December 8- Punished In The Present, Saved In The Future

December 8, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1-25;
Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17

This would be the first step in apostacy; men forget the truth, and then adore the false. 
~C. H. Spurgeon

Hosea 10:1-14:9

How many ways can God say that He is disappointed in Israel's decision to follow other gods?  We see in the prophets that God is creative in showing the Israelites His displeasure and in warning them of their coming punishment. With Hosea, God has the poor man fall in love and marry a prostitute to illustrate what it is like to be tied to a disloyal adulteress. Lest we forget, I will remind my gentle reader that Israel is a picture of all of humanity.  We all fall short in being faithful to God.

Chosen and set apart by God, Israel is rescued from Egypt, which represents the world, and brought into the Promised Land.  They squander their inheritance like the prodigal son by choosing to follow false gods.  They rely on wooden idols, material wealth, sex, and alcohol to satisfy their carnal desires.  God promised to punish this type of behavior and to send them away from the Promised Land if they broke their end of the bargain. This promise was given during the life of Moses and was even prophesied by Abraham! Was there any doubt that they could not keep their end of the deal?  No. The fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden signaled that this was a doomed agreement from the start.

True to His promises, God sends them away like the prodigal son to live in a pig stye. Actually, the Jews are scattered throughout the earth until a future time.

But this is not the end of the story. God intends to send a Savior.  He promised this Redeemer Child to Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15).  He sends the Messiah into the world at the appointed time.  Israel rejects her Messiah, except for a small remnant who become His disciples and bring the truth to the Gentile world, and continues in her indignation and punishment.  But this is still not the end of the story for Israel.

In Hosea chapter 14 we hear God say,

"Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever! I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. It will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars of Lebanon.  My people will return again to the safety of their land.  They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines."  Hosea 14:4-7

And so, we have God's promise to Israel. One day He will restore her to the Promised Land. In that day God will have used the Church Age and the times of the Gentiles to bring the Gentile nations into His family. Through faith in Christ, every tribe, culture, tongue, and nation will have people who have accepted Christ and come into God's family. Once that is accomplished, God will turn His focus back to the nation of Israel. See Romans 11. He will heal His people who have suffered so greatly for their sins. His anger will be gone. His mercy and grace will be poured out upon them, just as He has poured out His grace and mercy to the Gentiles. 

Then Israel will be reunited with her God. She will live in the land and be ruled by the promised Redeemer Child. The Messiah will be strong to save. This is God's story.

Are you beginning to see God's purposes on earth?  Has the Bible helped you to understand God's plan for humanity?  Where do you fit in this story?


Jude 1-25

One would think when reading the Bible that the only people who have a problem staying faithful to the Lord is the nation of Israel.  The epistles of the New Testament show us that the nation of Israel is not the only group on earth who has this problem.

Today as we read the epistle of Jude, we find the the Holy Spirit prompts this half-brother of Jesus to warn the Church about apostates within their midst.  In other words, the body of Christ or what is sometimes called the visible Church on earth will be plagued with false teachers and unbelievers who infiltrate the community of faith. Like the prophets of old, the writers of the New Testament are prompted to warn God's flock of sheep that there are wolves among them.

Jude intended to write a letter about salvation, but he is finding that he must address the topic of truth instead. Godless people have wormed their way into the Church.  One of their false teachings is that we can live immoral lives and God will have mercy on us anyway. Jude contends that immoral behavior is proof that a person has turned against the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to be the master of our lives.

Jude reminds his readers that the same God who rescued Israel from Egypt is the same God who later destroyed those in Israel who were not faithful to Him.  Examples of God's judgment against evil are:

• Fallen angels who are awaiting judgment. Vs. 6
• Sodom and Gomorrah, who were destroyed because of sexual immorality and sexual perversion. This is an illustration of the coming eternal fire for all who are evil. Vs. 7

Jude is the only New Testament writer who tells us about the archangel Michael actually fighting for Moses' body. We don't know the whole story, but apparently Michael invokes Jesus' name as Satan attempts to do something to or with Moses' body.  Interesting. Jude tells us this in trying to explain that false teachers try to scoff at the idea of glorious fallen angels. He explains that Michael, the archangel, respects that Satan and his angels are real and powerful and only the Lord can rebuke and defeat them in the end. False teachers, who act as if there are not angels and demons, are deceiving people about the truth.

Jude provides a list of apostate people in God's Story as examples of those who have rebelled against God. These examples are Cain, Balaam, and Korah. The Church has these types of individuals in its midst. Jude is warning that these sorts of people like to participate in the fellowship meals, but they are like reefs that are just below the surface and can wreck a ship.

Jude tells us that Enoch, the man who lived for 365 years and then was taken up to heaven without ever dying, was also a prophet.  Enoch warned of God's judgment against the wicked.

What are some characteristics of these apostate people?  According to Jude, they are grumblers, complainers, prone to evil, loud-mouthed braggarts, and flatterers. They live according to their whims and natural instincts.

Believers are not to follow these ways.  Those who love God must be merciful to those whose faith is wavering and rescue people from the flames of judgment by always telling the truth about God, but be careful to not be contaminated by their sin. Believers are not to fall into patterns of habitual sin.

This little book of Jude is a gold mine of information.  Do you acknowledge that there are false teachers and unbelievers in the Christian community today?  This is not a surprise to God. Remember Jesus' parable about the lady who is kneading dough that has leaven in it. The dough grows very large.  This is a picture of the  visible church, which grows large, but is filled with sin. Just as Israel is sinful, the church of Jesus Christ will have false believers in its midst. This will be the hallmark of the Apostate Church left on earth during the Great Tribulation after the true Church has been raptured.

Psalm 127:1-5

As I read this psalm today I just kept thinking, "It's all about Him, folks."

Proverbs 29-15-17

"Discipline your children and they will give you happiness and peace of mind."  This sort of discipline allows consequences for actions.  There are many ways to be creative in discipline.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton