Hosea 3-4

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

The general theme of these two chapters seems to be; follow the Lord and be blessed OR Don’t follow the Lord and be cursed! “…I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings.” (Hosea 4:9)

Essentially we need to understand that there is good and evil, right and wrong, righteous and un-righteous. We will NOT be saved by faith alone, but also by our good works! Jesus Christ died for our sins, this is a fact. But it doesn’t mean that we get a free pass back to our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ simply opened the door to salvation for us, through the shedding of His blood. He atoned for our sins, because we were incapable of paying the price of Salvation alone! The door is open, and that is FREE. We have to choose for ourselves whether or not we want make the appropriate decisions to make it to that doorway and then finally pass through. This part of the journey through life is OUR doing, we have power and control over our own lives to make it to and pass through that doorway. This is where our good works help us to make it there and then through Jesus Christ he grants us the ability to be saved.

Chapter 3: Israel shall seek God

The Lord commands Hosea to go back and love Gomer. Hosea buys Gomer with fifteen pieces of silver, and one and a half a homer of barley. The children of Israel will be deprived of their sacrifices and without their king, but then return to seek the Lord. Essentially the message here is that we can be deprived of the Lord in our own lives, but we need to return to Him. If we do return to the Lord we will be blessed in the Last Days.

Chapter 4: Israel loves all truth

Israel loses all truth, mercy and the knowledge of God. “…because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the Land.” (Hosea 4:1) The people of Israel have rejected knowledge and have forgotten the law of God; “…because thou hast rejected knowledge… seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6. People of ancient Israel and the people of the last days and through all generations have forgotten the Lord and have gone away from His word. Why? Because they pass through periods known as Apostasy. Apostasy occurs when people forget, pervert or change the ways of God, His commandments and teachings!

In the last days the Lord has revealed new WORD, known simply as the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! When presented the New Testament, the Old Testament does not lose favor or position in our eyes, both Old and New Testaments compliment each other, so does the Book of Mormon compliment the Bible.  Because of the evil in Israel… the land will mourn, and all who dwell there shall waste away. The priests are corrupt and ineffective. The Lord condemns idolatry and harlotry.  Israel is compared to a stubborn calf, which will be left to forage in open country. So will we be left in the last days if we do not accept his teachings and follow his commandments.