January 14

 READ HOSEA 9

GO DEEPER

The initial verses of this chapter advise the Israelites not to celebrate as they have been disloyal to God. Disobedience has been a recurring pattern in Israel’s history, not just during the time of Hosea. The Israelites tend to forget the covenant they made with God repeatedly. In the book of Deuteronomy, God establishes a covenant with Moses, promising blessings to the people of Israel for their obedience (known as the Mosaic Covenant). 

The Israelites try to bypass the covenant and pursue prosperity without God, resulting in calamitous outcomes. Throughout the prophetic book of Hosea, these consequences are elaborated. In this chapter, the Israelites suffer from decreased fertility and are exiled from Jerusalem. Their forgetfulness leads to rebellion, eliciting God’s judgment upon them. 

“They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: . . .” (v. 4). God isn't interested in our offerings. He doesn’t require our outward displays of obedience – rather, He desires contrite hearts. David’s plea to God in Psalm 51 underscores this: For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17) God is merciful. He welcomes us in our brokenness and neediness. We don’t have to have everything in order to be in relationship with Him. He simply desires us. He desires hearts that are turned toward Him. As we approach Him, He performs the work of restoration and redemption.                     

QUESTIONS

1. What insights can be gained about God's character from this chapter? 

2. What observations can be made about the Israelites? In what ways do their behaviors mirror your own experiences? 

3. What assurances from God should you keep in mind to adhere to His teachings?