger and love and compassion is a million times greater than our own.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Jonah 3
6 When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
God told Jonah again to go tell Nineveh of the wrath that He's going to unleash onto them if they don't turn their ways. This verse, the king heard and the first thing he does is humbling himself by taking off his earthly robes.
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
It's amazing how by one act by one person could change the heart of God. The king could've stubbornly kept his robes on, and told his people to keep on living all high and mightily. But he with his kingdom put down their old ways of living at the feet of God, and God didn't bring punishment on them. It's all about humbling yourself and admitting to your ways and coming before the Lord.
God told Jonah again to go tell Nineveh of the wrath that He's going to unleash onto them if they don't turn their ways. This verse, the king heard and the first thing he does is humbling himself by taking off his earthly robes.
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
It's amazing how by one act by one person could change the heart of God. The king could've stubbornly kept his robes on, and told his people to keep on living all high and mightily. But he with his kingdom put down their old ways of living at the feet of God, and God didn't bring punishment on them. It's all about humbling yourself and admitting to your ways and coming before the Lord.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Jonah 2
Before delving into the Word, i just wanted to say..................
Happy December 1st!!!!!
Plus the first day of snow. how fitting to start the month with white fluffiness on the ground :]
Plus the first day of snow. how fitting to start the month with white fluffiness on the ground :]
{photo via atlasshrugs}
7-9 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'"
Jonah, unlike the people of Judah in the book of Jeremiah, came back to God and repented all the while praising Him. I find this oftentimes to be hard to do, because once i make a mistake, i don't like to admit to it- let alone acknowledge my lowliness and God's holiness. (hey, that rhymed LOL) Yeah, Jonah was a screwup who ran from God, but who isn't? I think the thing that makes him pretty admirable is the fact that he humbled himself before God, and confessed that it's only God's love that can save him, not idols.
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
God could've just let Jonah rot in the belly of the fish, but was moved by Jonah's repentance, confession, and praise, and ta da- all's well again for Jonah.
7-9 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'"
Jonah, unlike the people of Judah in the book of Jeremiah, came back to God and repented all the while praising Him. I find this oftentimes to be hard to do, because once i make a mistake, i don't like to admit to it- let alone acknowledge my lowliness and God's holiness. (hey, that rhymed LOL) Yeah, Jonah was a screwup who ran from God, but who isn't? I think the thing that makes him pretty admirable is the fact that he humbled himself before God, and confessed that it's only God's love that can save him, not idols.
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
God could've just let Jonah rot in the belly of the fish, but was moved by Jonah's repentance, confession, and praise, and ta da- all's well again for Jonah.
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