Has sin marred your life? Are you bearing consequences for ungodly choices that have marked your days and years? Do you ever wonder if it will ever be better? This chapter offers a most beautiful description of the joy of restoration that comes from our God. Remember, Israel would bear the consequences of her rebellion and idolatry. BUT ... to quote Paul Harvey ... here is the rest of the story! The end of the story is in chapter 14. And, if you belong to God, if you are part of His people, it is your story as well.
Notice with me God's artistic descriptions of the joy of restoration ...
verse 5 ... "he will blossom like a lily" ... God will restore beauty to Israel. Sin is ugly and brings ruin and destruction. God promises beauty. God can, and will, restore beauty. And He wants to restore beauty to your life ... in Him.
verse 5 ... "like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots, his young shoots will grow" ... God will restore strength to Israel. Sin weakens us. It prohibits growth and it saps us of all strength. God can, and will, restore strength. And He wants to restore strength to your life ... in Him.
verse 6 ... "his splendor will be like an olive tree" ... God will restore value to Israel. Sin robs us of our worth. It devalues us ... makes us worthless. Olive oil in Hosea's day was a precious commodity. It would be comparable to petroleum in our day! God can, and will, restore value. And He want to restore value to your life ... in Him.
verse 6 ... "his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon" ... Fragrance is all about pleasure. It is about delight. God will restore pleasant fragrance to Israel. Sin produces a stench in our lives. It is more than unpleasant ... it is the stench of death. God can, and will, restore fragrance to life and make it a delight. And He wants to restore fragrance to your life ... in Him.
verse 7 ... "he will flourish like the grain, and blossom like a vine" ... God will restore abundance to Israel. Sin robs us of abundant life. We can have a great deal of money ... but be in poverty of spirit. Jesus told us that He came so that we could experience "abundant life". God can, and will, restore abundant life to Israel. And He wants to restore abundance to your life ... in Him. Abundance means fullness in Him ... plenty ... overflowing ... "my cup overflows" (Psalm 23) kind of life.
So ... Hosea ends his message by asking, "Who is wise?" "Who is discerning?" He answers his own questions ... it is the man, the woman, who knows that the ways of the LORD are right. It is the man, the woman who intentionally chooses to walk in them. Do you? Will you?
God promises restoration to His people who will return to Him with their whole hearts. That's my prayer for myself today ... and you ... it is time to seek the Lord.
Our Father, thank you for revealing the intensity of Your love for Your people through these messages from Hosea. Thank you for revealing the seriousness of idolatry and arrogance. We say together, with one heart and one mind, from every corner where this prayer is read ... You are righteous. You are worthy of all praise and adoration. You are the only living God. You alone we worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment