Scripture Reading : Hosea 11-12
Theme : God’s Compassion for Israel
- God’s Love and Israel’s Apostasy (11). As God prophecies a coming exile of Israel, He also prophecies a coming of Israel’s ultimate and complete salvation, which will be completely fulfilled during the end times. His zealous love for Israel will accomplish Israel’s salvation. Just as God saved Israel from the first exile in Egypt, so God will save Israel again from exile in the end times (Zech. 14:2). Just as God used the prophet Moses to lead the people out of first Egypt, so He will lead His people out of the second Egypt. The beginning of this fulfilment was accomplished in Jesus (Matt. 2:15), who is the new Moses. 11:10-12 alludes to Numbers 23-24, where God predicts the Messiah will lead His people from another exile. We believe this will ultimately be completed when Christ returns at the end of the seven years of tribulation (Matt. 24:15-31; Is. 11:11-12).
- God Exhorts Israel to Repent (12). All that Israel was doing was a chasing after the wind. Their adultery was meaningless and foolish. God exhorts Israel to triumph over their sins by coming to Him boldly and humbly for salvation (Heb. 4:16), just as Jacob was triumphant by coming to God boldly and humbly when he wrestled with God and obtain God’s promise (Gen. 32:9-12, 25-29). This promise still holds true for both the nation and individual Jews, as well as the whole world, no matter one’s race, religion, social status or past sins. If God can forgive adulterous and wicked Israel when they return to Him, He can forgive anyone, even evil Manassah (2 Chron. 33). But if Israel continues to be unfaithful to God, they will continue to suffer and live in pain just as their forefather, Jacob, lived a very difficult life in exile in Aram.
Praying the Scripture
- God’s truth and prophecies in the Bible are completely trustworthy and inerrant. Each book of the Bible and each chapter of the Bible fit with other parts of the Bible, both in the OT and the NT. Matthew 2:15 use of Hosea 11:1 is no exception. If we understand the OT rightly, we will see that it is inerrant and completely trustworthy. If we see an apparent error, it is our stupidity and fault, not God’s. For the Bible consistently and overwhelming testifies to its divine origin and inerrancy in so many different ways. We need to humble ourselves and admit we do not understand everything if we see an apparent error in the Bible. To declare the Bible to be errant, like so many so called evangelicals have done, reveals lack of reverence for God and their foolishness.
- God is a just God. All His ways are right and just (Deut. 32:4). When He judges, He judges righteously. When He puts calamity before non-believers, it is to exhort them to return to Himself, like He exhorts the Israelites. May they not think it is unjust of God to do such thing. When God puts trials before believers, it is to grow their faith and draw them closer to God (James 1:2-4). May believers not think it is unjust, or unloving by God, to do such thing. May we forever trust the gloriously faithful God, who is willing to send His beloved Son to die for wicked Israel and gentiles like us.
经文：何西阿书11-12
主题：神对以色列的慈爱
- 神的爱与以色列的悖逆（11）。神预言以色列将被流放，同时也预言以色列最后将得到完全的救赎；后者会在末日时得应验。神会因着祂对以色列热衷的爱达成她的救赎。神怎样救以色列脱离最初在埃及的流放，祂也会如此救以色列脱离末日的流放（迦14:2）。神曾使用先知摩西领以色列子民出埃及；神也将领祂的子民出第二个埃及。预言应验的开端就是耶稣的到来（太2:15），因为祂是新的摩西。11:10-12对应的是民数记23-24，即神预言弥赛亚要领人出另一个流放。我们相信七年的大灾难后，当耶稣再来时，这将得到完全的应验（太24:15-31；赛11:11-12）。
- 神告诫以色列要悔改（12）。以色列所做的一切都是枉然的。他们的淫荡行为毫无意义，也是愚昧的。神告诫以色列要胜过他们的罪，大胆地归向祂，谦卑地求神拯救（来4:16），就如雅各得胜时一样，藉着与神较力大胆谦卑地来到神面前，从而得到神的应许（创32:9-12, 25-29）。这应许至今仍对以色列、个别犹太人，甚至全世界都有效，不论个人的种族、宗教、地位或过往的罪何如。倘若神在淫乱奸恶的以色列归祂时能赦免她，神更能赦免任何人，甚至毒恶的玛拿西（代下33）。但是，以色列若仍对神不忠，她会继续忍受疼痛与苦楚，就如她的祖宗雅各一样，在亚兰放逐时活得非常辛苦。
用经文祷告
- 神在圣经中的真理与预言都是完全可信、全然无误的。不论是旧约或新约，圣经里的每一本书、每一个篇章都彼此相合。马太福音2:15对何西阿书11:1的引用也不例外。我们若对旧约有正确的认识，我们将看到它无误，是完全可信的。我们若似乎找到误点，那便反映了我们的无知和错误，不是神的。圣经以多种方式不断地、强烈地见证自己神圣的来源，无误完全。我们若在圣经中似乎发现错误，便要谦卑自己，承认自己不晓得一切。我们若像许多福音派者一样因此宣告圣经是有误的，这便透露了我们对神不缺乏敬畏的心，自己是十分愚昧的。
- 神是公义的。祂的作为又公义又正直（申32:4）。祂审判的时候是公平的。当祂让非信徒遭受灾难，这是叫他们能归向自己，如祂告诫以色列人一样。愿我们不会认为神做这事便不公。当神让信徒经历试炼，这是叫他们能在信心中成长，使他们能亲近神（各1:2-4）。愿信徒不会断定神因此就是不公义或无爱心的。愿我们能永远信靠那荣耀信实的神；祂竟甘愿差祂的爱子为罪孽深重的以色列与外邦人（我们）代死。
