I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Hosea laid out God’s case against Israel. There was no faithfulness or kindness, no knowledge of God in the land. They made vows and broke them. They killed and stole and committed adultery. This sounds like the nightly news. Then Hosea says something we should take to heart. He says “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame:”. Even the priests, those who were supposed to be teaching God’s laws and directing people to worship God, were guilty of idolatry. The priests benefited when people sinned, so they encouraged people to sin. If we are among those who others look to for spiritual guidance, are we encouraging them to sin because we benefit from it (either materially or because we feel better about ourselves when we see the contrast between ourselves and them)?
Several times Hosea repeats in different wording that we should not place the blame on others for what is wrong in our society, instead we should look at our own actions. He tells us that the priests do wrong, but he tells us that the people do the same things that the priests are doing. In this passage this is not a statement telling preachers and teachers to be careful because others follow their example. This passage is telling the average person not to try and shift the blame to the preachers and teachers because the average person is doing the same things. The passage tells us that, yes, the women are committing prostitution and adultery but why should they be singled out for condemnation because the men are doing the same thing, committing adultery and hiring prostitutes. He condemns the leaders because they have led the people into a trap of sin and idolatry. However, there is no room for the people to complain and try to pass off blame because they chose leaders who were willing to lead them in the direction they wanted to go. When prophets arose to call on the people to follow the Lord, they were attacked and condemned. When I see what is wrong in society, there is no room for placing the blame on others. I need to look to my own actions, to my desire for material things rather than following the will of God.
John begins his second letter by telling us that he loves the Church and its members. Further he tells us that everyone who knows the truth does so as well. He loves not just some of the members of the Church, but all of them. Once again John emphasizes the importance of loving one another. This is not an empty emotion, but rather a motivation for action. Loving one another means that we act to give to each other that which is in their best interests. John transitions from telling us to love one another to telling us to watch out for false teachers by telling us that he is reminding us to love one another because there are false teachers (deceivers) who teach that Jesus did not come in a real body. It is interesting that John makes this link between believing and teaching that Jesus was a historical person and loving one another. He tells us that if someone comes to us who teaches something other than the truth of Christ, we should not invite that person into our homes. We should not encourage such people lest we become partners in the stumbling block they put before others coming to know the Lord.
If we trust the Lord we will be secure. The land of the godly will not be ruled by the wicked. So, if you think the nation’s leaders are wicked, you better judge yourself and make yourself right with God. God will do good to those who are good, those whose hearts are in tune with Him.
A wise person can take a fool to court, but they will not gain satisfaction from the action. The wicked hate the blameless, but the upright seek to help them. You can tell a lot about people from how they react to those who have done nothing to be ashamed of. The last of today’s proverbs tell us that a fool vents his anger, but a wise person holds their back.