Hosea 7 (résumé): Ephraim is a flat cake

Hosea 7 carries on with the indictment of the northern kingdom of Israel which is also called Ephraim. "The sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed... their sins engulf them... they are all adulterers... all of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers... Ephraim mixes with nations and is a flat cake not turned over... Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless... woe to them because they have strayed from me... they do not cry to me from their hearts... they do not turn to the most high... and they will be ridiculed in Egypt".

Deaf Service

Last night we held a special service for the deaf with a church full including 16 deaf people. I led the service and deaf pastor Luiz Carlos preached on 'Obedience to God', based on John 14:23-28, with interpreter Daysa transmitting the message to the non-deaf. Before the message the deaf presented a short drama, and afterwards the deaf choir did a song. It was a lovely service. 

If anyone is able to help us build the new church at Ipueira we need 6 windows at £100 each and we need 4 doors at £300 each. Please send your donations to the EAB treasurer. Last week we put the roof on the church. We plan to inaugurate the church before the end of the year. Please pray!

Hosea 6 (résumé): Israel unrepentant

Hosea 6 shows Israel discussing returning to the Lord yet God sees this as superficial and lacking in commitment. The text shows that initially Israel cogitates: "Come let us return to the Lord, he has torn us to pieces but he will heal us... let us acknowledge the Lord... as surely as the sun rises he will appear". However God sees through their apparent reconciliation and reacts: "Your love is like the morning mist... therefore I cut you in pieces... for I desire mercy rather than sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings... but like Adam they have broken the covenant... committing shameful crimes... Ephraim is given to prostitution and Israel is defiled. Also for you Judah a harvest is appointed".

Hosea 5 (résumé): Judgement against Israel

 Hosea 5 condemns the Jews for insistent idolatry and warns that judgement is approaching. He initially condemns the priests: "Hear this, you priests... judgement is against you... Ephraim turned to prostitution and Israel is corrupt... a spirit of prostitution is in their hearts... Israel's arrogance testifies against them... they are unfaithful to the Lord... Ephraim will be laid waste... I will pour out my wrath on Judah... I will tear them to pieces... in their misery they will earnestly seek me".

Hosea 4 (résumé): The charge against Israel

Hosea brings a formal legal charge against Israel for having broken their covenant. "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land... the land mourns because of this... you stumble day and night and the prophets stumble with you... because you have ignored the law of God I will ignore your children... it will be like people, like priests and I will punish both... they have deserted the Lord to turn to prostitution... they consult a wooden idol... a spirit of prostitution leads them astray... a people without understanding will come to ruin... the Israelites are stubborn like a stubborn heifer... a whirlwind will sweep them away and their sacrifices will bring them shame!"

Hosea 3 (résumé): Hosea's reconciliation with his wife

Hosea 3 shows how God's redeeming love is greater than our unfaithfulness and God tells Hosea to go and love his wife again even though she is an adulteress and "is loved by another". Gomer is now apparently enslaved to her lover but God tells Hosea to go and buy her back - go and redeem her. So he went and redeemed her paying 170 grams of silver plus 330 litres of barley and they returned to living as faithful husband and wife once again. The chapter closes referring to Israel's exile followed by their return when they will "seek the Lord and David their king... and they will have blessings in the last days".

Major Prophets

Yesterday I completed my summary of the Book of Daniel and thus concluded all the Major Prophets, 862 chapters of the Bible, and 72.5% of the Bible. Now its on to the Book of Hosea and all the other Minor Prophets.

Yesterday evening Liz and I went to the annual children's special festival held this year at the Pastor Frank Dyer School south of the River Espinharas in Patos. It was a lovely joyful time of praising Jesus with singing and dancing and the very clear presentation of the Gospel. The children clearly enjoyed it and so did we. 😄