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 our loving parents do for us. We are embarrassed to introduce mom or dad to our friends. During that period, being with them isn’t cool and we want independence.
Yet, caring parents provide for all our needs and many of our wants. They consol us and hold us when we’re sad. They bandage our physical and emotional wounds, read us a story, play baseball in the backyard with us or take us shopping. Parents are our cheerleaders at special events. They also teach us to hunt, fish, sew, or cook, and a thousand other things.
Good parents make many deposits in our lives. They’d like to think they might receive returns from their investments. But after all that parents do for their children, their teen, or adult children might 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 their parents to become angry, frustrated, and to grieve. If we understand this, we know how God feels. How do we deal with rebellion and unreturned love?
Rebellious Israel
In today’s chronological Bible reading, Israel is on the precipice of judgment for her extreme wickedness and idolatry. The sirens of God’s prophets have sounded, warning them of an impending flood of judgment (the attack of Assyria). Instead of turning to God for help, they seek aid from other nations.
In Judah, Ahaz is the new king, and he’s evil. When Assyria threatens Israel and Judah, Ahaz looks to Egypt and Assyria for help. He even adopts the worship of Baal and offers his own sons for a burnt offering to the detestable god, Molech. He closes God’s temple and sets up altars for worship in Jerusalem.
Judgment and Grace
For her sins, Israel will be destroyed and its people deported to Assyria, and then Assyria will move south and also attack many Judean towns. When the flood of Assyrian conquests threatens to carry Judah away, however, God will save Jerusalem, exercising his grace on her for 136 more years. God’s message to Israel and Judah for that time would be,
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)
The Remedy for Rebellious Hearts
Are we rebellious teens or adults? The remedy for Israel and Judah is our remedy. We must plow and break up the grounds of our rebellious hearts. That is repentance (more...). After Jesus Christ makes us righteous, we should sow righteousness to reap God’s continual favor. If we go on in our rebellious ways, we’ll 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 would be destroyed by Assyria and taken captive for exile. There, her captors would rule over her people instead of God, her kind spiritual parent. Certain destruction would be determined for them.
“Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from me.” Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them (Hosea 11:6-7, NIV).
Is God happy with the destruction of his people, his rebellious children? No. There will be a future deliverance. In God’s mercy, he'll save a remnant of his people. He’ll bring them back like trembling birds from Assyria and from other nations where he scattered them. Once again, they’ll be at home in their own land 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).
What does God Require of Us?
Israel and Judah both looked to other nations to deliver them from foreign invaders, but instead of help, they received harm. What does God require if his people want to return to him? 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: we must live for him, cling to him, and wait for him to deliver us. He’s the Faithful Holy One.
Ephraim [Israel] is proud. She’s rich and feels secure, but she’s also evil. She cheats the poor and is guilty of murdering her own leaders. Ephraim shows contempt for God and his prophets. She’s 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? We can be sure of this, 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...).Make a Choice
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).
Discussion
Why shouldn’t we be rebellious against God or our leaders? Why should we give them respect?
What is the remedy for a rebellious heart?
What does God require of us Christians?
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).
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:
Please send your comments to me, Rod, the author
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.
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