Read Hosea 13
Many of the
former charges against Israel are reiterated in this passage. Israel had become ungrateful to the Lord and
had gone after idols of their own choosing (vs. 1-2). God’s people had forgotten who had redeemed
them out of Egypt and cared for them on their way to the Promised Land. They failed to acknowledge Him and all that
He had done for them (v. 4-6). Their
prosperity led to their forgetting the Lord.
The imagery of a lion, leopard and bear is used to depict God’s judgment
that is coming for them (v. 7-8). In
verses 9-11 the Lord emphasized Israel’s coming destruction. They had begged for a king and now there was
no human leader or ruler who could save them. God’s intention was to punish His people (v.
12-14) as their sins had been stored up for the future and now that future had
come. They were like a child who refused
to be born, which is fatal. Israel was
warned that a scorching east wind was about to come (v. 15). They will pay a heavy price for their
iniquity (v. 16).
Prayer and Journaling
1. Ask the Lord to show you ten things in your life
that you can be grateful for. Try to
include at least three hardships. Spend
some time in thanksgiving prayer, thanking God for each of these things.
2. Ask the Lord to show you three ways in which He
has been working in your life. Thank Him
for each of these things.
3. Pray for believers to recognize the hand of the
Lord in their lives and to remember all that He does for them. Pray for an increase in thankfulness in the
church.
