Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

 Hosea 1:1-11

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. Hosea 1:10-11

I've started a study of Hosea, the first book of the minor prophets (named for their brevity in comparison to the major prophets books which are longer).  My focus this morning is Hosea 1:1-11, where the Lord commands the prophet Hosea to take a prostitute as a wife - mirroring how God feels about Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V2: To make it clear that God sees Israel as unfaithful, God commands Hosea to take a prostitute as his wife. God is a jealous God, yet He is not jealous like a husband or wife of an unfaithful spouse.  He is not jealous of the worldly objects of our affections - He is jealous for us.  John Piper puts it this way: He is jealous and has zeal "for his own worth, [and] also for our joy."  In vv10-11, we see God promising restoration of Israel and Judah, including unification under one (vs two) king - pointing to Jesus.        
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Vv4-9 God punishes how He sees fit - in this case, Israel is punished more harshly than Judah - yet both the northern (Israel) and southern kingdom (were sinful).  We must acknowledge that all sin and fall short of the glory of God - so not one person can claim to be sinless and all are deserving of punishment (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 1 John 1:8). V7 makes it clear that it is not their strength that saves them but by His mercy and hand alone.  In the same way, God alone saves and we should not boast of earning our salvation.      
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to avoid unfaithfulness to God - falling in love with things of this world above God.  We are to claim the promise that God is always faithful - He made a promise to Abraham, and He makes a promise to all believers, and all of His promises find their yes in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).  We are to follow the example of Christ who forgives. Love God and love others as God loves and forgives us.   

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My Prayer: Father God, thank You for saving me, despite my sin and unfaithfulness.  Thank You for Your faithfulness to me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me daily.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.