WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday May 31, 2020
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PURSUE LOVE AND JUSTICE
(GOD loves and pursues even the
unfaithful)
(Hosea 11:1-10 and 12:1-14)
The Book of Hosea consists
of two distinct sections. The first section focuses on his personal life, while
the second section focuses more on his messages from GOD. Hosea prophesied to
the northern kingdom of Israel prior to its fall to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.
His ministry spanned around 40 years, and he was a contemporary to Amos, Isaiah,
and Micah, who also ministered and prophesied to other parts of northern Israel
at that time.
Hosea’s unhappy home life was used by GOD
to symbolically depict how unhappy HE HIMSELF was about the state of affairs in
the nation of Israel. And just as Gomer, Hosea’s wife, constantly left him for
a life of prostitution, so too, we constantly to leave GOD, and make ourselves
prostitutes, to the world’s ways of doing things. However, just as Hosea
continued to bring Gomer back under his roof of protection, so too GOD
continues to love us, and restore us, back into HIS glorious favor as well.
In the Old Testament Hebrew, the word most
often used for “love” is “aheb”, and it describes “the motivation by which GOD
restrains HIMSELF from destroying us because of our disobedience to HIM and HIS
Word”. Love is the one controlling element in GOD’s relationship with HIS
sinful people, who call HIM, “their GOD and SAVIOR”. It explains why, through
Abraham’s seed, GOD sent CHRIST JESUS to save us from ourselves, and particularly,
from our bad choices.
Through GOD’s love, we are freed from the
bondage of sin. However, as GOD’s greatest creation (who has been given wills
that are free), we must still “choose” whether or not we wish to walk away from
the plantation of the cruel “slave master of darkness”, satan, and start
walking in “the newness of life and light”, that GOD has blessed us with,
through CHRIST JESUS.
Here in Hosea chapter 11, the author of GOD
gives us a vivid description of how we have abandoned the FATHER WHO taught us
how to walk. Here in verses 1-4 we find being presented, the very imagery of a
young toddler who is just learning how to walk. Here we can also envision the
child being encouraged by the concerned parent, who patiently holds on to the
hand of this dependent child, gently reminding him or her, that, whenever they
stumble, everything can still be okay if they repent and move back into “the Most High faith”, and then, “hold
fast to their commitment to GOD”.
And so, in this passage, “the language of
love” continues to dominate the book of Hosea, but now, it moves from the
depiction of “marital love”, that was clearly seen in chapters 1-3, to a vision
of “parental love” that is clearly seen here in chapter 11.
In Deuteronomy 21:18-21, we see contained
in the Law of Moses, a seemingly, very harsh way, by today’s standards, of
dealing with disobedient children. There we see a child being taken into a, somewhat,
quasi-courtroom setting, where he must appear before the leaders of the town,
because of his continued defiant acts against his parents. There the child is
found guilty, and is actually sentenced to be stoned to death, by those
leaders.
Here in Hosea 11 however, we see “GOD’s
anger and judgment” being overcome by “HIS love for Israel”, which is depicted
as “HIS child” in this book. Instead of wiping Israel out of existence, GOD
says that, for their rebellious ways, HE will send them back into captivity, as
they once were in Egypt.
This time however, GOD would use Assyria to
capture and enslave Israel in 722 B.C. (Vs.5-6). And although Israel had
continued to acknowledge GOD as being “Most High” with their lips, they did not
show HIM honor through their behavior, as they constantly indulged themselves
in idolatry, and many other perverse activities of the surrounding pagan
nations.
True followers of the GOD in Heaven already
know that obedience to GOD is the only way to truly show that we love, worship,
and honor HIM (v.7). And JESUS, our literal LORD and SAVIOR, teaches us that
the only way to prove our love for HIM is by “obeying HIM”, and, by “loving
others”. And we must do as JESUS, our human example and role model, did, during
HIS short human lifespan here on earth. After all, “imitation” has always been “the
greatest form of flattery”.
And so, in verse 8 we see GOD seemingly
tormenting over what HE should do as a form of punishment for HIS beloved
Israel. Should HE utterly destroy them, as HE did Admah and Zeboiim, or should
HE just “spank them” and let them live? Admah and Zeboiim, which is mentioned
here in this verse, were two of the five cities (along with Sodom, Gomorrah,
and Bela) that were destroyed by GOD, because of their defiant sins against HIM
(Genesis 19:24-25, Deuteronomy 29:23).
In verse 9 of this chapter we see GOD making
the decision, this time, to not let HIS anger dictate the degree of Israel’s
deserved punishment (which is death), as HE did with those sinful communities in
earlier days. Instead, GOD reasons that HE alone is the HOLY ONE living among
HIS people, and that, HE would not deal with them, this time, as mere humans
would, by killing everyone.
Here we see that GOD, because of HIS
sovereignty, does not have to deal with all situations the same way, but
rather, HE can deal with HIS creation as HE pleases, or as HE sees fit at the
time (Daniel 4:17, Romans 9:14-15). The decision of death, though called for
under GOD’s OWN Law for Israel’s sin, is, in this particular case, foregone. Here
GOD simply allows “HIS love for HIS people”, to overcome “HIS wrath against
them”.
In Hosea chapter 12, taking up at verse 1,
GOD says that northern Israel surrounds HIM with “lies and deceit” (“mirmah”),
while Judah (southern Israel) was still walking with HIM at that time, and was
faithful. The people of northern Israel “fed on the wind” and “chased after the
winds of the east”, making alliances with the eastern nations of Assyria and
Egypt, instead of trusting in GOD for protection. Now the LORD GOD was bringing
a lawsuit, so to speak, against HIS beloved nation of Israel (v.2).
In verse 6 Hosea implores his people to “return
to GOD before it was too late” and start acting on “the principals of love and
justice” that are called for in GOD’s Word! He urged them to always live in “confident
dependence” on GOD, not man!
However, the Israelites, for the most part,
rejected Hosea’s pleas, and chose instead, to continue on, in their crafty,
dishonest ways of doing business. They loved to boast about how rich they had
made themselves, and they never were willing to admit to their “cheating” and
dishonest methods of doing business with their own people, and, especially with
foreigners (Vs.8-9). They had totally forgotten that their GOD, the true GOD in
Heaven, perpetually see all, hears all, and knows all that we do.
In this book of Hosea, GOD’s overwhelming
compassion for HIS “chosen people” is highlighted by much insight into “HIS true
and divine nature”. However, we must always remember, that, “GOD’s grace and
mercy” will never trump “GOD’s truth”. However, we must also remember that “GOD
is love”, and “HIS love” will always trump “HIS Law”. Love that suffers and
finds its own inner conflict, will, eventually, always find a solution.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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