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July 25, 2020

Love’s Call and Response | Hosea

By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

From Hosea Chapter 11:1-7

11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.  They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them, I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

5“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? 6A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. 7My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.

Through the prophet Hosea, the Lord called out to the Israelites and it was a call of love. In this passage, God showed his love for the Israelites from three perspectives:

  1. Love’s call. Hosea 11:1  “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”  This is salvation’s call. The Lord himself made the move to call them and rescue them. He even brought the ten plagues upon the whole land of Egypt to rescue the Israelites from slavery. This was God’s call of love for Israel.
  2. Love’s teaching. Hosea 11:3 “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.”  The Lord often used different circumstances to teach the Israelites, embracing them in his arms and providing for all their needs. For forty years in the wilderness, they never lacked for food, water, nor clothing. The Lord wanted them to learn to trust Him alone throughout their lives.
  3. The guidance of love. Hosea 11:4 “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them, I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”  The Lord led them with ties of love, guided them to walk on the right path — on the path of God — so they would not go astray.

What a pity it is that the Israelites responded to God’s call of love with rebellion. How did this happen?

  1. Their ignorance. Hosea 11:2 “But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.” They replaced the true God with idols.
  2.  Their stubbornness. Hosea 11:5 “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?”  Their refusal to return to the Lord shows how stubborn their hearts were.
  3. Their self-righteousness.  Hosea 11:6 “A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans.” They follow their own plans because they were self-righteous. All this was because of their pride.
  4. Their apostasy. Hosea 11:7 “My people are determined to turn from me.  Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.”  They refused to obey God’s Word;  they turned their backs on Him and such behaviors can only result in a painful end for them.

Church, what is our response to God’s call?

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愛的呼召與回應 | 何西亞書 

張國強牧師

何西亞書 11:1-7

11:1 以色列年幼的時候我愛他, 就從埃及召出我的兒子來。2先知越發招呼他們, 他們越發走開, 向諸巴力獻祭, 給雕刻的偶像燒香。3我原教導以法蓮行走, 用膀臂抱著他們, 他們卻不知道是我醫治他們。4我用慈繩愛索牽引他們, 我待他們如人放鬆牛的兩腮夾板, 把糧食放在他們面前。

11:5 他們必不歸回埃及地，亞述人卻要作他們的王，因他們不肯歸向我。6刀劍必臨到他們的城邑, 毀壞門閂, 把人吞滅, 都因他們隨從自己的計謀。7我的民偏要背道離開我, 眾先知雖然招呼他們歸向至上的主, 卻無人尊崇主。

神藉先知何西亞向以色列人發出呼聲, 更是愛的呼聲, 在這段文裡, 神藉著三個角度來顯明祂對以色列人的愛

  1. 愛的呼召。11:1 以色列年幼的時候我愛他, 就從埃及召出我的兒子來。從埃及召出我的兒子, 這是救恩的呼召, 神主動的來呼召他們, 拯救他們, 甚至將十災降臨埃及全地, 為的就是要救以色列人出埃及, 這是神對以色列愛的呼召。
  2. 愛的教導。11:3 我原教導以法蓮行走, 用膀臂抱著他們, 他們卻不知道是我醫治他們。神常常藉著不同的環境來教導以色列人, 用神的膀臂抱著他們, 供應他們一切的需要, 單單在曠野那四十年, 他們所食的, 所喝的, 所穿的就從來都沒有缺乏, 神要教導他們一生都要單純的信靠祂。
  3. 愛的引導。11:4 我用慈繩愛索牽引他們, 我待他們如人放鬆牛的兩腮夾板, 把糧食放在他們面前。神用慈繩愛索牽引他們, 引導他們行正道, 行神的路, 目的是使他們不偏行己路。

但可惜的是以色列人卻以反叛來回應神愛的呼召, 為什麼呢？

  1. 他們的無知。11:2 先知越發招呼他們, 他們越發走開, 向諸巴力獻祭, 給雕刻的偶像燒香。他們以偶像代替了真神。
  2. 他們的頑固。11:5 他們必不歸回埃及地, 亞述人卻要作他們的王, 因他們不肯歸向我。他們不肯歸向我, 這是他們剛硬的心。
  3. 他們的自是。11:6 刀劍必臨到他們的城邑, 毀壞門閂, 把人吞滅, 都因他們隨從自己的計謀。他們隨從自己的計謀, 因為他們以自為是, 這是驕傲的原因
  4. 他們的背道。11:7 我的民偏要背道離開我, 眾先知雖然招呼他們歸向至上的主, 卻無人尊崇主。他們不願行神的道, 他們用背向著神, 結果只能帶來痛苦的結束。

教會, 我們對神的呼召的反應又是怎樣的呢？