Scripture Reading : Hosea 6:4-7
Theme : God’s Sorrow over Israel’s Sins
- Sorrow Over Their Heart Condition (6:4-11). God laments over’s Israel’s love for Him. Their love is like morning cloud and dew, unstable and fickle. So God sends His prophets to correct Israel’s wayward heart. God tells the people that He desires faithful love to Him, not faithless and heartless sacrifices and works of righteousness. Sacrifices are important, that’s why God instituted them, but they are useless if offered without love in God that is a result of faith in God. The spiritual adultery of the Jews is even more treacherous and grievous in light of the fact that the Jews sin knowingly against God, not unknowingly like gentiles, just as Adam committed spiritual adultery against God knowingly.
- Sorrow Over Their Domestic Condition (7:1-7). As result of their adulterous hearts, the whole society is full of violence, chaos, fear and evil. The whole society promotes a culture of death and destruction. Even the rulers of the nation promote death and injustice, and rejoice in it with mockers. Their adulterous hearts cause them not just to lust over sex, but also over power. Their passion is liken to an oven, that causes them to murder leaders and cause chaos to descend on the whole society. Israel has experienced many assassinations of leaders. But they still won’t return to God.
- Sorrow Over Their Foreign Condition (7:8-16). Their relationship with foreigners also grieves God. They allow foreigners to live with them and worship their idols. As result they are worthless like a “cake not turned,” that is over cooked on one side and not cooked on the other side. This relationship is wakening and killing Israel but they don’t know it. They are like a naive dove that will be trapped by foreign nations and be killed by them. This will be fulfilled when Assyria conquers the northern kingdom. Even though the whole society is suffering, sadly it still will not turn to God.
Praying the Scripture
- We see how God is sorrowful over the unstable and fickle love of the Jews towards Him, even after all that God has done for them. They took God’s love and grace for granted and forsook Him. This is great betrayal. God will also be sorrowful if our love is unstable and fickle toward Him, even after He sent His beloved Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. This will be the greatest betrayal in the world. May we not be ungrateful and unthankful, for this is shameful and ugly. May we live in a manner that is worthy of God’s love for us.
- Sin brings sorrow and tragedy. These sorrow and tragedies are meant to cause us to cry out for God and lead us to Him. The sufferings of Israelites from their sins did not cause them to cry out to God, instead they continue to hate and mock God, and continue to commit adultery against Him. This is a sad picture of rebellious human heart. Sadly, this kind of rebellion continues to be played out every day. People insanely pursue sins that will hurt them, such as drunkenness, gambling, and pornography, yet they will not turn to God. Let’s pray for those suffering from sins to cry out to God for help. May we be heartbroken, as God is, over the sins of people and develop a compassion to be kind to them and share the gospel and pray for their salvation.
经文：何西阿书6:4-7
主题：神为以色列的罪忧伤
- 神为以色列的心病忧伤（6:4-11）。神为以色列对祂所展现的爱忧伤：他们的爱如早晨的云雾和甘露，不定、易变。因此，神差祂的先知去纠正以色列狂妄的心态。神告诉以色列子民祂渴望得到忠贞的爱，不是无心无情的祭祀和良善之举。献祭固然重要，否则神不会设立这套系统，但若不是凭爱心献上，若不是信靠真神，献祭是无用的。犹太人的灵性淫乱实际上非常恶毒，使神极为悲愤，因为犹太人是执意犯罪，不像无知的外邦人；以色列民如亚当一样，刻意违背神在灵里行淫。
- 为以色列国内的状况忧伤（7:1-7）。由于国民存淫乱的心，整个社会也随之充满了暴力、混乱、恐惧与邪恶。整个社会推动的是败坏与死亡的作风；以色列首领甚至也如此，并与嘲笑讥讽的人一同欢庆。他们淫荡的心不但使他们的性欲强烈，还为夺权蠢蠢欲动。他们的情欲宛如火炉，唆使他们杀害领导人，造成整个社会的混乱。以色列的领袖已多次遭杀害。可他们就是不愿归神。
- 为以色列与异国的关系忧伤（7:8-16）。以色列与外邦人的关系也使神忧伤。他们容许外人与他们同住，并敬拜他们的神。故此，他们如“没翻过的饼”一样无用；一面是熟的，但另一面是生的。他们的关系对以色列有毁灭性，但他们没察觉到。他们如无知的鸽子似的，即将陷入外人的圈套，并被杀害。当亚述侵入北国时，这一切便得应验。即便全国受苦重重，可悲的是，他们仍不肯归神。
用经文祷告
- 神对以色列的付出甚大，但犹太人对祂的爱仍是摇摆不定的；神为此忧伤。他们视神的爱与恩典为理所当然，离弃了神。这是天大的背叛。同样的，神已差派祂的爱子耶稣为我们的罪代死；我们的爱若是不定易变的，神也会忧伤。这是天底下最大的背叛。愿我们能懂得感恩，因为不知感恩是很羞耻、很丑陋的事。愿我们能活出一个配得神所付出之爱的生命。
- 罪带来的是忧伤与悲剧。忧伤与悲剧的目的则是要我们向神呼求，领我们归祂。以色列为罪受苦，可他们不但没向神呼求，反倒继续恨神，对祂冷嘲讥笑，继续行淫。这是人心悖逆的悲伤画面。可悲的是，这种背叛日复一日地上演。人们疯狂地追寻能伤害他们的罪，如酗酒、赌博、色情等，却不愿归神。让我们为这些因罪受苦的人求他们能向神呼救。让我们像神一样，为人的罪哀恸，并对他们产生怜悯的心，向他们行善、传福音，并为他们的救恩祷告。
