Bible

Today in the Bible room, we conclude the summary of the book of Hosea, reading Session 4, chapters 11 through 14.

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Hosea – Session 4 of 4

Chapter 11. Bands

With gentle cords, and with bands of love, the Lord loved Israel:

• In an earlier time, He led them out of the land of Egypt;
• Then, they began to worship idols;
• They did not know the Lord was helping them;
• He delivered them out of slavery, and fed them;
• They will not go back into the slavery of Egypt;
• But they will serve under the nation of Assyria;
• The Lord’s heart is with Israel; He has sympathy for them;
• Even while Israel remains full of lies and deceit.

Chapter 12. Failures

The Lord says both Israel and Judah have serious failures in serving Him:

• Israel has made wrong agreements with Egypt and Assyria;
• From the beginning, Judah has a history of wrong choices;
• The Lord tells them, He will help them to return to Him;
• He has sent them prophets to tell them what to do;
• He brought them out of Egypt and preserved them;
• But Israel has failed the Lord and will be punished.

Chapter 13. Savior

The Lord tells His people He is their only savior:

• Israel is continuing to sin more and more;
• Their skilled craftsmen are making images for them to worship;
• But the Lord will always be their only God and savior;
• In time past He brought them out of the desert;
• He provided food and water for them and their animals;
• Then, they became proud and forgot the Lord;
• He says they will be under an attack like that of wild animals;
• And, once again, He will be there to save them;
• They have a history of needing help from the Lord;
• And He has always been there in their time of need;
• For now, Israel is doing well and prospering;
• But Samaria is going to be attacked and plundered.

Chapter 14. Return

The prophet pleads with Israel to return to the Lord:

• They should ask the Lord to forgive their sins;
• And they should depend on Him and not the Assyrians;
• The Lord says He loves them, and will take them back;
• He says He will forget their backslidings and restore them;
• When they return to Him, they will leave their idols;
• Then, they will be blessed and prosperous;
• The wise, and the prudent, follow the ways of the Lord;
• For the Lord’s ways are right.

End of Session 4 of 4 of the book of Hosea.

This concludes the summary of the book of Hosea.