TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD
Digging for Spiritual Gems
1. Hosea 10:12—What must we do to “reap loyal love” from Jehovah?
If we worship Jehovah in an unhypocritical and upright way, we will be recipients of his loving-kindness, or loyal love.
2. Hosea 11:1—How were these words fulfilled in Jesus?
Before Herod’s death-dealing decree, an angel directed that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus go to Egypt. There they remained “until the decease of Herod, for that to be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet [Hosea], saying: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matt. 2:13-15) Of course, Jesus himself could not have orchestrated any of the foretold events associated with his birth and early life.
3. What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?
- Hosea 11:1-4. We can have confidence that Jehovah always deals with his people in a loving way. Evidence of this is found at Hosea 11:1-4, where we read: “When Israel was a boy, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. . . . To the Baal images they took up sacrificing, and to the graven images they began making sacrificial smoke. But as for me, I taught Ephraim [the Israelites] to walk, taking them upon my arms; and they did not recognize that I had healed them. With the ropes of earthling man I kept drawing them, with the cords of love, so that I became to them as those lifting off a yoke on their jaws, and gently I brought food to each one.”Here Israel is compared to a small child. Jehovah lovingly taught the Israelites to walk, taking them upon his arms. And he kept drawing them with “the cords of love.” What a touching picture! Imagine that you are a parent helping your child to take his first steps. Your arms are outstretched. You may be using cords for your little one to hold on to so that he does not fall. Well, Jehovah’s love for you is just as tender. He is delighted to lead you with “the cords of love.”
- Hosea 14:9 also turns our attention to the positive aspects of observing an upright course. Blessings and benefits come from measuring up to God’s requirements. As the Creator, he knows our makeup. What he expects of us is for our good. To illustrate the relationship between us and God, we might think of an automobile and its manufacturer. The maker knows how the auto is designed and put together. He knows that the car requires an oil change every so often. What would happen if you ignored that standard, perhaps reasoning that the car is running well? Much sooner than might otherwise be so, the engine would deteriorate and fail. The same is true of humans. Our Creator has given us commandments. Keeping them is for our benefit. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Appreciating that we do benefit gives us additional reason to live up to his standards, to keep his commandments.
4. What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?
- Hosea 8:14. You might wonder, ‘How could the Israelites be so easily lured into disobedience?’ Hosea described the process: “Israel began forgetting his Maker.” (Hosea 8:14) The form of the original Hebrew verb is well-rendered “began forgetting.” The Israelites were not suddenly suffering from amnesia about Jehovah. Rather, over time they lost sight of the importance of worshipping him in the way that he approved. Do you think that a Christian could fall into such a trap? Take, for example, a man who is serious about providing for his family. (1 Timothy 5:8) To do so, he would appropriately view his secular work as important. Perhaps something develops, and he feels that he must miss some Christian meetings in order to work. In time, missing meetings becomes easier, and he misses more frequently. Little by little, his bond with God weakens—he has ‘begun to forget his Maker.’ A similar thing may happen to a Christian whose parents or other relatives are unbelievers. He faces issues: How much time will he reserve for them, and when? (Exodus 20:12; Matthew 10:37) What about deciding how much time and attention to use for trips, hobbies, or entertainment?
- Hosea 10:12. Hosea used farming vocabulary when urging those in the northern kingdom of Israel: “Sow seed for yourselves in righteousness; reap in accord with loving-kindness. Till for yourselves arable land, when there is time for searching for Jehovah.” Despite that, most would not listen. They “plowed wickedness,” so unrighteousness is what they reaped. (Hosea 10:12, 13) They condoned or shared in corrupt practices, ‘trusting in their own way’ rather than in Jehovah’s way. Some today might wonder, ‘How could that happen to true worshippers living right there in the Promised Land?’ Hosea showed that their problem centered on an attitude like the attitude that we need to guard against if we are to keep in expectation of Jehovah’s great day. That is, of becoming settled and “satisfied.”
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