Introduction

Good morning. We begin to study the Book of Hosea, as well as the Minor Prophets. It is not that the prophets were minor, but rather a title given to them later because their epistles were relatively short. Therefore, the longer epistles are called Major Prophets, and the shorter ones are called Minor Prophets. Actually, there is no distinction of status. The Book of Hosea is a very special book. After reading it, I felt that there was a profound meaning to tell us. I'll cut to the chase. The theme of Hosea chapter one is: The day of God’s judgment is worth remembering!

That is that last sentence, Then shall be great the day of Jezreel. What is a great day? For example, a wedding anniversary or the day of salvation, a day worth remembering is called a great day. What is the day of Jezreel? It is the day God judges Israel, so it is called a great day, and it is worth remembering. The day of God's judgment comes not to destroy you, but to let you be saved, so never forget that God has abundant mercy and grace, and never be stubborn and continue on your own path.

Israel's Adultery

How did the nation of Israel come about? It was because Solomon committed the sin of adultery and worshiped idols. Therefore, God's judgment came upon Solomon and his son, dividing the nation into two, a small part for the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, given to Solomon's son, and the other ten tribes given to Jeroboam.

Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did. Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler as long as he lives, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that my servant David may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. (1 Kings 11:30-36)

What is adultery? It is taking worldly things too seriously! After Jeroboam became king, he forgot that the throne came from God! He felt that it was absurd for the Israelites to go to Jerusalem to worship God. He wondered if God could really protect his throne? Because the Israelites all went to Jerusalem in Judah to worship God, they also had to bring offerings. That was terrible! The offering was 15% of personal income, and some were as high as 20%, in addition to thanksgiving and special offerings.

If 15% of the national income is taken to another country, I estimate that no politician would allow this to happen. So we can also understand the adultery of the Israelites, because the temple was in another country, and the offerings had to be given to another country, and the two countries were often at war. So Jeroboam couldn't understand it, and came up with an idea that he thought was very good.

So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. (1 Kings 12:28-29)

Was that worshiping Yahweh God? No! It was nonsense. But the former kings could not escape this vicious cycle. They did not abandon the sins of Jeroboam. This is called adultery! Because they followed the laws and logic of the world. If Jeroboam or other Israelite kings had sincerely let the Israelites worship God well, they would have been blessed, because he overcame a great temptation, but the fact is that he did not overcome it. What's the problem? It is difficult for people to trust God. Once you trust, you trust in real money, and once you mention money, you start talking nonsense.

The worldly and carnal logic system is very harmful. This thing is called adultery and idolatry. God chose the Israelites, Jeroboam, Solomon, or David, but God really couldn't stand this green hat. God chose the Israelites as if he had chosen a beloved wife, but the Israelites followed the logic of the world and did not trust God! This is not one or two people, but all of them. Even Jehu later was in the same situation. Although he was zealous for the Lord, he could not escape the golden calf.

The sin of adultery is very powerful! But we have to understand the adultery of Israel, because we have also fallen into the logic system of the world and worshiping the golden calf many times, because that is real money! I often hear some Christians say: You let me trust God, so if I don't go to work, will you pay my loan, pay my rent, and give me money to spend? I guess there may really be such people among us. I want to ask: How did you come to the church? You might say: I have Mingding Destiny, and then I came to the church. I was thinking: Is there? It doesn't seem to be there. On the contrary, they came because they couldn't defecate, couldn't urinate, couldn't eat, and got mental depression. They all came to God because they loved the world too much!

Has the value system in you been changed? In fact, God is used to wearing a green hat, because the green hat is thrown so high by everyone. As a prophet, Hosea felt the same way when he saw this situation. When one king was changed, it was like this, and when another king was changed, it was still like this. He always did not leave Jeroboam's worship of the golden calf. This is the adultery of the Israelites. The Israelites did not trust God, which brought God's judgment, and disaster came. Later, the Israelites said: Hosea, why do you curse the Israelites? In fact, this was all done by the Israelites themselves. They committed the sin of worshiping the golden calf. Jeroboam made a golden calf, and the Israelites were also very happy, because they did not have to run so far to Jerusalem to worship God. In fact, it was not that God did not give them grace, but that he gave them great grace!

God Gave the Israelites Extremely Rich Grace

Which of us has not experienced God? All have experienced it! But after experiencing God, has the set of things in people's minds been changed? Changed less! How much grace did the Israelites receive? Too much. Among the prophets of past dynasties, there was one named Elijah, and another named Elisha. The miracles they performed in the nation of Israel could be compared with those of Moses, but they were not in the nation of Judah, but in the nation of Israel.

Why did God give such prophets to the nation of Israel? Because God wanted the Israelites to know that God is a God of great power, and your throne can be strengthened because of God's preservation, not by real money. Economics is a worldly logic system, not easy to use. I want to declare that God's judgment is coming to this adulterous generation. The day of God's judgment is worth remembering. Without God's judgment, how can people wake up? So we must all begin to wake up!

Did Elijah and Elisha receive grace? Did Jehu and Jeroboam receive grace? They received it. Jeroboam was going to kill the man of God on the altar, but his hand withered. Later, the man of God prayed to God for him, and his hand was restored. This is how much grace! But people just can't trust God. In fact, people have no reason not to trust God. How much of our inside is God's logic system, how much is our own logic system, and which thing is God's word? If it is not God's logic, it is adultery. God gave the Israelites great grace, and the Israelites cannot have excuses, but for their own regime and rule, they choose not to repent.

The kingdom of Israel was a kingdom of frequent usurpation. Some kings were usurped before they were passed on to their sons and grandsons, and some kings were usurped just a few days after they took office. These people fought for it because they regarded the throne as particularly important. They felt that only the throne was what they dreamed of. What is God? Even so, God gave the Israelites extremely rich grace. According to the virtue of the Israelites, God gave them extremely rich grace, and the Israelites have no reason not to trust God. But the Israelites said: I can't believe it, and I can't control myself. I don't know how to trust God! If you still have this problem, you deserve to be beaten! The Israelites also deserve to be beaten. You must know that the day of being beaten is grace, which is worth remembering. If I had been sensible when I was a child, I would have written down the year, month, and day when my father whipped me with a whip, and remembered that this whip drew me into college.

God's Anger Has Reached Its Peak

Don't blame me for not telling you that God's anger has reached its peak, and God hates wearing a green hat the most! Don't say that people hate wearing a green hat, God also hates it. You have given God a green hat so many times, you have to understand that God's anger has reached its peak. Does everyone know what kind of situation God's anger has reached this time? God found a prophet named Hosea and asked him to marry a prostitute. Can you understand this? It is that God's anger has reached its peak! God said: Don't you value the throne very much? I will destroy you. The Assyrian Empire was also a very famous empire in history. They were a very brutal nation and used various cruel punishments. They destroyed the nation of Israel all at once. After the Israelites were exiled, they ate their own excrement and drank their own urine.

God said: Don't you want to commit adultery? I will let you commit adultery again! As a result, God's judgment came upon the Israelites. But until now, no one knows where these ten tribes of Israel are, and no one knows where the people have gone. Some people say: The tribe of Dan is now Denmark. In fact, no one knows. We are very strange how Israel was so completely gone? The current Israel comes from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, that is, the Jews.

It is very easy for a person to provoke God's anger, as told in the Bible study 2 Samuel. David provoked God's anger, and tens of thousands of people died all at once. You must know that people will provoke God's anger when they are arrogant. The new crown killed many people. The new crown said: I will let you be arrogant! Does that person still have the qualifications to be arrogant? Now it seems to be a little humble. You must know that when God is angry, it is a very terrifying day, but when God's anger comes, it brings grace, and it is not too late for people to repent well at any time.

Everyone should take a good account of how many times you have experienced God's anger? How many times do you have to experience it before you are willing to repent? God not only declared judgment through Hosea, but also through prophets of past dynasties, including Elijah, Elisha, and the previous prophets, but the Israelites just couldn't listen! If you can't listen, then the day of God's judgment is also a day worth remembering for you.

Why are we so stubborn and can't trust God? Is our face really that important? Don't wait until God's anger reaches its peak before you know that you have provoked God's anger. This is not a joke. Don't provoke God's anger, but always appease God's anger and trust God well! Don't think that your business, work, and family are so important, and don't think that other things are so important. If we are filled with Jeroboam's logic system, that is, the worldly logic system, even if we are in a victorious church, it will be enough for you to drink a pot!

God's Judgment Is to Save Us

Where did God say: You are no longer His people. You must say in that place: I will be His people. God said: I am no longer your God. You must still say: God is my God. God is really angry to the extreme, just like when parents discipline their children, they say: I am no longer your father, and I am no longer your mother. You should quickly find someone else to be your father and mother! Can it not be in the end? God's anger has reached its peak, but as soon as people turn around, God's heart immediately softens, so it is said that the day of God's judgment is worth remembering. The day of Jezreel will be a great day, and God's anger has reached its peak in this generation. I have seen all kinds of tragedies in the church, but where is the repentance? This is what it says:

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)

God is really declaring by faith. Why can't I see it when I stand in this place? It is not so easy to gather these 144,000 people! God wants to see the number of repentant people like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered, but in fact that is just God's declaration of faith, a beautiful hope. Think about how much of what is in our minds is carnal, worldly, and the customs of this world? It seems to be serving God, but it is serving the golden calf! These people also call Yahweh God and say that they believe in Jesus. But which Jesus do you believe in? You believe in the Jesus of Bar-Jesus!

God Declares His Judgment Through Hosea

Do you know how God declares His judgment? God said, Hosea, go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry. So Hosea took her. His father, Beli, asked him, Why are you marrying a prostitute? Hosea replied, God told me to. As a result, his father Beli accused him of mishearing God's word. We find this hard to believe! If one day I were to tell you, God wants me to marry a prostitute, you would probably say, Teacher, are you sure you heard correctly? Is God that kind of God? It truly is a challenge!

When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.” (Hosea 1:2)

If this prostitute were constantly cheating on Hosea, and the children born were of unknown parentage, Hosea would be in a difficult position, not knowing the true father of the children. Back then, there was no DNA testing available. Even if there were, it would likely reveal that the children were not Hosea's. His parents and family members undoubtedly opposed it, yet he followed through. What kind of person would do such a thing? I admire Hosea immensely. We may not be able to do it, but we must admire those who are willing to pay the price!

If you wanted to declare God's judgment as a prophet, what method would you use? Would you also marry a prostitute and have children to proclaim God's judgment on that generation? I ask you, what if marrying a prostitute led to constant arguments at home, and she frequently said provocative things to Hosea? It would be vexing! Yet, Hosea actually obeyed God's word. Why didn't God care about Hosea's distress? Because Hosea understood that there was no hope for people living in that world!

Why did Hosea still obey God's word? Because Hosea watched as the Israelites walked towards corruption, about to be destroyed by the Assyrians, yet they were still renovating their houses, doing business to make money, pursuing IPOs, engaging in micro-businesses, desperately earning money, and so on. When Hosea saw this, his heart was extremely grieved! If you saw a train coming, and your loved ones were standing in the middle of the track, wouldn't your heart be grieved?

My heart is often not grieved for myself, because I have long understood these little things about living. I see the brothers and sisters with all kinds of small tempers and quirks, sometimes even arguing with me, and I have to pull them away from the path of destruction with all my might. When I can't pull them away, it is truly agonizing! I believe that when I am suffering so much, if God were to say to me, Go and take a prostitute as your wife, I would go, because my heart is so grieved! To declare God's judgment, Hosea was truly concerned for his country and his people: If I sacrifice myself, my life, my marriage, and endure the shame of marrying a prostitute, it would be worth it if it could awaken my kinsmen, my people of Israel! This is Hosea! Declaring God's judgment through his own life. When Hosea had his first son, God said to him:

Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.” (Hosea 1:4)

You should know that the name Jezreel is definitely not a good name. As for what it means, let's not discuss it for now. But Jezreel was a battlefield, like Wuhan in China, or the Battle of Red Cliffs during the Three Kingdoms period, a place of strategic importance for military strategists, where the baleful aura was very heavy. God told Hosea to name his child Jezreel, because in a little while, God would punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and God would put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

This is the meaning of Jezreel. If you named your child Jianguo (建国, meaning building the nation), would you name your child Wangguo (亡国, meaning destroying the nation)? Some Chinese surnames are really difficult to deal with. For example, if the surname is Wang (王, meaning king), would you name your child Wangguo (王国, meaning kingdom)? Or Wangjia (王佳) or WangMing (王命), which sound quite strange, like a fugitive. This is the name Jezreel, so this day will be a great day, worthy of remembrance.

She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.” (Hosea 1:6)

Everyone must remember that the day when God's judgment comes is a day worth remembering. It's like my father's belt, which whipped me into a prestigious university. Hosea had another daughter, and named her Lo-ruhamah. What did God say then? No Mercy! Think about it, what kind of names are these? When the children go to school, the teachers and students call him Wangguo (王国), which sounds terrible. Other children are named Jianguo (建国), but your child is named Wangguo (王国), which sounds like without mercy. After Lo-ruhamah was weaned, she had another child. God said, Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people. We were very strange about it, being born in the land of Israel, but not the people of God. It's heart-wrenching to hear.

Put yourself in the shoes of the child's parents. What would you think if other people laughed at your child when they went to school? It's hard for children wherever they go. Strangely, Hosea didn't care about it. When the children went to school and registered, the eldest was called Jezreel; the second was called Lo-ruhamah; the third was called Lo-ammi. If this matter were to be heard by people without faith, it would be very painful! The children came back from school and clamored to their father to change their names. The father asked why they wanted to change their names. These are the names that God has given you!

The children did not agree, and said: When someone calls my name at school, my classmates laugh at us. What God asked Hosea to do would really move our cheese, which is our lifeblood! But Hosea didn't take it seriously at all. Whether the child's name is Lo-ruhamah, Lo-ammi, or Jezreel, anyway, the three children will die sooner or later, and that's the end of it. In fact, before these three children died, Israel was destroyed. These names were all given by God. In fact, you can think about it this way, can God take care of these three children? Although the name is not good, God will take care of them! Some people name their child Er Gouzi (二狗子, meaning Second Dog), which is a very humble name, but it is protected by God!

It is not easy to be a prophet to declare judgment, because a prophet knows in advance what your fate will be. I can tell fortunes very accurately now. I don't need to measure the eight characters. I can tell what kind of life it is just by looking at the character. In fact, it is not declaring judgment, but seeing God's grace in judgment. How can people know God without experiencing God and without experiencing these environments? How much discipline have you experienced? Take me as an example. My father whipped me into a prestigious university with one belt. How many times does God have to whip you? Sometimes God whips you and it's useless. Your arms are withered, but as soon as you pray, you turn into a golden calf again! I wonder why people love the golden calf so much?

If your logic system is not changed, the result will definitely be the same as that of the Israelites who experienced judgment! I tell you, don't look at me like this, wearing a padded jacket and shivering in the cold wind on the street. From the outside, I am no different from everyone else, but in my heart, I live for God. I wish my brothers and sisters would pay the price like Hosea! I really have nothing, I only care about God! It looks like I have nothing, but it's like I have everything. Paul's letters also say the same.

Don't worship the Lord God on the golden calf; don't regard the golden calf as the Lord God, but regard God as the true God. With God, you will not lack any benefits! Don't put your old age on your children, but put it on God; don't put your life hope on the money in your bank account, but put it on God; never put anything above God, but love God alone!

Because I love God, I have paid a heavy price, and tears flow when I say more. I tell everyone: anything can stop me, but I cannot be stopped from loving God, because serving God is my life! I declare according to God's will, this is the Mingding Destiny that God has given me! Some people will wonder: Teacher, you said that you will not lack any benefits, but what benefits did Hosea get? Why didn't I see any benefits? Let's see what God said later in this chapter. Sometimes when I miss God, I say to God: God! May you remember me and show me grace!

Judgment is for Grace

When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:8-9)

Wherever you are whipped, you are the son of the living God in that place ! Where God declares His judgment, people repent in that place and experience God's rich grace! Every time I think of this grace, my heart is filled with gratitude! What virtues and abilities do I have to be chosen by God? This is all God's grace! It turns out that we pay the price for God, we deserve to pay this price, that is grace! What did Hosea get? In the eyes of people, it seems that he didn't get any benefits, but this is Hosea's lifeblood. God's judgment is not for judgment, not for destroying people, God's purpose is to let people know Him!

Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” it will be said to them, “You are sons of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)

The number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. May God give us faith, let us see those who lay down their lives for God, like the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky, and follow the example of the Apostle Paul, the Lord Jesus, and Hosea. Where God used to say: You are not My people, in the future He will say to them: You are sons of the living God!

The children of Judah and Israel will be gathered together and appoint for themselves one leader, and go up from the land. The Israelites and Judahites have experienced judgment and will begin to seek God. God will appoint a leader among them to bring them back to the heart of God. We are climbing the mountain of the LORD in this generation, and entering the temple of the God of Jacob, this is grace! Now when I think about suffering for God, it is all grace! If people don't suffer, they will love this world; if people don't suffer, they won't let go. Even if you don't want to let go now, you have to let go!

And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:11)

God's judgment is to completely destroy the logic system inside people, not to destroy people. Let us cooperate with God to completely destroy the worldly logic system inside us. The things of this world are not important. We can shed tears and sweat, and even shed blood, but we cannot be without God. The things of this world have been destroyed! Therefore, brothers and sisters, don't feel that it is not a good thing to experience some environments. Sometimes being abandoned and being ridiculed is actually a good thing, because these are all grace! So that we have no hope for this world at all! If you want to hope, you can't hope anymore.

From now on, we must firmly grasp God and move forward! The sharing of this chapter may shock some people's hearts. If there are still some things in us, such as saving face, establishing our own righteousness, and pursuing our own name, they are all worldly things. If people care about this and that, but not about God, what is that if not adultery? In essence, it is still a set of worldly logic system.

God's Judgment is Worth Remembering

God said through Hosea: The day of Israel will be great and a day worth remembering. People have experienced God's discipline and begin to draw a circle on the diary or on the calendar, this day experienced this, and that day experienced that. Some time ago, I started coughing every night, experiencing God's judgment; during this period, I grew pimples; after a period of time, this, that, in short, a lot of problems. Some people leak feces, and others leak urine, some cannot defecate, some cannot eat, and some have tendons pulled inside, legs are crooked, waist is crooked, and neck is stiff. People will have a hard time as long as they encounter these things. There are also numb hands and feet, bad eyes, bad nose, bad mouth, bad throat, cold, fever, and finally prayer is all right!

I hope everyone remembers this day, because it is the day of obtaining grace, and God will visit us again! Perhaps because of these sufferings and judgments, we are ravaged by demons because of these things, so we can completely destroy the worldly logic system, and then turn back to God and receive God's grace again! Isn't this a day worth remembering? Don't forget, don't experience suffering in vain, may God remember us and show us grace!

May God bless everyone!