Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 63
HOSEA 9:10
He will surely punish them for their
sins.
The Lord says, “O Israel, when I first
found you,
it was like finding fresh grapes in the
desert.
When I saw your ancestors,
it was like seeing the first ripe figs of
the season.
But then they deserted me for Baal-peor,
giving themselves to that shameful
idol.
Soon they became vile,
as vile as the god they worshipped.
11 The glory of Israel will fly away like a
bird,
for your children will not be born
or grow in the womb
or even be conceived.
12 Even if you do have children who grow up,
I will take them from you.
It will be a terrible day when I turn away
and leave you alone.
13 I have watched Israel become as
beautiful as Tyre.
But now Israel will bring out her
children for slaughter.”
10
14
O Lord, what should I request for your
people?
I will ask for wombs that don’t give
birth
and breasts that give no milk.
The Lord says, “All their wickedness
began at Gilgal;
there I began to hate them.
I will drive them from my land
because of their evil actions.
I will love them no more
because all their leaders are rebels.
16 The people of Israel are struck down.
Their roots are dried up,
and they will bear no more fruit.
And if they give birth,
I will slaughter their beloved
children.”
15
17
My God will reject the people of Israel
because they will not listen or obey.
62
9:10
Num 25:1-9
2 Kgs 17:15
9:11
Hos 4:7
9:12
Hos 7:13
9:15
Isa 1:23
Hos 7:2; 12:2
Amos 4:4; 5:5
9:16
Ezek 24:21
10:1
1 Kgs 14:23
Isa 5:1-7
Ezek 15:1-5
Hos 8:11; 12:11
10:2
1 Kgs 18:21
Hos 10:8
Mic 5:13
Zeph 1:5
10:4
Ps 12:4
Hos 4:2
10:5
Hos 8:5
10:6
Hos 10:5
10:8
Hos 5:8; 9:6;
10:5
*Luke 23:30
Rev 6:16
They will be wanderers,
homeless among the nations.
The Lord’s Judgement against Israel
1 How prosperous Israel is—
a luxuriant vine laden with fruit.
But the richer the people get,
the more pagan altars they build.
The more bountiful their harvests,
the more beautiful their sacred
pillars.
2 The hearts of the people are fickle;
they are guilty and must be punished.
The Lord will break down their altars
and smash their sacred pillars.
3 Then they will say, “We have no king
because we didn’t fear the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
what could he do for us anyway?”
4 They spout empty words
and make covenants they don’t
intend to keep.
So injustice springs up among them
like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s
field.
10
The people of Samaria tremble in fear
for their calf idol at Beth-aven,*
and they mourn for it.
Though its priests rejoice over it,
its glory will be stripped away.*
6 This idol will be carted away to Assyria,
a gift to the great king there.
Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will
be shamed,
because its people have trusted in this
idol.
7 Samaria and its king will be cut off;
they will float away like driftwood on
an ocean wave.
8 And the pagan shrines of Aven,* the
place of Israel’s sin, will crumble.
Thorns and thistles will grow up
around their altars.
They will beg the mountains, “Bury us!”
and plead with the hills, “Fall on us!”
5
9
The Lord says, “O Israel, ever since
Gibeah,
there has been only sin and more sin!
10:5a Beth-aven means “house of wickedness”; it is being used as another name for Bethel, which means “house of God.” 10:5b Or
will be taken away into exile.
10:8 Aven is a reference to Beth-aven; see 10:5a and the note there.
P ro ver bs & S t or i es
What Are You Sowing?
In most rural communities of Liberia, the primary source of liveJust as good seeds determine good quality of yields in
lihood is small-scale farming. People survive on rice, cassava, farming, what we do in our walk with God (the seeds we sow)
and cash crops such as cocoa, coffee, and kola-farming. During determines the outcome of our lives. God called the children
the harvest season each year, people store the best seeds for of Israel to plant “good seeds of righteousness” (Hosea 10:12)
the next farming season. A Kpelle proverb says, Zi-sε-kao nyii so they could reap the good harvest of his love and blessing.
ya gii, nya e a nε le a e ya pai gulai, meaning, “The seed In our spiritual lives as well as in our work and relationships,
you sow will determine the quality of the harvest.” This means we will reap what we sow.
that if you plant good seeds, you can be sure of good yields.