Hosea 9

Land is a central theme of Biblical Faith. In Genesis 12:7 we are told that the Lord appeared to Abraham and said, “To your offspring I will give this land – Canaan the land flowing with milk and honey“. So the land of Canaan was a Gift from God to the Israelites.

📝 After liberation from Egypt, the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, and 40 years of wilderness wanderings, Israel stands at the river Jordan, ready to enter the Promised Land. This is one of the most critical moments in the entire history of salvation.

📝 In Leviticus 25:23 God made himself clear – Israel’s continuing residence in the promised land would be conditional: “The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants” and ” ONGOING OBEDIENCE to God’s command ” is the condition for residency (Deut 4:1)

📝 In today’s reading passage it is mentioned that “Israelites will not remain in the Lord’s land for they were unfaithful to Him ” (v 2-3). Israelites have failed the test and faced EVICTION.

HOW ARE THE ISRAELITES TO UNDERSTAND AND FULFIL THEIR VOCATION in the new land?

1️⃣ Land as Gift: The gifted land (Canaan) is covenanted land. The Jordan is entry not into safe space but into a context of covenant.
📌 Every good and perfect GIFT is from above, and we are called to be God’s Steward – Tenants over the gifts.

2️⃣ Land as Temptation: It can be seductive. For the land may give the people a sense of security so that they no longer remember their identity as people of Yahweh, delivered from slavery in Egypt, covenanted with the Lord who delivered them.
📌 The possibility remains that Israel might lose the land if they forget and abandon their covenant with Yahweh.

3️⃣ Land as Responsibility: It is precisely at the entrance to the Promised Land that they must review the Law given to them at Sinai. They can find the necessary guidance for their life in the Law.
📌 The keeping of the Law is not simply to please the Lord but also to maintain their roots and identity as liberated slaves, so that all might enjoy the fullness of life.

4️⃣ Land as Threat: Given the new security of possessing their own land, Israel might forget her real identity as a liberated people gifted with this land and fail to trust in Yahweh.
Granted the possibility of organizing their society to gain power and wealth, they might abandon their covenant with Yahweh and its Sabbath obligations. This might even lead them to adopt other gods.
📌 The people of Israel might lose their Faith, their Identity, their Social Experiment and their Land.

💫 The Lord will have compassion upon the house of Israel with the following instructions (Hos 10:12):
🔖 Sow the seeds of righteousness
🔖 Reap the fruit of unfailing love
🔖 Break up the unplowed ground
🔖 Seek the Lord
🔖 Wait on Him for his blessing.

Let us learn from the mistakes of Israelites; stand firm in faith; trust and obey Him, and prepare ourselves with all the condition for the heavenly residence (John 14:1-2)

🙏 Lord, I’m only a stranger on this earth. Help me not only to steward my responsibilities here, but also to continue to keep my eyes focused on heaven, my real home 🛐

Glory to God 🙌
✍🏻 Mark Boje, ArP 🇮🇳

When He Abandons

Hosea 9:12 “….When I abandon these people, terrible things will happen to them.”

🔹The worst thing that could happen to any individual is the absence of God in his/her life.
🔹The hedge of God’s protection is removed and we are susceptible at every point to the ravenous darts of the enemy.
🔹But how exactly did Israel arrive at this pathetic platform?
🔹The answer comes in Hosea 8:14 “The people of Israel have built palaces, but they have forgotten their own Maker.”
🔹Prosperity had jeopardised their normal thought process.
🔹They decided not to acknowledge their Giver, and began attributing their accomplishments to self.
🔹These events should be a sordid warning to each of us.
🔹Even if we have forgotten our Maker, we can still make a U turn and embrace Him as our all in all.
🔹Till there exists a period of grace, it never is too late.
🔹Let us trust in God with all of our hearts and minds, so that we are close to Him and always by His side, something that even He desires.

🤔 Points to ponder

➡️Have I forgotten my maker?
➡️What amends do I need to make?
➡️Do I acknowledge my fault and repent?
➡️Do I trust in God or my personal abilities?

🛐
Loving Heavenly Father
Help me lean on you all the time because you are all that I desire. Help me be a Kingdom minded child of yours.
In Jesus name
Amen

AK ✍🏻