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HOSEA 12:13-14:9
The prophet condemns Israel for “forsaking the LORD.” Israel was led out of Egypt by the prophet Moses (Moshe) and tended to, provided for by YHVH, yet Israel forsook the LORD, chasing after false gods, going into idolatry. Now the LORD will punish, and his wrath will fall upon his people.
Yet YHVH still loves his people, yet will exact punishment and judgment just like a father, will punish and judge a disobedient son or daughter. Can we expect anything less from Adonai? If we abandon our LORD and live like a lost person, loving the desires of the lost world and the flesh, can we expect anything less than judgment from HIM who set us free from sin?
We always hear "God is Love", "God is kind." "God is good." Yes, yes, all true, but we also need to look at the other side of our creator. He is also a God of wrath and judgment, of discipline. Does this not show how our earthly fathers are? Our fathers showed us love, yet also discipline when we erred. They needed to spank us or punish us to get us on the right path again. Exodus 34 describes God as abundant mercy and long-suffering, slow to anger. The Hebrew idiom, "erech Apaim" (long-suffering or slow to anger) is known as "long nose." We imagine an angry person breathing heavily through their nose, but having a loooooonnnggg nose would mean more patience. But God does have his limits.
Yet there is hope. In Chapter 14, it starts with: “Shuvah Israel ad YHVH Eloheikha” (Return Israel unto the LORD thy God…” There is always hope while we have the breath of life. The words “Ad” or “Ed” have the same Hebrew consonants, “Ayin Dalet,” which can also mean “Witness.”
Adonai witnesses our waywardness as well as our “return” to Him. There is sin, and there is also repentance. This is what he wanted His people to do, this is what He wants US to do, since we are all part of His people. So, don't wait until it is too late. We might feel His chastisement in one way or another in this day and age, yet He still loves us and is calling our attention.
The word "Teshuvah," from which "shuv" is the verb, is "return, turn around, having a change of mind and direction." So the Prophet Hosea calls the attention of wayward Israel to their waywardness. As an example, God told him to marry a prostitute, an unfaithful wife. She found herself on the slave market, yet Hosea bought her back. This is the same way God reaches out to all believers who have gone off the straight path and jumped off the deep end of the pool with cement shoes! He'll break the cement and bring us back if we are willing.
Like Israel, have you gone astray? I think we all have, some more than others. There is hope in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), who paid it all.
John 1:51
This part of John tells of Nathanael's encounter with Yeshua. Early in Yeshua's ministry, when there we only a few disciples, John, Phillip, and Simon Peter, Yeshua saw Nathanael under a fig tree. We might imagine what he might have been doing, perhaps in prayer or just resting. He got up and followed Phillip, and Yeshua saw him and said, "Here is a true son of Israel, nothing false in him." So, we could say that Yeshua looked deep inside of Nathanael and saw the "inner Nathanael. (meaning "a gift of God) God's gift was faith and sincerity. He told him the following:
"You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." This echoes the time that Jacob was fleeing from angry Esau and was headed to Haran, about 400 miles away, to seek a wife (or two). He had a dream of a ladder (Sulam), the Hebrew word meaning for "Sulam" is a "ladder with rungs" or a "Staircase." And angels were descending and ascending on the Son of Man. The identity of the "Sulam" is Yeshua himself. Angels are being sent to serve him, and also, angels are called "messengers."
In Hebraic thought and commentary, the ladder or staircase had 22 rungs or steps symbolizing the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each Hebrew letter has a meaning, so if Yeshua is the ladder, then we get to God the Father through the Son, as in John 14:6. Each step or rung could be part of our relationship with the LORD, "Aleph" being God, "Beit" (B) Household of faith "Gimmel" (G) greatness in our relationship "Dalet' (D) "Yeshua as the "Door" as in John 10:9. Like I said, it is commentary, but don't we all advance in life with the LORD step-by-step, and rung-by-rung?
Now Nathanael was not living at the time of Jacob, but Jacob's name was changed to "Israel," so Nathanael being a "Son of Israel," can mean that "Yes, indeed, he is a descendant of Jacob, and he has the faith of Jacob. But now, Nathanael will see that Heaven has indeed opened and Yeshua has come down from Heaven to minister on Earth, and indeed, the angels will be at his service. Who knows how many times angels have gotten us out of fixes and situations, being instructed by God? We will find out in heaven, and hopefully will meet our guardian angel.
Shalom, have a blessed rest of the week.
The prophet condemns Israel for “forsaking the LORD.” Israel was led out of Egypt by the prophet Moses (Moshe) and tended to, provided for by YHVH, yet Israel forsook the LORD, chasing after false gods, going into idolatry. Now the LORD will punish, and his wrath will fall upon his people.
Yet YHVH still loves his people, yet will exact punishment and judgment just like a father, will punish and judge a disobedient son or daughter. Can we expect anything less from Adonai? If we abandon our LORD and live like a lost person, loving the desires of the lost world and the flesh, can we expect anything less than judgment from HIM who set us free from sin?
We always hear "God is Love", "God is kind." "God is good." Yes, yes, all true, but we also need to look at the other side of our creator. He is also a God of wrath and judgment, of discipline. Does this not show how our earthly fathers are? Our fathers showed us love, yet also discipline when we erred. They needed to spank us or punish us to get us on the right path again. Exodus 34 describes God as abundant mercy and long-suffering, slow to anger. The Hebrew idiom, "erech Apaim" (long-suffering or slow to anger) is known as "long nose." We imagine an angry person breathing heavily through their nose, but having a loooooonnnggg nose would mean more patience. But God does have his limits.
Yet there is hope. In Chapter 14, it starts with: “Shuvah Israel ad YHVH Eloheikha” (Return Israel unto the LORD thy God…” There is always hope while we have the breath of life. The words “Ad” or “Ed” have the same Hebrew consonants, “Ayin Dalet,” which can also mean “Witness.”
Adonai witnesses our waywardness as well as our “return” to Him. There is sin, and there is also repentance. This is what he wanted His people to do, this is what He wants US to do, since we are all part of His people. So, don't wait until it is too late. We might feel His chastisement in one way or another in this day and age, yet He still loves us and is calling our attention.
The word "Teshuvah," from which "shuv" is the verb, is "return, turn around, having a change of mind and direction." So the Prophet Hosea calls the attention of wayward Israel to their waywardness. As an example, God told him to marry a prostitute, an unfaithful wife. She found herself on the slave market, yet Hosea bought her back. This is the same way God reaches out to all believers who have gone off the straight path and jumped off the deep end of the pool with cement shoes! He'll break the cement and bring us back if we are willing.
Like Israel, have you gone astray? I think we all have, some more than others. There is hope in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), who paid it all.
John 1:51
This part of John tells of Nathanael's encounter with Yeshua. Early in Yeshua's ministry, when there we only a few disciples, John, Phillip, and Simon Peter, Yeshua saw Nathanael under a fig tree. We might imagine what he might have been doing, perhaps in prayer or just resting. He got up and followed Phillip, and Yeshua saw him and said, "Here is a true son of Israel, nothing false in him." So, we could say that Yeshua looked deep inside of Nathanael and saw the "inner Nathanael. (meaning "a gift of God) God's gift was faith and sincerity. He told him the following:
"You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." This echoes the time that Jacob was fleeing from angry Esau and was headed to Haran, about 400 miles away, to seek a wife (or two). He had a dream of a ladder (Sulam), the Hebrew word meaning for "Sulam" is a "ladder with rungs" or a "Staircase." And angels were descending and ascending on the Son of Man. The identity of the "Sulam" is Yeshua himself. Angels are being sent to serve him, and also, angels are called "messengers."
In Hebraic thought and commentary, the ladder or staircase had 22 rungs or steps symbolizing the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each Hebrew letter has a meaning, so if Yeshua is the ladder, then we get to God the Father through the Son, as in John 14:6. Each step or rung could be part of our relationship with the LORD, "Aleph" being God, "Beit" (B) Household of faith "Gimmel" (G) greatness in our relationship "Dalet' (D) "Yeshua as the "Door" as in John 10:9. Like I said, it is commentary, but don't we all advance in life with the LORD step-by-step, and rung-by-rung?
Now Nathanael was not living at the time of Jacob, but Jacob's name was changed to "Israel," so Nathanael being a "Son of Israel," can mean that "Yes, indeed, he is a descendant of Jacob, and he has the faith of Jacob. But now, Nathanael will see that Heaven has indeed opened and Yeshua has come down from Heaven to minister on Earth, and indeed, the angels will be at his service. Who knows how many times angels have gotten us out of fixes and situations, being instructed by God? We will find out in heaven, and hopefully will meet our guardian angel.
Shalom, have a blessed rest of the week.
