Day 179, Chronological Bible Study
Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Hosea 4:1- 5:7; Jonah Judgment or Mercy? People can be difficult sometimes. When should we exercise judgment, and when should we exercise mercy? In these chapters of Hosea and Jonah, God gives us some clues to the answer. When Should We Exercise Judgment or Discipline? In the book of Hosea, the prophet’s marriage to a prostitute named Gomer is meant to picture the relationship of God to Israel. The message of Hosea is particularly given to the northern ten tribes of Israel, which are represented by the most powerful tribe, Ephraim. Both northern and southern Israelite tribes are guilty of idol worship, injustice, and wickedness, but the tribes in the north are guilty of greater wrongs. Furthermore, Israel is arrogant in her vices. Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying [by severe drought]” (Hosea 4:1-3, NIV). The Israelites, religious leaders, and priests are guilty of sins and are not changing their minds. The LORD sends prophets to warn them, but they pay no heed. For this, God disciplines them with battle losses, drought, and famine to try to get their attention. It is futile. The priests are supposed to instruct the people in the law of the LORD, so they might obey it. But God says, My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hosea 4:6, NIV). What should we do with someone who will not change and do what he is supposed to do, even after warnings? Remove him from his position. The importance of God’s Word Israel's priests and leaders failed to instruct their people, so they faced destruction. Assyria would soon be God's arm of judgment against Israel, for he would judge his people for their evil ways. We are not a God-based society, so what can we do to help our nation? We Christians can make a difference by knowing and following God's Word (the Bible). Here are some ways to do it. Impress God’s Word onto our children from an early age by rehearsing his Word and works. Show them God’s creation and share how God wants us to live (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) Set a godly example Use God’s Word to prepare youth for life. They are bombarded with many false philosophies in secular schools and universities Preachers, teachers, and other Christian leaders: Faithfully lead people to follow and obey the LORD. God has given us his Word to stem the violence and injustice in this world, but it must be consistently taught. Our negligence in this matter could lead to our destruction. Beware of encouraging an immoral spirit Besides the sinful examples of the priests, Israel has a spirit of prostitution. She has established worship centers on high places of ground for Baal worship. In the temples of Baal, there are male and female prostitutes. By allowing their immoral practices, the Israelites lead their children to become like them (Hosea 4:12-14). Is there a spirit of prostitution in our hearts? We may go to church on Sunday, but what about Monday through Saturday? Do we view sex on television, the internet, or in magazines? Our children may see our immoral behavior and copy it. This angers God. The LORD offers us spiritual life and wants to bless us; he does not want to judge us. (more...) Be willing to forgive God would love to have Israel back in a right relationship with him, but she would have none of it. God says, “The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow?’” (Hosea 4:16, NIV). Can the LORD pasture us like lambs, or are we, too, like stubborn young cows? If we do not stop, he may have to punish us. However, if we turn to God from our sins, he is always merciful and gracious (1John 1:9). This is an example we can also copy in dealing with stubborn troublemakers. A lesson about God’s compassion At the same time Hosea is prophesying against Israel, God sends the prophet Jonah to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, to preach against it. But Jonah runs away from the LORD and heads for Tarshish on a boat. What is so bad about preaching against the destruction of Nineveh that Jonah runs away? After all, Assyria is Israel’s enemy. Why is he not excited to go and preach against Nineveh? Jonah knows God is merciful and might extend his mercy to Israel’s enemies if they repent. Many think the book of Jonah is all about the great fish that swallowed him. Actually, the story is about God’s mercy and compassion. Jonah travels the opposite direction from Nineveh. He takes passage on a boat and falls asleep at the bottom of it, but Jonah cannot hide from God. The LORD hurls an angry storm at the vessel. In fear of the storm breaking the boat apart and sweeping them away, the sailors awaken Jonah and tell him to call upon his God. Jonah is stubborn. He does not confess his sins to the LORD or pray for mercy. The wayward prophet does, however, tell the crew that he is the cause of God’s anger. Jonah instructs them to throw him overboard so the sea and the storm will stop their raging. At first, the sailors ignore his words but soon feel they have no other option. When the men throw Jonah overboard, immediately there is a great calm. In fear, the sailors worship the true God of heaven. The LORD is merciful and gracious—Jonah seeks to flee from God, but God uses Jonah’s judgment to bring salvation to the crew. Jonah sinks down to the bottom of the sea, and his head gets caught in seaweed. As the prophet drowns, he prays to God. Suddenly a giant fish swallows Jonah. He rests unconscious in the mouth of the fish three days and nights and then wakes up (Matthew 12:40). God shows compassion to the prophet—he rescues and forgives him and then gives Jonah another chance to do his will. When the Ninevites hear God’s message of judgment, they are convicted and turn from their sins. As Jonah fears, the LORD is merciful and compassionate to the Ninevites. This should give all non-Jewish people hope—if we turn to God from our sins, he will also forgive us (more). What is Jonah’s response? He pouts. He still needs to align himself with God’s way of thinking. The LORD tells Jonah, “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:11, NIV). What about us? Do we love our enemies? Do we realize that we, too, were once enemies of God? (Colossians 1:21) We should be compassionate (merciful) to those who do not know God and are, like the Ninevites, lost in their sins. Discussion: How can we help prevent God's judgment on our society? When should we exercise discipline, and when should we extend forgiveness? What is the book of Jonah actually about, and how can we apply it? Focus Verse Proverbs 28:13, NIV “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study: Enter your prayer here: Please send your comments to mtbiblestudies@gmail.com Looking Ahead: When our life, family, or nation is out of control, how can we Bring Order out of Chaos? Find out in our Next Lesson Previous Lesson  |  Next Lesson Back to top of page Return to Chronological Bible Studies main page Go to Scriptures main page Go to Topics main page Go to Home page re-edited 7-1-21

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