30/10/2020
TWO PRINCIPLES THE CHURCH MUST LIVE BY (Hosea 12:1-13)
Jacob whose name was changed to Israel was the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Like the nations that descended from Jacob, he himself practiced deceit. Jacob consistently searched for God, but Israel and Judah didn’t.
Jacob wrestled with an angel at Bethel in order to be blessed, but his descendants thought their blessings came from their own success.
Jacob cleaned up his house of idols (Gen. 35:2), but his descendants couldn’t quit their idolatry.
The two principles that Hosea called his nation to live by are.
a) Love
b) Justice.
Love and justice are the very foundations of God’s character.
These foundations are very essential to a true Christian (child of God). They aren’t easy to keep in balance.
Love: True Christian love is seen in our love for God and people. We will always demonstrate our love for God by our commitment in serving Him and being obedient to Him in all things. We don’t love just because someone has done something good to us, but we must express our love for others unconditionally. True love covers multitude of sin.
Some people love to the extent of excusing wrongdoing. If our love goes to that extent we will be of no value to God and community where we are living and beyond.
God’s love for us in beyond human imagination. His love doesn’t separate Him from His justice. Though He loves us doesn’t mean He will not judge us. His judgment is out of His much love for His people. He will not judge us basing on the love, but on justice because He doesn’t tolerate sin, and sin has no place in His Kingdom.
If I love you, I’ll always tell you that sin is sin than whitewashing what is wrong in order to maintain the love.
Others are just to the point of forgetting love. Whenever our justice is without love it will be useless for it will earn nothing before God. God wants us to be just and loving. Justice without love drives us away from God. The church is required to live by both principles if we are to meet God’s standard.
In Israel that time, dishonesty had become an acceptable means of attaining wealth. Those who were financially successful couldn’t imagine that God would consider them sinful. They thought their wealth was a sign of God’s approval without bothering how they had gotten it. Any wealth got in dishonesty isn’t pleasing to the Lord. We must be honest in all our doings. It doesn’t matter how wealthy you are; but consider how you got it and never forget the Lord who provided. And show love to God and other by your generosity.
God sees their riches as something that can’t make up for their sins. How God measures success is very different from ours.
God calls us to faithfulness not to affluence. We must not forget that Character is more important to God than our purses.
Wealthy people and nations often claim that their material possession is due to their own hard work, initiative and intelligence without knowing how much God contributed to that. This is why to give to God and others become so hard for many in our community and church. Because they have bought what they wanted, they don’t feel the need for God. We believe that our riches are our own and we have the right to use them the way pleasing to us.
If you find yourself feeling proud of your accomplishments, remember all your opportunities, abilities and resources come from God and that you must continue trusting in God alone.
At least once a year the Israelites spent seven days living in tents during the feast of Shelters in commemoration to God’s protection upon them as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Deut. 1:19-2:1).
Now, because of their sin, God coursed them to live in tents again, not as part of a festival but in bo***ge.
Never forget your humble beginnings. What you have isn’t a result of your own effort, but because God had been so gracious to you.
The prophet who brought Israel out of Egypt was Moses (Exo. 13:17-19).
