Read Joel 1:1-12. What is happening to the land of Judah? The prophet, who lived in an agricultural society, calls upon the farmers to be dismayed at the loss of their grain and fruit harvests. The ecological destruction could cripple the nation’s economy for years. In addition to the loss of food, shade, and wood, there … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Joel 1, 2:28-29, Acts 2:1-21, Joel 2:31-32, Rom. 10:13,Matt. 10:28-31. Memory Text: “The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11, NIV). Key Thought: God can use crises to … Continue reading –>
Compare the following two quotations with the messages presented in Hosea 7-14 . “Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets, God had spoken to the world. Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. . . . The principles of God’s government and the plan of redemption must be clearly … Continue reading –>
Pamela Obero sat beside her mud house in Kenya and listened to the preacher’s sermon over the loudspeaker. She was curious about the Seventh-day Adventist meetings being held on a nearby vacant lot, though she belonged to another church. The messages touched Pamela’s heart, and at times she felt that the speaker talked directly to … Continue reading –>
Some ancient scholars viewed the Lord, as revealed in the Old Testament, as harsh and unforgiving, in contrast to Jesus, as revealed in the New. Why is that such a wrong conclusion? How does the message of Hosea 14 help to show just how wrong that conclusion is? What does this chapter reveal about God’s character and … Continue reading –>
“How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, all My compassions are kindled. I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For … Continue reading –>
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. . . . I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them.” (Hos. 11:1-3, NKJV). In these verses, Hosea is saying that the Lord’s way is like the tender … Continue reading –>
Read Hosea 10:11-13. What message is the Lord giving to His people here? How do we understand the phrase, “until he comes and showers righteousness on you”? (NIV). In Hosea 10, God’s child Ephraim is compared to a trained heifer who loves to thresh grain because she could eat as she threshed. Thus, instead of being productive, … Continue reading –>
“‘Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless—now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria. When they go, I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like birds of the air. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them’” (Hos. 7:11-12, NIV). Read these verses in context. What … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Hos. 7:11-12, 10:11-13, Matt. 11:28-30, Rom. 5:8, 1 Pet. 2:24, Hosea 14. Memory Text: “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always” (Hosea 12:6, NIV). Key Thought: Hosea reveals more of God’s love for His wayward people. A common way in which biblical authors talk about God’s love relationship with … Continue reading –>
“As time went by, Hosea became aware of the fact that his personal fate was a mirror of the divine pathos, that his sorrow echoed the sorrow of God. In this fellow suffering as an act of sympathy with the divine pathos the prophet probably saw the meaning of the marriage which he had contracted … Continue reading –>
Eight-year-old Sharoon [shah-ROON] leaned forward in his seat as his Sabbath School teacher told a Bible story. She asked a question, and Sharoon’s hand shot into the air. The teacher called on him, and Sharoon answered her question. Sharoon loves Sabbath School, especially the Bible stories his teacher tells. The church Sharoon attends meets in … Continue reading –>
“‘And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’” (John 17:3, NKJV). The name Hosea in Hebrew means “the Lord saves,” and is related to the names Joshua, Isaiah and even Jesus. The prophet calls the people to reject sin and find refuge in their Lord God because He … Continue reading –>
Hosea 4:1-3 presents God as one who brings a charge or a legal dispute (Hebrew rîb) against Israel. The chosen nation stood guilty before her God because the people had failed to live up to the terms of the covenant. Truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God were to be qualities of Israel’s unique relationship with Him. … Continue reading –>
Read Hosea 2. What is God’s basic message to His people here? How is the gospel revealed in this chapter? Hosea’s message presents the profound truth of God’s steadfast love for an undeserving people. Hosea 2 contains a lengthy speech by the Lord about Israel’s apostasy, which is then contrasted with God’s unfailing love for His people. After … Continue reading –>