​If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord. 2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar.3 And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.5 Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

6 “If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, 8 lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 9 Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the Lord its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails 10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.

12 “If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord 13 and lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 14 Then he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the Lord, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the Lord's. 17 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”

Meditation
God provides sacrifice for Him to fellowship with His people- celebrated with a meal.
 
God’s desire to fellowship with His people is the story of Scripture, from walking the garden with Adam and Eve to the wedding supper of the Lamb in the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 19:1-6). For this reason, at the Last Supper Jesus focused on the New Covenant sealed with His blood, Divine desire to dwell with disciples signified with a meal the night before Jesus’ sacrificial death (Luke 22:20). A fellowship meal is where Jesus restored Peter (John 21). 
 
The fellowship offerings came from the herd (1-5) or the flock (6-16). The person making the offering needed to know what to eat (17), how to leave the best part of the “unblemished” sacrifice on the altar for the Lord (3-4). God wants the good stuff of the sacrifice (the fat!?!-16) but sees the best stuff being restored fellowship with His people.  
 
The fellowship offering accompanied the grain offering and celebrated peace between the Lord and His people (9). God redeemed His people for relationship with Him, former slaves who become sons through covenant relationship. God restores relationship through sacrifice and enjoys fellowship through a meal, the means of God to nourish believers through His gracious, spiritual, presence.
 
Three parties feasted in fellowship- God, people making the offering, and the priest. Our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, puts all three together by becoming the sacrifice so we can feast on Him for fellowship with God. 
 
God Himself was the sacrifice for Him to fellowship with His people.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the sacrifice participation over eating the fellowship offering, relationship between God, the people, and the priest celebrated?
 
-Are you intimidated or invited by God’s passionate plan to restore fellowship with His people? Does your life reflect your answer?
 
-Jesus has done everything necessary for you to feast on fellowship with God. He stands at the door of your heart and knocks, wanting to eat with you (Revelation 3:20). What specific ways can you honor this gracious invitation and open your heart to feast with the King?
 
Key Verse
16 … All fat is the Lord's.

​“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Meditation
Christian discipleship is lived from a secure identity, children of God who have received righteousness from the Son of God to  live righteously to glorify our Father.

Children of the Father are not to practice righteousness “as the hypocrites” (2, 5, 18) or unbelieving peoples (7) who perform for acceptance and approval. True righteousness is not for empty public display but from deep personal relationship with our Heavenly Father (1). When disciples give (2-4), pray (5-15), or fast (16-18) we do so in secret, in closets, and with joyful dispositions. Disciples do not practice righteousness for the approval of other people. Real righteousness lives for the reward of rich relationship with God.
 
Disciples focus on our Father and seek first His kingdom (10, 33). Disciple’s trust our Father for our daily bread (11), so we need not store up treasures on earth (19) or worry about our life (25). Our hearts are in our Father’s hands so we serve Him rather than money (24), trusting Him to provide (30), rather than toil and be troubled over unanswered questions and an uncertain future. Our Father promises to protect and provide for His children.
 
People outside our Father’s family are consumed with other people’s opinions of them, their positions in society, serving money as a master, and pursuing the provisions of the world. Disciples are free in our Father’s love and we know our Father will deliver us from all evil (13).
 
Righteous living is a result of a right standing with our Father, a secure identity as His children.

Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the contrast Jesus draws in His teaching between disciples living as secure children of the Father and the hypocrites and Gentiles?
 
-How does a secure identity as a child of God free you from worldly anxiety and the slavery of seeking prosperity of this world? Are you embracing this gift of security? Why or why not?
 
-Where do you need to live more distinct from people outside our Father’s family, especially in regards to where your treasure is and how you traverse the troubles of the world? Be specific.
 
Key verses
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

​And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.2 He said,
 
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 5 “For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; 6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.
 
8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. 13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
 
17 “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. 24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. 25 And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. 26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
 
32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. 37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip; 38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. 39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet.

40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them. 42 They looked, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. 43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets. 44 “You delivered me from strife with my people; you kept me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. 45 Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

46 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation, 48 the God who gave me vengeance and brought down peoples under me, 49 who brought me out from my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from men of violence. 50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. 51 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.”
 
Meditation
God alone saves and God’s people sing praises for His great salvation. David’s song of deliverance (1) is a reflection of his life in the form of celebration of God and His salvation, necessarily pointing to the greater King who was born to save His people from sin (Matthew 1:21) and who eternally sits on David’s throne (Luke 1:33).

Today’s chapter parallels Psalm 18 and is bookended with praise: God is our rock, refuge, strength, shield, salvation, stronghold, and savior. God is the great king who shows steadfast love to His people and makes His name great among the nations (2-4; 47-51). God alone gets praise for His deliverance.
 
The song shares both God’s and David’s perspectives on deliverance. God’s perspective (5-20) reveals compassion to hear us when we cry to Him. God sends help from on high! David’s perspective (29-46) celebrates God and His character. God is a lamp whose way is perfect and whose word proves true. God is worthy of our trust and God will give us what we need.
 
The center of the song celebrates God’s motive (21-25). God delivers us because of our relationship with Him. God is faithful to His covenant people and His covenant promises. God hears. God loves. God saves.
 
David joins the chorus of nations when singing of God’s great salvation (50-51), a historic fact and present invitation. As recipients of God’s salvation through King Jesus’ work, believers join the eternal chorus of singers from every tribe, tongue and nation who shout in acclimation, “Salvation belongs to our God!” (Revelation 7:10)
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the praises for God’s great salvation?
 
-Do you know God’s salvation through the finished work of King Jesus? If so, do you sing praises for His work or maximize your work and miss His gracious invitation to sing praise for your salvation?
 
-Take a moment to pause and reflect on the length God has gone to save you from your sin and deliver you from the penalty of sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate in your soul a desire to sing of His salvation with your lips, life, labor, and loves.
 
Key Verse
50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. 51 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.”

​“When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it 2 and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings.

4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings.
11 “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. 12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

14 “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. 15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.
 
Meditation
The covenant promise of God’s presence is fuel for the priestly purpose of God's people in God’s world.
 
The prescription for grain offerings included the necessity of “the salt of the covenant with your God” (13) meant to symbolize the presence and promises of God through the preservation, or permanence, of God's covenant relationship with His people. God’s covenant purposes are eternal and His presence central to the fulfillment of His promises, all of which climax in the person and work of Jesus. Because Jesus sacrificed Himself to secure our covenant status and solidify God’s covenant promises, His people are called to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).
 
Grain offerings could be uncooked flour (1-3) baked bread (4-10), or roasted grain (11-16). God ordered grain offerings (hold the honey- 11) to always include “the salt of the covenant.”  Salt represented the preservation of God’s covenant relationship (Exodus 20-24), the permanence of the promise of God’s presence. Grain would have been a costly offering for a people wandering in the desert with no access to fields! And the promise to preserve God’s presence would empower God’s people for their covenant response, living their mission as “priests with a purpose” (Exodus 19:6).

God saves a people to serve His purposes in the world. New creations in Christ are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Because God chose us, His children are His chosen vehicle to mediate His blessing to every neighborhood and every nation, “proclaiming the excellences of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). 
 
Richly Dwelling
-Grain offerings: who knew they could be so powerful!? Why is the covenant promise of God’s presence to preserve the covenant relationship important to understand our covenant purpose as His people?
 
-How does the work of Jesus solidify your status as God’s child and fuel your call to serve God’s purposes as a part of His priesthood of believers?
 
-Where do you (specifically) need to embrace this reality and prioritize this purpose in your discipleship?
 
Key Verse
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
 
Meditation
Repentance for sin reveals a heart trusting Jesus and His work more than we trust our own work. True penitence is the pathway to praise Jesus for salvation (13). God’s Word guides our path of repentance, transforming our darkest hour of conviction with the light of hope from His salvation.
 
Nathan the prophet confronted David after his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12).  David’s steps of repentance are a Spirit inspired path of renewal, teaching God’s people the rhythm of regular repentance through Calling, Confessing, Celebration (of restoration), Worship, and Intercession:
 
Call (1-2): When God’s word convicts us of sin, we call upon God for His grace and mercy- “Wash me from my sin!”
 
Confession (3-5): We are secure in the gospel to confess our sins against God. Confession is an invitation throughout Scripture (see 1 John 1:9) because God’s grace is the center of our faith, securing believers in Christ’s salvation for confession.
 
Restoration (6-12): Restoration of relationship through cleansing and purifying leads to rejoicing and gladness! A new heart and renewed Spirit signify the restoration of the joy in our salvation!
 
Worship (13-17): Repentance reveals God’s path for salvation through the finished work of Jesus- His Grace is greater than all our sin (Romans 5:20). Worship flows from renewed hearts both vertically to our saving God and horizontally through our lives.
 
Intercession (18-19): David ends by praying for city renewal. A renewed heart with renewed worship takes our eyes off ourselves and cultivates a longing to see restoration in our community.
 
God invites you to deeper gospel shaping through learning regular repentance.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Pray the words of Psalm 51 for yourself, allowing the language to be lyrics for your repentance.
 
-Which section of the Psalm speaks loudest to you, both convicting you and inviting you towards repentance?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus give you security to repent and confidence to teach others this path of repentance towards restoration?
 
 
Key Verse
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

​Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors.

2 Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. 3 They shall not remain in the land of the Lord, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 4 They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners' bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the Lord. 5 What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the Lord?

6 For behold, they are going away from destruction; but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents. 7 The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad because of your great iniquity and great hatred.

8 The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God, yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. 9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. 10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.

11 Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
12 Even if they bring up children, will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow; but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. 14 Give them, O Lord— what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. 16 Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. 17 My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.
 
 
Meditation
The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to transform the children of God more into the image of God (Colossians 3:10). The spirit of idolatry de-creates people to become like what we worship (Psalm 115:8). Stated simply, “We resemble what we revere either for our ruin or restoration.”  (Greg Beal, We become what we Worship)
 
Embedded in Hosea’s detailed judgement oracle is a terrible diagnosis, specifically that Israel “became detestable like the thing they loved” (10). Hosea called God’s people to repent, to turn from their false worship and return to the love of their Heavenly Husband. His words were pointed- They had become corrupt like the rebellion of old that lead to the judgment of the flood (9, see Genesis 6:11-13). Like their forefathers in Gibeah, the rebellion and injustice in the land was a total atrocity (9- see Judges 19). Ruin is always the result when we revere anything other than our Redeemer.
 
Israel did not repent- Israel mocked Hosea, calling him foolish (7).  Like the flood that came upon the corrupt earth and the civil war that followed Gibeah’s rebellion, so exile was coming to rebellious Israel (1-3).  A holy and just God will not tolerate rebellion and injustice.
 
The love of God revealed in the work of Jesus Christ is for all who believe. Jesus was ruined, taking the judgment sinners deserve, so believers can be restored by His redeeming love. Jesus was exiled so God’s children can be brought home, treated as a rebel so believers can return to our Father's love. United with Christ, believers experience restoration to walk in a newness of life (Romans 6:1-6)!
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the terrible diagnosis Hosea delivers in the context of this judgement oracle?
 
-Where do you identify with Israel, giving your heart to another god?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus invite you to repent and return home and the promised Spirit strengthen your steps to trust His word to become more like Him? Take a moment to name a specific area to do this, asking God’s Spirit to restore you through God’s word.
 
Key Verse
10 (Israel)…  became detestable like the thing they loved.