The Prophet is a Watchman

The Prophet is a Watchman

Date: Jun. 21, 2019

Passage

Hosea 9:1-17 (ESV)

1   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,
    I 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.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 9:8

  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.

1. The prophet is considered a fool (1-9)

When the people of Ephraim prostituted themselves to idols, their superficial offerings and festivals could not please God. God sent prophets to his people to be like watchmen, alerting them of the spiritual danger of their sins. But Ephraim was so far gone in sin that they considered prophets as fools and maniacs. The calling of being a prophet became very dangerous; the prophets met with hostility from their people, and even from the priests.

2. Their glory will fly away (10-17)

When God first called Israel out of Egypt, it was like finding grapes in the desert, because the people had such great spiritual potential. But Israel turned to Baal and became as vile as what she worshiped. So God would drive them out of his house. They would become restless wanderers among the nations, like Cain.

Prayer: Father, help me to me a spiritual watchman for your people and for our times, and be willing to suffer misunderstanding for your sake.

One Word: A spiritual watchman

Go, Stand, and Tell the Words of Life

Acts 5:17-42

Key Verse: 5:20

“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

Today's Question

What does the beginning of the Lord's prayer teach us?

See answer and references

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT