Opening Prayer
Father, I long to draw closer to you. Please speak to my heart through your Word today.
Read HOSEA 14
Repentance to Bring Blessing
14 [a]Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!
2 Take words with you
and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
“Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.[b]
3 Assyria cannot save us;
we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
to what our own hands have made,
for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
4 “I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
he will send down his roots;
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
7 People will dwell again in his shade;
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what more have I[c] to do with idols?
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;
your fruitfulness comes from me.”
9 Who is wise? Let them realize these things.
Who is discerning? Let them understand.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.
Footnotes
- Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
- Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
- Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
May we know the Holy Spirit’s promptings, hear the Spirit’s leadings, and be open to all the Spirit has for us, that we may know the way and walk in it.
Think Further
As Hosea brings God’s message to its completion, we are reminded of the need to rely upon God. Throughout, we have heard that sins are punishable, but God is full of grace. Here, the people are given a big hope: as they leave idolatry behind, God will heal them and help them flourish. Many years later, when the people returned from exile, they had given up their tendency to worship alternative gods. Through such tribulation, they were refined and, by the time Jesus came, many were expectant of the Messiah.
Jesus tells us that we cannot bear fruit unless we remain in him.1 It is from him, the vine, that we, as branches, become fruitful. So too, Hosea’s audience hears God say, ‘I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me’ (v. 8). This image of a fruitful tree reminds us of Psalm 1, where those who are described as well-rooted trees are the blessed ones. God’s choice of simile is no surprise. We can all appreciate the blessing of a fruitful tree, compared with an unfruitful one. Jesus made that clear with a fig tree!2 Fruitfulness is a sign of the kingdom of God. Although we may go through barren times, the end aim is fruitfulness.
Hosea’s listeners are given the choice: walk in God’s ways and be fruitful, or do your own thing and stumble. The easy thing is to make the choice to follow God: it is the subsequent journey that puts us to the test and challenges our faith and mettle. Yet, we know that ‘The ways of the Lord are right’ (v. 9). However hard it may be, there is no better path for us to walk. After all, Jesus is ‘the way and the truth and the life.’3
Apply
Do you know someone who is finding it hard to remain on the ‘way’? Do you, or they, need a friend to help them keep to the path today?
Closing prayer
Gracious God, I offer myself to you again today, to be ‘a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you.’ (Romans 12:1)
Last Updated on February 29, 2024 by kingstar
