Hosea 3-4

by Katrina

LINK: Hosea 3-4

BACKGROUND
Chapter three returned to Hosea's personal life with the Lord's instruction for him to retrieve his wife from the market place. Hosea purchased her for half the price of a slave plus some barley. He took her home with him and isolated her, yet did not restore her to the full marriage relationship. Likewise, Israel would not enjoy the full fellowship of her relationship with God. This is the current state of the Jewish nation. They are without a king, without sacrifice, without priests (although Jesus fulfilled all these roles). Yet, once again, God promised that this is not the end for Israel. One day there will be restoration.

Chapter four begins God's indictment against Israel, first against the nation as a whole (v 1-3), then the priests (v 4-14), the spectators of Judah (v 15-19), and continuing in chapter five with the priests and rulers.

REFLECTION
The verse that stood out to me in these chapters is Hosea 4:6. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." Those who were supposed to be teaching God's word to the people had completely neglected that duty. The priests were corrupt and passed that corruption along to the people. God had given them knowledge, but they had rejected it.

APPLICATION
Anyone who teaches God's word has a tremendous responsibility to teach His truth fully and correctly. We must not reject or neglect any particular teaching just because we don't like it. We may not teach one way and live another way.

Parents have the responsibility of teaching their children God's word. Teachers in the Church have just as great a responsibility as the priests of Israel had. Paul exhorted Timothy always to give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching. He also told him to pay close attention to himself and his teaching (1 Tim 4:13-16).

Purity of the message is very important. And the message isn't simply facts about God; it's the message of a relationship with God. This responsibility is one I do not take lightly. James said, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment" (James 3:1). I count it a great honor, as well as a great responsibility, to teach the Bible and the message of the gospel to others.

PRAYERLord, may we always share your word with others with a heart of humility and a pursuit of teaching the pure message of your word. We want to teach others to have a vibrant, real relationship with You. Amen.