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August 15, 2020

Return to the Lord | Hosea

Return to the Lord

By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

From Hosea Chapter 14:1-9

14:1 Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2Take words with you and return to the Lord.

Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” 

4“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. 5I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; 6his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. 7People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine. Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. 8Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

9Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

This last message God sent to the Israelites through the prophet Hosea was a message calling for repentance. God wanted them to return to Him. Hosea 14:1 “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!” Israel has fallen because of her sin; will she continue and refuse to  turn back? Would she be like the prodigal son who would not awaken to his senses until he had no food to eat, not even food fit for pigs? How about us, have we awakened?  

The Lord wanted Israel to return to Him because He wanted to cleanse them of their sins. They need no longer sacrifice to calves, nor ask help from Assyria, nor mount Egypt’s warhorses because they can know the mercy of the Lord and He has also become their salvation. The Lord was willing to show them grace; He waited for them to  return to Him!  They were ill but they were not aware of it.  Their illness is called ‘waywardness’. Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” The Lord Jesus said that the sick are the ones who need a doctor. However, are we aware that we are sick? We are very ill! Unfortunately, we remain arrogant and unrepentant.  May the Lord have mercy on us. 

As long as we return to Him, the grace of God will be there for us. Starting from verse 5, the prophet used eight parables to tell them that as long as they return to God, the grace of God will be there for them. At that time they will: 

  1. Be like the dew
  2. Blossom like a lily
  3. Be rooted like the cedars of Lebanon
  4. Experience His splendor like an olive tree
  5. Find His fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon 
  6. Flourish like the vine 
  7. Know His fame like Lebanon’s wine 
  8. Be like a flourishing juniper tree. 

As an agricultural society, Israel immediately understood how great the offer of God’s grace was for them.

Church, what about us? Have we returned to God? The prophet ended with a question, which is also a call to action. Hosea 14:9 “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” 

Are you discerning enough? Would you like to walk in the ways of the Lord? May God bless you.

Previous post: Enmity or Friendship with God 

當歸向耶和華  | 何西亞書 

張國強牧師

何西亞書14:1-9

14:1 以色列阿, 你要歸向耶和華你的神, 你是因自己的罪孽跌倒了。2當歸向耶和華, 用言語禱告他說: 求你除淨罪孽, 悅納善行, 這樣,我們就把嘴唇的祭代替牛犢獻上。3我們不向亞述求救,不騎埃及的馬, 也不再對我們手所造的說: 你是我們的神, 因為孤兒在你耶和華那裡得蒙憐憫。

4我必醫治他們背道的病, 甘心愛他們, 因為我的怒氣向他們轉消。5我必向以色列如甘露, 他必如百合花開放, 如利巴嫩的樹木扎根。6他的枝條必延長, 他的榮華如橄欖樹,他的香氣如利巴嫩的香柏樹。7曾住在他蔭下的必歸回, 發旺如五穀, 開花如葡萄樹, 他的香氣如利巴嫩的酒。8以法蓮必說: 我與偶像還有甚麼關涉呢? 我耶和華回答他, 也必顧念他, 我如青翠的松樹, 你的果子從我而得。

9誰是智慧人, 可以明白這些事, 誰是通達人, 可以知道這一切, 因為耶和華的道是正直的, 義人必在其中行走,罪人卻在其上跌倒。

神藉先知何西亞向以色列人發出最後一篇信息是悔改的信息, 神要他們歸向祂。14:1 以色列阿, 你要歸向耶和華你的神, 你是因自己的罪孽跌倒了。以色列因為罪的原因已經跌倒了, 還不回頭嗎? 正如浪子已經連豬吃的都沒有了, 他醒悟了, 我們又醒悟沒有呢?

神要以色列歸向祂, 因為神要除淨他們的罪孽, 他們不再祭祭給牛犢, 也不向亞述求救, 不騎埃及的馬, 因為他們認識耶和華的憐憫, 神也成為他們的拯救。神是何等願意賜恩給他們, 只在等候他們回轉啊! 因為他們生了病, 但他們還不知道, 他們的病稱為背道的病。14:4 我必醫治他們背道的病, 甘心愛他們, 因為我的怒氣向他們轉消。主耶穌有病的人需要醫生, 但我們知道我們有病嗎? 我們真是病得不輕啊! 可惜我們還自高自大不知悔改, 求神憐憫我們。

只要我們回轉, 神的恩要臨到我們, 從第五節開始, 先知用了八個比喻來告訴他們, 只要他們回轉歸向神, 神的恩也會臨到他們身上, 那個時候他們必如: 

  1. 如甘露
  2. 如百合花開放
  3. 如利巴嫩的樹木扎根
  4. 榮華如橄欖樹 
  5. 香氣如利巴嫩的香柏樹
  6. 開花如葡萄樹
  7. 他的香氣如利巴嫩的酒
  8. 如青翠的松樹。

作為一個農業國家的以色列, 他們馬上明白神所賜的恩是何等的大。

教會, 我們又如何呢? 我們歸向了神沒有？先知最後用一個問題來結束, 這個問題也可以說是一個決定; 14:9 誰是智慧人? 可以明白這些事, 誰是通達人, 可以知道這一切, 因為耶和華的道是正直的, 義人必在其中行走,罪人卻在其上跌倒。你是智慧人嗎? 你願意行在耶和華的道上嗎? 願神祝福你。