banner
bar
rebellious teen Day 183, Chronological Bible Study

Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Isaiah 5:1-7; Hosea 10–14

Rebellion and Unreturned Love

Many times we, in our youth, forget all the things good parents do for us. We are embarrassed to introduce mom or dad to our friends. Being with them is not cool and we want independence. Yet they provide for all our needs and many of our wants. They consol us and hold us when we are sad. They bandage our physical and emotional wounds, read us a story, play baseball with us in the back yard or take us shopping. They are our cheerleaders at special events. They also teach us to hunt and fish, or to sew and cook, and a thousand other things.

Loving parents make many deposits into the lives of their children. They would like to think that they might receive some returns from their investments. But after all that moms or dads do, many times their teens or adult children still turn their backs on them. Most come back to their parents to appreciate and honor them but not all. Some turn out to be rebels. This causes anger, frustration and grief to their parents. If we understand this, we understand how God feels. How do we deal with rebellion and love which is not returned?

The state of Israel just before Assyria invades the land in 725 B.C. is illustrated in a parable. In this story, The LORD is a vine dresser and Israel is the vineyard. The LORD looks after Israel like a vine dresser looks after his orchard, but this vine never produces any good fruit. God decides to destroy the vineyard and leave the land for others to inhabit.

The LORD is about to punish Israel for her extreme wickedness and idolatry. The sirens of his prophets have sounded, warning them of an impending flood of judgment, the attack of Assyria. Instead of turning to God for help, however, they seek aid from other nations.

Ahaz is the king of Judah at this time and is just as wicked as the kings of Israel. When Assyria threatens Israel and Judah, Ahaz looks to Egypt and Assyria for help instead of the LORD. He even adopts the worship of Baal and offers his own sons up for burnt offerings to the detestable god, Molech. He closes God’s temple and sets up altars for worship in Jerusalem.

For Israel's sins, she will be destroyed and her people deported to Assyria, and then Assyria will move south and attack many Judean towns. The flood of Assyrian conquests will threaten to also carry Judah away. God's message to Israel and Judah is,

Judah must plow, and Jacob (Israel) must break up the ground. [your hearts are hard and must be broken up to receive God's message—you must repent!].

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception.

Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated. (Hosea 10:11b-14a, NIV)

Are any of us rebellious teens or adults? The remedy for Israel and Judah is our remedy: plow and break up the ground of our rebellious hearts, sow righteousness [which is only available through Christ] and reap God’s unfailing love (more...). We must not go on in our rebellious ways or we will be disciplined or destroyed. The time to act is now before judgment comes.

God (as a parent) reminisces about earlier times,

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim [Israel] to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them [they fell down a lot]. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck [in Egypt] and bent down to feed them [in the wilderness].” (Hosea 11:1-5, NIV)

Because of Israel’s refusal to repent, she will be destroyed by Assyria and taken captive for exile. There her captors will rule over her people instead of God, her kind spiritual parent. Certain destruction is determined for them.

Is the LORD happy with the destruction of his people, his rebellious children? Not at all! There will be a future deliverance. In God’s mercy a remnant of his people will be saved. They will be brought back like trembling birds from Assyria and from other nations where they will be scattered. Once again they will be at home in their own land (Hosea 11:8-11).

But now [God says] “Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One” (Hosea 11:12, NIV).

Israel and Judah both look to other nations to deliver them from foreign invaders, but instead of help they receive harm. What does God require if his people want his help? Hosea 12:6 says “… you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.” Are we faithful or rebellious? What God requires of Israel and Judah, he also requires of us Christians.

Ephraim [Israel], however, is proud, She is rich and feels secure, but she is also wicked. She cheats the poor and is guilty of murdering her own leaders. Furthermore, Ephraim shows contempt for God and his prophets. She is also idolatrous. Do we listen to God’s messengers or show contempt for them when they try to intervene in our lives? Do we love our wealth and comfort more than we love God? Be sure, judgment will come (Hosea 12:7–13:8). The LORD says, “you are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me, against your helper” (Hosea 13:9, NIV). Are we unthankful? Are we against our helper, the very one who wants to bless us?

How do we repent and return to God? Hosea gives us the answer:

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! [We must acknowledge our sin is the problem]. 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 [in praise].” (Hosea 14:1-2, NIV)
If we confess our wrongs to God with remorse, God promises to forgive us as he will forgive Israel (Hosea 14:4; 1 John 1:9, more...).

We, like Israel, have a choice—will we be rebellious or righteous? “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9, NIV).

Take-Away Lessons

How to deal with rebellion and unreturned love

  • Let us not be against our helper (God), the very one who wants to bless us.
  • After giving warnings to others and urging repentance, sometimes we must let the consequences of wickedness take their course.
  • We need to give the LORD, his servants, and our parents the respect and honor they deserve.
  • Israel and Judah's remedy for sin is our remedy: plow and break up the ground of your rebellious hearts, sow righteousness [which is only available through Christ] and reap God’s unfailing love. We must not go on in our rebellious ways or we will be disciplined or destroyed. The time to act is now before judgment comes.
  • How do we repent? We need to confess our sins to God in a spirit of sincere remorse and ask his forgiveness. If we do this, the LORD promises to forgive us as he will forgive Israel (Hosea 14:4; 1 John 1:9, more...).
  • Are we faithful or rebellious? What the LORD requires of Israel and Judah, his rebellious children, he also requires of us: you must “return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.” (Hosea 12:6)
Focus Verse

“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12, NIV).

praying hands Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:

Please send your comments to mtbiblestudies@gmail.com

Looking Ahead: The coming of Assyria to attack and destroy Israel must have seemed like a World-Wide Calamity. What will happen in the future to the world and its people? Join us for our Next Lesson to find out.

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

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

COPYRIGHT @ 2019, MASTER'S TOUCH BIBLE STUDIES