June 16, Reading 2 – Hosea 1:1-2:1

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Hosea wrote his prophecies about 670 years before Christ. He was married to a woman Gomer who was repeatedly unfaithful to him. Eventually Gomer ended up enslaved in a brothel. While she lived with Hosea, she bore him three children. Hosea was to parallel his treatment of Gomer with that of God to Israel and Judah.

SJA Notes

* God of Light, Your word is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path – Please teach us today.

“Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”

It is a hard word from the Lord that Hosea is given. A command that seems very strange.

Go and marry a faithless woman. Have children with her.

“… For the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”

Adultery is faithlessness, a rejection of the singular covenantal relationship between husband and wife.

Idolatry is faithlessness, a rejection of the singular covenantal relationship between man and God.

And the hard word is, as throughout all scripture – As we are in our fallen state we are NOT GOD’S PEOPLE, we are those RECEIVING NO MERCY.

But we have a better story, a better King, a better Saviour.

Jesus has saved us.

Mercy so great, undeserved and free. Grace abounding, to a sinner such as me!

And so we can say, We are God’s people, We have received mercy!

As we read in 1 Peter chapter 2,

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; one you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Father God,

Thank You we have been called by You, saved by You, rescued and redeemed and restored by You.

We are Your people, hallelujah!

Thank You for Your mercy, not giving to us what we deserve.

Thank You for Your grace, giving to us what we do not deserve.

Amen.