Scripture Reading : Hosea 8-10
Theme : God Punishes Israel
- Coming Judgment (8). In these three chapters, God will focus on describing the punishment He will incur on Israel, even as He continues to indict their sins. One like a vulture refers to Assyria, which will soon devour Israel. When God destroys Israel through Assyria, they will cry to God, but it will not be a cry from a genuine faith, but a cry of desperation like Cain (Gen. 4:13-14). Israel will continue to reject God’s Davidic kings, and will continue to commit adultery with pagan nations (their lovers) and their gods. This is their double iniquity (10:10). God will send them to “Egypt,” meaning Assyria will be their future “Egypt”, where they will be exiled and mistreated just like their first Egypt.
- Coming Exile (9-10). While Israel is temporarily entertained by their sins, their joy will be turned into sorrow and death when God exiles them. In that day, their feasts, false worship and merriment will end. God had patiently and compassionately warned them of the coming judgment through His prophets. Instead of listening to His prophets, they think His prophets are fools, madman, and they even tried to kill them. Their sins are like the gross sins of the men in Gibeah (Judges 19-20). Therefore, God will bring down their glory and desolate Israel. The population of Israel will decrease through war. Sadly, in that day, people will not mourn of their sins, but will mourn for their idol calf. Everything they have lived for will come to a violent and tragedy end, marked by death, starvation, pain, murder and killings from war. All the things they trusted to protect them, their armies, will not save them. Their ugly and shameful sins will result in an ugly and shameful end. This is what they deserved for their evil.
Praying the Scripture
- Ironically, the very idols that the Jews adore: the pagan nations and their idol worship, will be the very source of Israel’s destruction and sorrow. One of Israel’s lovers, Assyria, will destroy Israel. In life, people will find that the idols they worship, will be the very source of their ruin and sorrow. Just look at those who worship money, sex and power. Look at Hollywood and all its dysfunctional families, deaths and tragedies. It is true what one song says, “The more money we have the more problem we have.” Study shows pornography destroys a person’s ability to have a real and meaningful relationship with the opposite gender. Idols may temporarily entertain for a while, but it brings emptiness, shame, destruction, and God’s judgment. Let us pray that we will not be deceived by sin, but to gaze upon the glory of God and worship Him alone.
- God is a glorious God who is perfectly righteous. All sins will be reckoned and punished. The deceitfulness and foolishness of sin blinds people to God’s inevitable judgment on sin, like the Israelites, who think warnings of judgment from God’s prophets are foolish and madness. Sin also dulls people’s sense of sin’s evilness, shamefulness and ugliness. May we never forget the awfulness of sin and God’s just and glorious punishment against sin. We should always agree with God that, apart from Jesus, His punishment of our sins are just and righteous (Ps. 51:4). We will only appreciate God’s salvation in Jesus when we understand sin’s wickedness and God’s glorious judgment against sin. No matter how spiritual you are, you should always grasp your own sinfulness and then humble yourself and rejoice in the salvation of Jesus every day (Rom. 3:23) and long for heaven when you will be fully delivered from the presence of sin.
经文：何西阿书8-10
主题：神惩罚以色列
- 未来的审判（8）。在这三个篇章中，神的焦点是形容祂将实行的惩罚。祂继续承受以色列的恶，同时也定她的罪。“敌人如鹰来”指的是亚述；她即将吞噬以色列。当神借着亚述消灭以色列的时候，他们会呼叫神，但那并非出于真诚的信心，乃如该隐一样，是绝望的呼求（创4:13-14）。以色列会继续拒绝神所差坐在大卫宝座的众君王，并会继续与异国（他们的朋党）及她们的神通奸；这就是他们“两样的罪”了（10:10）。神会使他们归回“埃及”，意思就是亚述将是他们未来的“埃及”，因为他们将被放逐与此地并遭虐待，如在最初的埃及地一样。
- 未来的流放（9-10）。以色列暂时在罪恶中享乐，但遭神放逐时，他们的欢乐将变成哀伤与死亡。那日，他们的宴会、假崇拜和享乐将一概结束。神以耐心和慈爱曾藉着众先知告诫他们未来的审判，但他们不但不听，还认为先知们都是疯子，甚至试着杀害他们。他们的罪如基比亚人那令人作呕的罪孽（士19-20）。因此，神会抹掉以色列的荣耀，使她变得凄凉无比。以色列的人数将因战争而减少。可悲的是，人即便在那日也不会为他们的罪哀恸，反倒为他们的牛犊悲伤。他们为之而活的一切将突然被毁，惨败收局，又因战争中充满死亡、饥荒、痛苦、惨杀和杀戮。他们所信能守护他们的一切并军队都将不能救他们。他们邪恶与羞耻的罪孽会带来丑陋与羞愧的后果。这是他们行恶须受的惩罚。
用经文祷告
- 可笑的是，犹太人所信奉的偶像，即外邦异国与偶像敬拜，正是以色列遭摧毁与悲楚的源头；以色列的其中一个爱人亚述则会销毁以色列。在现实生活中，人能发现他们所供奉的偶像即是他们糟害与悲哀的原因。就看那些拜钱、性与势力的人吧。看看好莱坞及遭它所害的不健全家庭，所带来的死亡与悲剧吧。一首歌的歌词非常恰当：“我们的钱越多，问题就越多。”研究显示色情会销毁一人对异性能有真挚与有意关系的能力。偶像或许能暂时带来乐趣，但随后便是空虚、羞愧、毁坏和神的审判。让我们祷告我们不会被罪欺骗，乃要注视神的荣耀，唯独敬拜祂。
- 神是完全公义的荣耀之神。凡罪都会受到审判与惩罚。罪的狡诈与愚昧使人对神必然执行的审判瞎眼，如以色列人一样，以为神的先知所告诫的审判是愚蠢的，甚至疯狂。罪也使人对罪的邪恶、羞愧与丑陋失去觉悟。愿我们永不忘记罪的丑陋性及神对罪的公义与荣耀的审判。我们总要与神合意，承认除耶稣以外，神对我们罪的惩罚是公义、清正的（诗51:4）。唯有当我们了解罪的邪恶性及神对罪的荣耀审判后，我们才能感激神在耶稣里极大的救恩。不论你有多属灵，你总要认识自己的罪性，谦卑自己，并每一日因耶稣的救恩大大欢喜（罗3:23），渴望天堂，直到神救我们完全脱离罪的存在。
