Ronald Penny's video: Sunday School in 7minutes Inter Sun Sch Lesson for May 31 PURSUE LOVE AND JUSTICE Hosea 11 12

Hosea prophesied during the decline and fall of the Northern Kingdom. The people had turned away from God in order to serve both the calves of King Jeroboam and Baal,a Canaanite God. This disturbed Hosea as he metaphorically compares Israel's abandonment of Jehovah to a woman being unfaithful to her husband, like Hosea and is unfaithful wife Gomer.. Our lesson starts with a metaphor, showing God’s compassionate love for Israel, like for his own child, How he had provide for them bring them out of bondage in Egypt. Then Hosea expresses God’s sorrow at their rejection of Him for Baal despite all that He had done for them. The people had taken for granted His love and care for them. The more he did, they still sought false gods. God that would never exalt them or make the nation great. MC do that. As we succeed we sometime get too busy to stay true to the Godly values and godly people that enable us to succeed. The Lord was concerned about their lack of fidelity, which now necessitated his judgment. Through a series of rhetorical questions the Lord reveals His heart’s dilemma. Justice demanded Israel’s inevitable punishment, yet God’s compassion for Israel meant that he would not annihilate Israel. As a child my mother would say before she punished me that it hurt her more than me. I did not believe her. As a parent I learned that was true. Punishing those you love hurts even if it is for their good. God has justifiable wrath, but not as a matter of human vengeance, rather like a good parent tempered it with compassion. His aim was not retribution rather reform to teach Israel to seek the true God. Now Hosea lays out the inditement of Israel saying Israel’s pursuit of other Gods is as useless as chasing the wind but they do it daily. They tell more and more lies They do more and more violence. They make ·agreements with heathens like Assyria and give homage and honor to Egypt with gifts of olive oil. The Lord has a case against Judah. He will punish Israel for what they have done; And repay them according to their misdeeds. Hosea tell Israel that they must return to their God, repent. That means that they must love him, do what is just and always trust in him as your God even if you must wait. With another metaphor Hosea compare to a merchant saying The merchants use dishonest scales; they like to ·cheat people. They grow rich and powerful in this way but with All their money and power they grow arrogant, no one dares to point out the wrong. Nonetheless they are still wrong. For Israel and MC there is a danger in self-delusion. As we succeed and are respected Think ourself so holy that our way are always right was dangerous then and is dangerous now now. When I look at my childhood I recall the experiences that help form me and wish that my grandchild could re-live some of these experiences. Hosea is saying that God think that Israel need to re-experience some of their ancestors past experiences. Reminding them I am your God since Egypt; and I will make you sit in tents again, like in the old days. Hosea reminds them God has spoken by prophets, with many visions, and Using parables, to speak to them In Gilead there was worthless idolatry. But their altars will become like piles of stone in a plowed field, rubbish. Israel is seeking other Gods and seeking preservation from Assyria and Egypt. This is futile Hosea reminds the God brought us out of bondage in Egypt and. Just as God led Israel out of slavery under Moses, God can lead the Israelites away from a second captivity and exile if they listen to Hosea. But jus as God protects God’s protection will be withdrawn. Arrogant Israel’s injustice and idolatry will result in national destruction.