“I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me.”
~ Hosea 7:15
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you done something that your dad and ma told you not to do? If you have done something that your dad and ma told you not to do, what did you do that you know that if your dad and ma found out that you did, that they would not be happy with you? Have you cheated on a test? Have you lied to your teacher? Have you stolen from a kid friend? Do you think that it is okay to do something that your dad and ma have told you not to do if you are not seen or caught by a guy, gal or kid doing what your dad and ma told you not to do? What might be something that your dad and ma have told you that they do not want you to do that you might do anyway? Do you like doing more something that your dad and ma has told you not to do or do you like doing more something that your dad and ma want you to do? Do you know Who the author of doing good is? God is the author of doing good. When Hosea was living on planet Earth, God expected His specially chosen guys and gals to do rightful things and to live righteous lives. Today, God expects His specially elected guys, gals and gals to do rightful things and to live righteous lives. Do you know who the author is of all things evil? Satan is the author of all things evil. When Hosea was living on planet Earth, Satan did everything that God would allow him do to get God’s specially chosen guys and gals to live evil lives. Today, Satan is doing everything that God is allowing him to do to get God’s specially elected guys, gals and kids to live evil lives. Satan was able when Hosea was living on planet Earth to get God’s specially chosen guys and gals to live evil lives. Satan is able today to get God’s specially elected guys, gals and kids to live evil lives. Why do you think that God when Hosea was alive on planet Earth allowed Satan to mess with His specially chosen guys and gals to get them to live evil lives? Why do you think that God today is allowing Satan to mess with His specially elected guys, gals and kids to get them to live evil lives? Hosea 7 is a very sad chapter about how deep God’s specially chosen guys and gals sank in their appreciation of Him and for all that He had done for them. Hosea scribed in verse 15 what God as God the Spirit impressed him to write, “I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me.”
Do you know kids who no matter how nice that you are to them, that they will still try to do all that they can to irritate you? Your grandmaa and grandpaa knew a guy who was like that. The guy is a missionary. Your grandmaa and grandpaa would visit this guy’s house about once a month to spend time with him and his wife. Your grandpaa would sometimes during these visits balance the guy’s checkbook as the guy had trouble balancing his checkbook. Your grandmaa and grandpaa would sometimes on their way to this guy’s house buy a broasted chicken – that came with delicious sides from a Taiwanese hole-in-the-wall joint, which they would share with the guy and his family. Your grandmaa and grandpaa knew that this guy really struggled with guys who were in authority but . . . one of your grandpaa’s field team missionaries told your grandpaa one day to look out for this guy who your grandmaa and grandpaa were trying to befriend as this guy was talking to other field team missionaries negatively about your grandpaa behind your grandpaa’s back. There really was not anything that your grandpaa could do about what this guy was doing – except to keep on befriending him by spending time with him. Besides spending an evening at this guy’s house about once a month, your grandpaa regularly played racquetball with him. How do you think that your grandpaa felt knowing that a guy who your grandpaa was trying to befriend was saying adverse things about him to other field team missionaries in order to make your grandpaa look ‘bad’ in the eyes of these missionaries?
How do you think that Hosea felt after he told God’s specially chosen guys and gals – after God had told him to do it, to stop doing evil and then to have them not listen to him? God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the northern part of the land that God had told His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, that they would always have to live in as their very own land if . . . were doing exactly what God had told them that they were not to do. Why do you think that God allowed His specially chosen guys and gals to do evil – especially when God’s unlimited power could have completely stopped them from doing evil? God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the northern part of the land that God had told them that they would always have to live in as their very own land if . . . had taken on Israel as their country’s name. Israel’s land area became identified with Ephraim. Ephraim was Joseph’s second oldest kid. Ephraim received a double blessing from his granddad – Israel, right before Israel died. Ephraim along with Manasseh – who was Joseph’s oldest kid, became Israelite people group tribal clans. The Ephraim tribal clan over time became the most influential tribal clan among the other Israelite people group’s tribal clans that had been allotted land in the northern area of the land that God . . . even though Samaria was Manasseh’s tribal clan area, Samaria became symbolic of how evil the Ephraim tribal clan was. Bandits and adulterers did their thing in the Samaria/Ephraim tribal clan land area. Instead of going to God for God’s help, The Samaria/Ephraim tribal clan went elsewhere for help. They rebelled against God by turning their backs on God. God chose Hosea to do something impossible for Him – which was to tell His specially chosen guys and gals – who He knew that Satan had already caught up to do evil, to stop doing evil. When a guy, gal or kid does not do what God is expecting him or her to do, he or she is doing what Satan wants him or her to do.
Hosea 7 (415)