Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8
Hosea lived 50 years after Daniel began his ministry. He gives the four kings that he prophesied during in the southern kingdom of Judah and the one of the northern kingdom of Israel. During that time the people enjoyed peace, prosperity, but collapse was in the future. The leaders were corrupt, family life was disfunctional, immorality was widespread and there was much racial tension and poverty. The people had a form of worship mixed with idolatry and darkness. Hosea came to the scene to bring the people back to God with a message of love and grace.
Hosea was commanded to let his life be a picture of the way God was dealing with his children. He was to marry a prostitute and have children with her. He married Gomer which means “completion” because God was showing them the whole picture. Together, Gomer and Hosea had three children whose names meant “sown of God”, “not loved”, and “not my people”. He was saying to Israel and Judah that since they had become adulterous in their relationship with him, they had reaped these judgments. They would be sown of God all over the world, not loved, and not his people. But, one day they would come back to him and they would be planted once again by him in their land, be loved and be his people.
John talks about the three testimonies of God: the water (God), the blood (Jesus) and the Spirit (Holy Spirit). If we believe in Jesus then we get all three and we are assured that we are born of God’s seed.
John speaks of a sin that doesn’t lead to death and one that does. Sin that leads to death starts with the worship of something other than God which is why he ended it with the statement: keep yourself from idols. Spiritual death is the result of rejecting Jesus and the Holy Spirit which is ultimately rejecting God and his plan. When we become his child, we are given his spirit which does not sin. It doesn’t mean we aren’t tempted, but we won’t want to sin anymore.
Lord, help us to understand the richness of your grace.
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