God PROMISES to BLESS US when we REPENT/RETURN to HIM!
September
19 Bible Reading: Hosea Chapters 13-14
God PROMISES to BLESS US when we REPENT/RETURN to HIM!
"O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled
because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to
Him, 'Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the
sacrifices of our lips.'" (Hosea 14:1-2)
This final
section of Hosea’s prophecy begins with a call to repentance that includes a
model prayer as well. Israel is called to repentance and is given the words of
confession to use when they pray to God. Although the people of Israel
abandoned God, God still loved them as they were His own people that he had
redeemed from the Egyptian slavery. What God desired from the people of Israel was
that they pray for His gracious forgiveness; repent and renew their allegiance
to Him by renouncing foreign alliances (e.g. Assyria), their own military
strength (the horses of Egypt), and the artificial gods that they were trusting
so far.
Thus, Hosea’s
message is the same as all the other prophets that Israel should repent and return
to Jehovah God (v. 1). They had committed gross sin against God that had been
their downfall (v. 1b). The prophet Hosea now pleads with them to turn to
Jehovah God and seek His forgiveness (v. 2a). The people had to offer to
Jehovah God the sacrifice of their lips (v. 2b). So far, the people of Israel
had used their lips to praise their idols (calves), but they were now to use
their lips to praise Jehovah God. They will recognize that only Jehovah God was their protector; and only in Him do the
fatherless (who are the most helpless) find mercy and protection (v. 3b). When
the people of Israel return to God in repentance, many blessings of God await
them (see vv. 4–8).
It is therefore
significant to note that Hosea closes with an encouraging word of forgiveness
and restoration despite Israel’s rebellion and apostasy. Just like Hosea loved
Gomer (his unfaithful and adulterous wife) and restored her, so God will love
Israel again and restore her if she repents and returns to Him. They had to acknowledge
that Jehovah God was their only hope
for salvation!
The same
principle is applicable for our lives today. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the
love story of God’s compassionate love towards us. It begins with unconditional
forgiveness, and the only condition that God demands from us is that we repent
(turn away from our wrong doings) and return to Him. We need to trust in the
sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross as the punishment for our sins. "For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
The
sacrifices that God desires are words of
true repentance! God does not want our outward material sacrifices but ‘sacrifices of our lips’ with words that
come out of a remorseful heart. "The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O
God, You will not despise." (Psalms 51:17)
