QT 07/10/2025 Tue. Hosea 1 Hope in the Hardest Callings 最艰难的呼召中的盼望
QT 07/10/2025 Tue. Hosea 1 Hope in the Hardest Callings
READ http://www.esv.org/Hosea1
Scripture Focus: Hosea 1:2–3, 10–11 (ESV)
(1) Hosea’s Shocking Assignment (vv. 2–3)
[2] When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” [3] So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. (Hosea 1:2–3, ESV)
The book of Hosea begins not with a sermon but with a scandal. God commands Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful — not just as a personal hardship but as a prophetic picture. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer symbolized Israel’s unfaithfulness to God through spiritual adultery — running after idols, breaking covenant, and rejecting God's love.
Imagine the pain: the shame of marrying someone who would betray him, the heartbreak of raising children in a fractured home, and doing it all not out of personal failure, but because God asked him to.
This was not just Hosea’s burden. It was God’s heartache made visible. Hosea became a living parable. Through his marriage, God was saying to Israel: “This is how you treat Me, yet I still pursue you.”
(2) Obedience When It Hurts
“So he went and took Gomer…”
(v. 3)
Hosea obeyed.
This may be one of the most courageous acts of obedience in the Old Testament. Hosea didn’t argue like Moses. He didn’t flee like Jonah. He obeyed — even when the command was painful, humiliating, and beyond human logic.
Ministry is not always glorious. Sometimes it costs more than we want to give. Hosea teaches us that being God’s messenger means aligning not just our words, but our lives with God's heart — even when it breaks us.
Reflection:
Where might God be calling you to obey in a way that feels costly or confusing? What does Hosea’s example teach us about trusting God when we don't understand?
(3) Hope Beyond Judgment (vv. 10–11)
“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea...
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.’” (vv. 10–11)
Even in the midst of judgment and unfaithfulness, God speaks a stunning word of hope.
Though Israel would be cast off, scattered/sowed (Jezreel), and called “not my people” (Lo-ammi), God promises restoration. A day will come when identity will be reversed: those once rejected will be called children of the living God.
This is grace.
This is God's faithful love pursuing an unfaithful people.
And this is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who bore our unfaithfulness on the cross and now calls us — once far off — His people (Romans 9:25–26).
(4) Conclusion & Encouragement
Hosea’s story reminds us:
(a) God may call us to difficult obedience — not to harm us, but to display His heart through us.
(b) Even in the deepest judgment, God’s love speaks a better word: restoration, redemption, and reconciliation.
(c) Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment — the faithful Bridegroom who takes the unfaithful bride (us) and makes her His own.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for Your relentless love. Thank You for pursuing us even when we run. Give us the faith and courage to obey You even when it’s hard. And help us to cling to the hope You promise — that in Christ, we are not rejected, but called sons and daughters of the living God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
QT 07/10/2025 星期二. 何西阿书 1 最艰难的呼召中的盼望
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/hos/1/
经文焦点：何西阿书 1:2–3, 10–11 (ESV)
(1) 何西阿的震撼使命（第2-3节）
2 耶和华初次借着何西阿说话。耶和华对何西阿说：“你去娶一个像娼妓一样的女人，生养像娼妓一样的儿女，因为这地盛行淫乱，离开了耶和华。” 3 于是他就去娶了滴拉音的女儿歌玛。后来，她怀了孕，给他生了一个儿子。《何西阿书》1:2-3
《何西阿书》的开篇并非布道，而是以一场丑闻揭幕。神命令何西阿娶一位必将背叛他的女子——这不仅是个人苦难，更是先知性的预表。何西阿与歌篾的婚姻象征着以色列通过属灵的淫乱背弃神——追逐偶像、违背盟约、拒绝神的爱。
试想这般痛苦：娶妻终遭背叛的羞辱，在破碎家庭中抚育子女的心碎，而这一切并非源于个人失败，而是因神的吩咐。
这不仅是何西阿的重担，更是神心痛的具象化。何西阿成为活生生的寓言。借着这段婚姻，神向以色列宣告：“你们如此待我，我却仍要追寻你们。”
(2) 痛楚中的顺服
“他就去娶了滴拉音的女儿歌玛...”（第3节）
何西阿顺服了。
这或许是旧约中最勇敢的顺服之举。何西阿没有像摩西那样争辩，也没有像约拿那样逃避。他选择了顺服——即便这命令令人痛苦、羞辱，更违背常理。
事奉并非总是荣耀的。有时代价远超我们所愿付出。何西阿教导我们：作神的使者不仅要使言语与神的心意相合，更要使生命与神的心意相合——即使这会使我们心碎。
反思：
神正呼召你以何种代价高昂或令人困惑的方式顺服？何西阿的榜样如何教导我们在不明白时仍信靠神？
(3) 超越审判的盼望（10-11节）
10 “然而，以色列人的数目，必多如海边的沙，量不尽，数不完。从前在什么地方对他们说：‘你们不是我的子民’，将来要在那里对他们说：‘你们是永活的 神的儿子。’11 犹大人和以色列人要聚集在一起，为自己立一位首领，并离开那地上去，因为耶斯列的日子必为大日。”（本章第10-11节在《马索拉抄本》为2:1-2）（10-11节）
即便在审判与背叛的深渊中，神仍发出震撼人心的盼望之言。
纵使以色列将被弃绝、四散（耶斯列），被称为“非我民”（罗阿米），神仍应许复兴。终有一日身份将被颠覆：昔日遭弃绝者，将被称为永生神的儿女。
这就是恩典。
这是上帝信实的爱追逐着不忠的子民。
而这最终在基督里得以成就——祂在十字架上担当了我们的背叛，如今称我们这些曾远离的人为祂的子民（罗马书9:25-26）。
(4) 结论与勉励
何西阿的故事提醒我们：
(a) 神或许召我们进入艰难的顺服——并非要伤害我们，而是要借着我们彰显祂的心意。
(b) 纵在最深的审判中，神的爱仍宣告更美的话语：恢复、救赎与和好。
(c) 耶稣是终极的成就——那位信实的新郎，接纳不忠的新娘（我们），使她成为祂的。
祷告：
主啊，感谢祢永不止息的爱。感谢祢追寻我们，纵使我们逃离。求赐我们信心与勇气，即便艰难仍顺服祢。求助我们紧握祢应许的盼望——在基督里，我们并非被弃绝，而是蒙召成为永生神的儿女。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。
