Fatherhood

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The New International Version Chapter 12

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

I’ve been going through Hosea for my personal devotions so. Typically, wherever I am in my devotions, my sermons come from. God has been really slowing me down & teaching me in this book. At the rate I am going, I am not sure if I am going to be getting out of this book before the end of this summer. It may very well take me through the end of the year.

First we need to understand the context in which this prophecy is written.

Hosea is considered the “Deathbed Prophet” for the nation of Israel. He is the last prophet speaks to her & his marriage is an analogy for God’s relationship with Israel. Hosea, literally marries a prostitute, knowing that she will be unfaithful to him.

Chapter 2:1-13 speaks to the list of legitimate charges that God has against Israel. Here, I think we get a sneak peak as to how Israel got there.

Text

Hosea 4:1–3 ESV

1 Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; 2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Text Comparison:

ESV: There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;

LEB: There is no faithfulness or loyalty, there is no knowledge of God in the land.

NIV: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.

NLT: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.

AV1873: Because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

NASB95: Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land.

NKJV: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.

Here are some take aways that I see from these verses.

I really think that it is important that we verse 1. There seems to be a trail here. Faithfulness, Steadfast Love, No Knowledge of God (in the land)

Faithfulness:

622 אֱמֶת (ʾěměṯ): n.fem.; ≡ Str 571; TWOT 116k—1. LN 31.82–31.101 faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, i.e., a state or condition of being dependable and loyal to a person or standard (); 2. LN 72.1–72.11 true, certain, sure, i.e., that which conforms to reality, and is so certain not to be false (), see also domain LN 70; 3. LN 88.39–88.45 honesty, integrity, i.e., be in a state or condition of telling the truth, and living according to a moral standard (); 4. LN 33.35–33.68 unit: כְּתָב אֱמֶת (keṯāḇ ʾěměṯ) a reliable book, formally, Book of Truth, i.e., a writing in a heavenly scroll giving details of future things, with a focus on both certainty and reliability (+); 5. LN 67.78–67.117 lasting, enduring, i.e., a duration of time, without reference to other points of time ()

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

“There is no truth or mercyOr knowledge of God in the land.

Some of the other uses for this word:

Or knowledge of God in the land.

Truth, Truthful

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Faith, Faithful, Faithfully

Security

Sure

Right

Trustworthy

What is … True

Assured

Firmness

Constancy

When I think of these words, I think of my relationship with my wife. What would happen if I bailed on her & wasn’t faithful. I wouldn’t be able to have 20 years of marriage . My marriage is based solely on relationship & presence. You have to be present to maintain relationship.

I am convinced of 1 absolute truth: You cannot enter God’s presence & remain the same!

You will be molded more into His image

You will have a harder heart due to your resistance of Him

Everything starts with maintaining presence with God. This is the first & foremost thing we were created for - Relationship with Him. It is so important that we get in God’s Word & spend time with Him everyday. If we are not spending time in His presence, we are losing perspective of who we were created to be

English Standard Version Chapter 2

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I really think that it is important that we verse 1. There seems to be a trail here.

So the first area of the slide for Israel was they failed to be in God’s presence. The second, because they failed to get in God’s presence, they lost a “Steadfast Love”. Also translated as: Loyalty; Love; Kindness; Mercy;

Chapter 2:1-13 speaks to the list of legitimate charges that God has against Israel. Here, I think we get a sneak peak as to how Israel got there.

When we do not have a steady diet of God’s presence, we lose the value of human life. We lose simple kindness. We begin to forget how much mercy has been extended to us, so we no longer extend mercy to others.

Finally, we move to a point where there is no knowledge of God in the land. Notice the progression. The sad thing here is that in this culture, this is a patriarchal society where you could have up to 4 generations of a family under the same roof, and nobody had any knowledge of God.

The families back in that day, while there were kings & priests, the real local leaders were the patriarchs, or “Fathers”. I am convinced that if the men in that day were faithful in getting in God’s presence, the condition of Isreal would have been very different.

Let me ask you, do you see any correlation to society today? What we see around us now? Let me read to you verse 2:

Hosea 4:2 ESV

2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Swearing here, literally means that they would try to ask for divine judgment on their enemies. This sounds like a horrible society to live in doesn’t it. All this started because Israel failed to be faithful in getting into God’s presence.

So What?

Just imagine we look at this example & go in the opposite direction. What if we become faithful to get in God’s presence daily? What would our society look like if we had a bunch of men that led the way? Our society could look very different, if we took the time to get to know our heavenly Father, who made a point that we are able to know him.

If we go that far south by staying out of God’s presence, what would it look like by being faithful in getting in His presence daily. God wants us to know Him!

Just imagine the community we can affect & build if we are taking the time to get in God’s presence. Then we won’t have to

Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers John Chrysostom (347–407)

Listen carefully to me, I entreat you.… [P]rocure books that will be medicines for the soul.… At least get a copy of the New Testament, the Apostle’s epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If you encounter grief, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from them comfort for your trouble, whether it be loss, or death, or bereavement over the loss of relations. Don’t simply dive into them. Swim in them. Keep them constantly in your mind. The cause of all evils is the failure to know the Scriptures well.

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