Hosea 14 - The Good News
by Lance Ponder(94)http://fkiprofessor.xanga.com
Hosea’s “Sinner’s Prayer”
Hos 14:1-3 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” A good parent will tell their children exactly what is expected of them. God is the ultimate good parent. Like any parent, God loves His children. In this brief passage we are given a glimpse at profound parental wisdom as well as the profound nature of God’s grace. First comes the command to return to God. The casual reader of this passage might incorrectly assume salvation must then begin with a human act. The command, however, comes from God. First comes the call, then we must respond with obedience. How are we to obey the call if we do not receive the call? The reason we need to obey the call is our own sin. We are fallen beings. Humanity started out perfect, but sin entered and humanity has become corrupt. We can rid ourselves of sin. We have no choice, if we wish to be rid of sin, but to obey the command to return to God (repent) which leads to grace. Being the kind of people who want to cower and hide our iniquity before a holy and just God, we tend to seek some complicated formula. If it is too hard, then we can blame God for making it impossible to attain and in so doing justify ourselves. God does not make it difficult. Salvation is obtainable, but not by our own action. Never the less, in His divine grace He gives us a simple example of a primitive “sinner’s prayer.” Everything that came into being came about because God spoke it into being. We told repeatedly of the power of words, in particular the name of God. It should come as no surprise that the mouth must confess to our sin and God’s salvation (Ro 10:10). Hosea’s template for the sinner’s prayer includes these main elements: 1) realization of our own sin, 2) the humble request for purification and acceptance, 3) a commitment to service, 4) placing total faith our Lord, 5) forsake faith in ourselves, 6) declaration of trust in the Lord that the mercy has been given.
God’s Promised Response
Hos 14:4-7 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Immediately following the template for the sinner’s prayer comes the great promise of the gospel message – redemption from sin and abundant life. In ancient Israel this promise would likely have been understood primarily if not entirely as literal earthly prosperity for Israel. In Hosea’s time repentance could have meant being spared from the Assyrians. For Jews looking for their Messiah 700 years later, this would likely have been thought of as promised relief from Roman oppression under the leadership of a great Messianic king. Spiritually this promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Literally it will yet be completely fulfilled in the age to come when God’s elect live together with the Lamb. God will provide a perfect and refreshing new home. He is our vine and we are the branches. With spiritual worship which is true, our praise will be pleasing fragrance in our Lord’s nostrils. We will all be gathered to Jesus and we will then flourish in life everlasting. When we respond properly to God’s call (Hos 14:1-3), we are promised abundant life.
The Source
Hos 14:8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit. God is creator and we are creation. We are not to worship creation, but the Creator. It is God to whom we pray and it is God alone who hears and responds to His children. An evergreen tree is a symbol of continuous life. Cypress are great among the evergreens, tall, mighty, and majestic. They provide shade from the sun and lumber for great buildings. They tower along the banks of lakes and rivers, possibly even the River of Life. God is the giver of all good things. From Him and Him alone we are given the Holy Spirit which manifests through us His good spiritual fruit.
Last Call
Hos 14:9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. One of the greatest mysteries and wonders is the coexistence of predestination and free will. God has a plan and He is sovereign to accomplish His divine will. At the same time He has set before a choice. One path, repentance, is wise, because to submit willingly to our Lord is to turn to righteousness, love, and life. The other path we may choose is rebellion. Because it leads away from God’s will, it leads away from love and away from life itself, thus ending in death. Sin forces choice, but God is faithful to save us if we will hear and obey His call with all our heart. We receive no credit for the choice for God created even the choice. All we can do is submit to the Lordship of God and lay down our burden of sin along with our egos at His throne. We can walk with God or walk against Him. It is that simple. Choose this day whom you will serve.
Majoring in the Minors
Hosea Chapters:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Article submitted Monday, April 12, 2010 & read 53 times.
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