In the book of Hosea, Hosea said of Israel, “Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?”, and in chapter ten and verse four of Hosea, Hosea said, “they have spoken words, swearing falsely” where we read,
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant:
thus judgment springs up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
The verse begins, “They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant:” Hosea began with the words, “they have spoken words” or “they, the people of Israel, have uttered, declared and proclaimed speeches, utterances and sentences”, “swearing falsely” which means “adjuring, cursing and taking an oath in an empty, vain, false and worthless manner”, “in making a covenant” or “in forming, fashioning and fabricating an alliance, pledge, league, constitution, treaty and ordinance”. Hosea shared how the people of “Israel” uttered empty and vain speeches when they formed a treaty and league with Jehovah God.
The verse continues, “thus judgment springs up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.” Hosea added the words, “thus judgment springs up” or “therefore, then and wherefore justice, ordinance, procedure, process, litigation and the act of deciding a case sprouts, shoots forth, blooms and buds” “as hemlock” which means “similar and in likeness to gall, venom, bitterness and poison” “in the furrows” or “within the banks or terraces” “of the field” which means “belonging to the cultivated land or spread out ground and soil”. Hosea shared how justice and litigation shoots forth in a similar manner to poisonous gall within the banks of cultivated land.
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how Hosea referred to the way the people of “Israel” declared false words and promises according to the alliance and treaty they made with Jehovah God, and therefore litigation and procedure was to come upon them similar to the way poisonous plants grow within the rows or terraces of a cultivated land. God does not want to bring judgment upon people, but if they refuse His plan of salvation through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, they will encounter the wrath and “judgment” of Almighty God. We have an opportunity to receive Jesus as our personal “Savior and Lord”, and when we do, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us true words that rely upon His ability to save us and not that of our own.
Next time Hosea shares how, “the inhabitants of Samaria shall fear”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment