何西阿书［第9章］
Book of Hosea 9
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何西阿书［第9章］ |Book of Hosea 9【常常儆醒，及时回转】
10/05/2023
源自于拉丁语Ultimatum。某方提出最后的条件，并表明如果条件不被接受就拉倒或进行严厉的惩罚。在外交上的最后通牒通常是没有谈判余地的最后要求。 如果最后通牒不被接纳，下一步就是严厉的制裁，甚至是宣战。今天，何西亚书第九章，也让我们看到，神透过先知也正在向以色列百姓下放最后通牒。
一、祝福中要常常儆醒（v1-6）
1.敬拜真神要专一
喜爱-性交易；赏赐-妓女的酬劳
经文的背景是以色列百姓在庆祝住棚节的日子。住棚节原本是丰收，向神献上感恩的欢庆日子。可是以色列百姓却在当中参杂了迦南地人祭拜巴力神明的活动。酗酒、跳舞、更可恶的是效法外邦人祭拜巴力时，进行男女欢爱，与庙妓行淫。先知何西阿指出色列民，这样行邪淫离弃神，拜偶像的观念就像妓女一样。妓女只要有赏赐、金钱、酬劳，就可以跟任何人发生关係。只要新酒五穀祝福，以色列不介意是神或偶像，他们就会去拜。
今天有基督徒为了想得到祝福，包括平安、财富、事业顺利、健康、婚姻、孩子学业等，而到处找出路。但会否因为要得到这些而离弃神，拜偶像，甚至行邪术或耍手段呢？
2.恩典时刻要儆醒
已经危在旦夕的以色列百姓，盲目乐观地以为，谷场和酒榨上的丰富证明他们是蒙神祝福的子民。但先知却宣告民间的欢乐将要止息，降罚的日子临近，他们将大祸临头了。
弟兄姐妹，求神让我们有儆醒的灵，常常被圣灵光照，有谦卑悔改的生命。对神的心不要参杂。我们不要一边敬拜神又一边贪爱世界。不要堕入随从世属的宴乐后还盲目的以为可以在今生做财主，来世作拉撒路。
V3审判临到时，百姓要面对粮食的短缺和被掳到亚述为奴。而被掳后，因为是住在灵性死亡之地，所以他们不但只能吃不洁净的食物，所吃的也相当于居丧者的食物。此外，他们也失去了向神守节的机会和欢乐。
神的恩典是有限时的。在神的恩典中堕落是何等的可怜。欢乐变为哀伤，丰富变为缺乏，还有完全失去了自由。此外，V6看哪，他们逃避灾难；埃及人必收殓他们的尸首，摩弗人必葬埋他们的骸骨。他们用银子做的美物上必长蒺藜；他们的帐棚中必生荆棘。
3.忠于所托要出声
何西阿呼吁以色列人不要狂欢庆祝的原因，是因为以色列人道德败坏，且即将遭审判。这样的呼吁目的是希望以色列人认清他们处境，进而悔改归向神。今天作为神的儿女、神的教会，让我们像何西阿一样，忠于神的托负，依照神的标准，对淫乱、犯罪、邪恶的世代发出声音，守护真理，引人归正。
二、不听劝告深深败坏（v7-9）
1.藐视先知的劝告（v7-8）
昨天8:2里，既然以色列百姓说他们认识神了，先知在这里就讽刺的说，如果他们真认识神，就必知道降罚的日子临近，报应的时候来到。但是，以色列百姓不但没有悔改，反而讥笑先知是愚昧狂妄的，甚至痛恨和设法要谋害他。
以色列百姓为什么对先知的话听不进去呢？首先是骄傲。以为自己很认识神了。其次，不喜欢听严厉的话。在国家社会繁荣的背景下，先知公开说国家会灭亡，人民会被虏，这样的话有谁会听得进去？
弟兄姐妹，我们会不会只想听好听的话而不能被人纠正？尤其是当我们的生活很顺利的时刻。
2.继续深深地败坏（v9）
士19，20记载因为便雅悯的基比亚匪徒曾因强暴利未人的妾，玷污凌辱致死而激动众怒，发生内战，自相残杀。以致便雅悯支派差点绝后。
先知何西阿指出，以色列民因为藐视先知的劝告，结果没有反省能力，继续深深地败坏。不断重复列祖先所犯的过失，而且比他们更败坏，正如过去在基比亚的日子所犯可怕的罪行一样。因此神必要追讨他们的罪恶。
三、被神审判漂流列国（v10-17）
神在这段经文里指出2个祂憎恶的事和地方。V10以色列是神立约的子民。神喜爱他们，像在旷野看到香甜的葡萄和初熟的无花果一样。但在摩押他们就被引诱去拜“巴力毗珥‘。
吉甲是以色列百姓厌恶耶和华为王，转而膏立扫罗为王的地方。因为他们厌恶耶和华，因此神说祂憎恶他们。并且要在他们所选择的人事物上，败坏他们。百姓以为拜巴力会带来生育，因此神将灭绝他们的后代，使他们绝子绝孙。他们选择离弃神，求告埃及，投奔亚述，神就让他们飘流在他们所向往列国中，为自己的选择付出代价。如果我们硬颈，坚持悖逆神，就要为自己的选择付出代价。
总结：不要让神这样出手
全能神真的很爱他的子民。相信若有选择，祂都不想对所爱的百姓施行如此重的审判。无奈因百姓的硬颈悖逆，公义神唯有忍痛出手管教。让我们从以色列的历史作为警戒，常常儆醒，及时悔改。不要让神关上恩典之门。更不要让神像对以色列这样的出手，否则就真的没有回转的机会了。
Hosea 9: Be Watchful Always and Turn Back in Time
GK611 Morning Devotion
10/05/2023
The Morning Devotion Speakers: Ps. Deborah
Introduction: Ultimatum
Derived from the Latin Ultimatum. A party puts forward a final condition and indicates that if the condition is not accepted, it will be withdrawn or severely punished. Ultimatums in diplomacy are usually the last demands that are not negotiable. If the ultimatum is not accepted, the next step is severe sanctions or even a declaration of war. Today, Chapter 9 of Hosea also shows us that God is issuing an ultimatum to the people of Israel through the prophets.
1. Always be watchful in blessing (v1-6)
(1) Be focused on worshipping the true God
Favour - the sex trade; Reward - the prostitute's wages
The background of the passage is the day when the people of Israel celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was originally a day of harvest and a celebration of giving thanks to God. However, the people of Israel mixed in the activities of the Canaanites to worship the gods of Baal. Drinking, dancing, and what's more abominable is to imitate the Gentiles when worshipping Baal, having sex with men and women, and committing adultery with temple prostitutes. The prophet Hosea pointed out that the people of Israel practise fornication and forsake God. The concept of idolatry is like a prostitute. A prostitute can have sex with anyone as long as there is a reward, money, and wages. As long as they are blessed with new wine and grain, Israel will worship them, regardless of whether they are gods or idols.
Today, some Christians are looking for ways to obtain blessings, including peace, wealth, a smooth career, health, marriage, and children’s education. But will they forsake God, worship idols, or even practise sorcery or tricks just because they want to get these things?
(2) Be alert when receiving grace
The people of Israel, who were already in dire straits, blindly believed that the abundance of grain fields and winepresses proved that they were a people blessed by God. But the prophets declared that the joy of the people would cease, that the day of judgment was near and that great disaster was upon them.
Brothers and sisters, may God allow us to have a vigilant spirit, be constantly illuminated by the Holy Spirit, and have a life of humility and repentance. Do not mix your heart with God. We should not worship God and love the world at the same time. Don't fall into the pleasures of following the world and blindly think that you can be a rich man in this life and a Lazarus in the next life.
V3 When judgment comes, the people will face food shortages and be taken captive to Assyria as slaves. After being exiled, because they live in a place of spiritual death, not only they can just eat unclean food, but what they eat is equivalent to the food of the mourners. In addition, they also lost the opportunity and joy of keeping feasts with God.
God's grace is limited in time. How pitiful it is to fall from the grace of God. Joy turned to sorrow, abundance to lacking, and loss of freedom completely. Besides, V6 For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents.
3. Be faithful and speak up
The reason Hosea called the Israelites not to rejoice was because the Israelites were immoral and about to be judged. The purpose of such an appeal is to hope that the Israelites will recognise their situation, and then repent and turn to God. Today, as God’s children and God’s church, let us, like Hosea, be faithful to God’s entrustment, speak out against the adulterous, criminal, and evil generation in accordance with God’s standards, guard the truth, and lead people to correction.
2. Not listening to advice and deeply corrupted (v7-9)
(1) Despise the counsel of the prophets (v7-8)
Yesterday at 8:2, since the Israelites said they knew God, the prophet sarcastically said here that if they really knew God, they would know that the day of punishment was approaching, and the time of retribution would come. However, instead of repenting, the people of Israel ridiculed the prophet as being foolish and arrogant and even hated and tried to murder him.
Why did the people of Israel not listen to the words of the prophets? The first is pride. Thought that they knew God very well. Secondly, do not like to listen to harsh words. Compared to the prosperity of the country and society, the prophet openly said that the country would perish, and the people would be captured. Who would listen to such words?
Brothers and sisters, don’t we want to hear good things and not be corrected? Especially when our lives are going well.
(2) Continue to be deeply corrupted (v9)
Judges 19 and 20 recorded that because the bandits of Gibeah in Benjamin had raped the concubines of the Levites, defiled and humiliated them to death, they aroused public outrage, and civil war broke out and they killed each other. As a result, the tribe of Benjamin was almost extinct.
The prophet Hosea pointed out that because the people of Israel ignored the prophet's advice, they were unable to reflect and continued to be deeply corrupted. To repeat the faults of their ancestor, and to be worse than them, as in the days of Gibeah when they were terrible crimes. Therefore, God will punish their sins.
3. Be judged by God and wandering among nations (v10-17)
God pointed out 2 things and places He hates in this passage. V10 Israel is God's covenant people. God loves them like sweet grapes and first-ripe figs in the wilderness. But in Moab, they were enticed to worship "Baal-Peor".
Gilgal was the place where the people of Israel hated Yahweh as king and anointed Saul as king instead. Because they hated the Lord, God said He hated them. And to ruin them in the people and things of their choice. The people thought that worshipping Baal would bring fertility, so God would destroy their offspring, making them utterly childless. They chose to forsake God, appeal to Egypt, and flee to Assyria, and God let them wander among the nations they yearned for, paying the price for their choice. If we stiffen our necks and persist in rebelling against God, we will have to pay the price for our choices.
Conclusion: Don’t let God do this
Almighty God really loves His people. I believe that if He had a choice, He would not want to impose such a heavy judgment on the people He loves. But because of the people's stiff necks and rebellion, the righteous God had no choice but to take pains to discipline them. Let us take the history of Israel as a warning, always watch and repent in time. Don't let God close the door of grace. Let alone let God take action as Israel did, otherwise, there is really no chance of turning back.
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