Scripture Reading : Hosea 4:1-6:3
Theme : Indictment and Warning
- Indictment of Israel’s Sins (4:1-19). God indicts Israel’s sins in detail. First, God indicts the people in general, who lack faithfulness and love, which is contrary to the being and nature of God. They do not know and acknowledge God. They are full of murder and adultery (1-3). Second, God indicts the priests and the prophets (1 Kings 12:31; 13:33), the spiritual leaders of the people, similar to today’s pastors. They do not teach and lead people to God, instead they profit off of people’s greed and sins (4-10). Third, God again indicts the people for their spiritual adultery through worshipping of idols, practicing divination and cult prostitution and drunkenness. God warns Judah not to follow Israel in calf worship (11-19).
- Warning against Israel’s Sins (5:1-6:3). After laying bare the ugly and shameful sins of Israel, God warns the priests, the people and the royal leaders of His coming judgment. God will not relent because they are unrepentant. Their spiritual corruption is so deep that they cannot change. Their only hope is in the Lord, but they deal falsely with Him. Their attempt to reconcile with God is through bribery, which makes their offerings repugnant to God. Instead of forsaking their spiritual adultery and return to God, they bribe God with their good works and offerings. Therefore, God will demolish them because of their filth. Judah will also eventual follow the adultery of Israel and will likewise be destroyed by God. None of their lovers, foreign neighbours, will be able to save Israel or Judah because God is stronger and is determined to bring wrath upon these filthy people. His justice will be accomplished. Salvation to Israel will only come when they put faith in God and repent by acknowledging their adultery, and confidently and humbly ask God for forgiveness (5:15-6:3, see Heb. 4:16).
Praying the Scripture
- Oh God, we see the ugliness and shamefulness of sin through the Israelites. We see how a life without you brings hell. People turn their shame into their glory. They glory in swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. Such sins are natural results of rejecting you, for to reject you is to reject the standard of righteous, faithfulness, love and grace. Such ugly sins deserve the ugliness of wrath that comes from your glorious justice. We agree with you that those Israelites deserve your righteous, just punishment. We thank you that even in your judgment you are faithful, by not completely rejecting Israel. You will restore them and fulfil your promises (Rom. 11:26). We thank you because through Israel we see where our sins would lead us if you did not give us grace in Jesus Christ. Thank you for humbling us and causing us to rely on your provided righteousness through Jesus, and not on our own righteousness, which is but a filthy rag. May we not be like the Israelties, who seek to bribe you by earning salvation through their offering and works. We know that salvation can only be found when we humbling place our trust in your provision of Jesus, and not our works, which we had put our identity and worth in. May we offer our spiritual offerings through faith in Jesus (1 Pet. 2:5).
- We see massive spiritual adultery in Christendom today. Many have turned away from God like the adulterous Israel, while they claim to worship Jesus. Religions like Catholicism, Mormonism, prosperity gospel and cults dominate Christendom. The corrupt leaders in the massive prosperity gospel movement are like the corrupted priests of Israel, who profit from the greed and sins of the people instead of calling people to righteousness. We pray that God will vindicate His glorious name. We also pray that you give us compassion to share the true gospel to those who are snared in spiritual adultery.
经文：何西阿书4:1-6:3
主题：定罪与告诫
- 定以色列的罪（4:1-19）。神详细地定以色列的罪。首先，神概括性地定了以色列人的罪，因为他们缺乏忠心与爱心，而这与神的本质恰恰相反。他们不认识神，也不承认祂。他们充满了杀害与奸淫之行（1-3）。第二，神定了众祭司与先知的罪（王上12:31；13:33），即以色列子民的属灵领导，类似今日的牧师。他们不但不教导人，不领人归神，还从人民的贪念与罪恶中牟利（4-10）。第三，神再次为以色列人的灵性淫乱定他们的罪，因为他们拜偶像、行邪术、行邪教卖淫，并醉酒。神告诫犹大不可跟从以色列拜牛犊（11-19）。
- 告诫以色列犯罪的后果（5:1-6:3）。揭露了以色列丑陋与羞耻之罪后，神告诫了以色列的祭司、子民与皇室领袖祂即将施行的审判。神不会让步，因为他们不肯悔改。他们的灵性败坏如此之深，以致他们无法改变。他们唯一的盼望在于主，但他们却对神虚情假意，试着通过贿赂与神和好，所以神厌恶他们所献上的祭。他们没弃绝属灵淫乱之罪，没有归神，反倒要凭自己的善行与祭物向神行贿。因此，神会因着他们的污秽销毁他们。犹大最后也会步入以色列所犯的淫行，并被神销毁。他们的爱人，即异国邻居，将无法救以色列或犹大，因为神比她们更强大，且定意要在这些污秽之人身上倾倒祂的愤怒。神的公义将成。唯有当以色列信靠神，承认自己行淫的罪并悔改，坦然无惧并谦卑地求神赦免时，她才能得救（5:15-6:3；见来4:16）。
用经文祷告
- 神啊，我们藉着以色列人看到罪恶的丑陋和羞耻。我们看到生命中若无你的存在，我们将沦落地狱。人将他们的羞耻转为荣耀。他们竟为自己起假誓、撒谎、杀害、偷窃和犯奸淫的行为夸口。这些罪行都是拒绝了你后自然而然地产生的，因为拒绝了你就是拒绝公义、忠贞、爱与恩典的标准。这等丑陋的罪完全得承受从你荣耀公义而来的暴烈愤怒。我们同意这些以色列人当承受你公义的审判。我们感谢你，因为即便在审判之时，你是信实的，不完全拒绝以色列。你会使他们复兴，并履行你的应许（罗11:26）。我们感谢你，因为藉着以色列，我们看到若你不在耶稣基督里赐下恩典，我们的罪将得到怎样的惩罚。感谢你使我们谦卑，叫我们能藉着耶稣依靠你已赐下的公义，不靠自己，因为那都是污秽的衣服。愿我们不会像以色列人那样，想凭行为和奉献行贿，从而得取救恩。我们晓得，唯有当我们谦卑地信靠你在耶稣里所赐的供应时，自己才能得救；我们不能靠自己的行为，即对自己自我评价的身份和价值。愿我们能藉着在耶稣里的信心献上我们的灵祭（彼前2:5）。
- 我们在今日的基督教里能看到大规模的灵性奸淫。许多人像行淫的以色列一样悖逆神，可依然声称自己敬拜耶稣。天主教、摩门教、致富福音及异端都占据了基督教。大规模的致富福音运动中的腐败首领犹如以色列的众腐败祭司一样，从人的贪婪和罪行中谋取利益，而不是劝他们归神。我们求神能维护祂荣耀的名。我们也祷告神能赐予我们怜悯之心，叫我们能向陷入灵性淫乱之人传真实的福音。
