2000-10-28 - Messiah His Final Call To Israel

Messiah: His Final Call to Israel Series, Part 10

I want to thank all of you for the email responses that we have been getting from this series. It is amazing to me as I write out each devotional, the week before, how clear the Bible is about peace coming to the nation of Israel. In fact, how clear the Bible is about peace coming to the entire world through Israel! I know that the truth shall rise. Many people have thanked us and shared that they were passing the series on to their friends. One reader wrote to us and shared a thought that it would be nice if Pastors and teachers could get this series and teach others from it. We think that would be a blessing to even more folks. I thank all of you for just reading it and expressing an interest in the Biblical truth about THE peace that WILL last in the Middle East. I have a friend who is a Pastor in Israel and I wish to offer all of you his newsletter which pretty much shares the truth from a heart of someone who loves the Jewish people like we do. To subscribe to this newsletter all you need to do is write "subscribe" in the subject box of an email letter and email to: newslist@netvision.net.il Onward now to this week's devotional which takes up where last week left off with Israel's confession of the national sin.

Hosea, one of the earliest writing prophets in Israel, also speaks of Israel's confession and repudiation of the national sin. We have included the entire passage of Hosea 5:1-6:3 at the end of this devotional for easy reference.

Hosea 5:15-6:3 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

In order to see the force of this prophecy, one must look at the context. In thundering tones Hosea denounced the sins of the people of both kingdoms - Ephraim and Judah. Hosea addressed the priests, the house of Israel, and the royal house, stating that the judgment pertains to them. The Prophet, speaking for God, uncovers the sinful lives of the people; for they had played the harlot and defiled themselves. They had gone so far from God in sin and defilement that they could not turn back to God:

Hosea 5:4-5 Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not Jehovah. And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity; Judah also shall stumble with them.

According to these verses, both Israel and Judah traveled the road of disobedience and reached the point most obnoxious to God - pride. Of all sins pride is the most repulsive to God.

Because of this condition Hosea, the representative of God, threatens both Israel and Judah with devastating strokes of judgment.

Instead of turning from sin unto God, the major part of the nation turned to the King of Assyria in this crisis (Hosea 5:13). In the next verse God threatens to be as a lion to Ephraim and Judah: "For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver."

At this point of the prediction, the Prophet, following the law of *double reference* (The law of double reference is the principle of the blending of two distinct, though similar, events into a single picture) blends what he had said about this special crisis with another crisis, far greater, in the future.

An examination of verses 14 and 15 shows that in them the Prophet stops talking about this crisis and speaks of another one in the remote future. Concerning this event, the Prophet, speaking for God, declares, " I will go and return to my place..."In the first mentioned crisis the Lord did not leave heaven and come to earth to deal with the situation. He simply overruled providentially to deal with the case. It is not so with the crisis in verses 14b,15, for in this later event He leaves heaven (His place) and comes to earth. Both Ephraim and Judah sin against Him. As punishment the Lord rends both Ephraim and Judah as a lion rends his prey. Then he goes away to His place and remains there until the offenders acknowledge their offense.

The language implies that the Lord leaves heaven, comes to earth, and is sinned against by the Chosen People. When these events take place, the Lord returns to heaven and declares that He will remain there until the guilty ones acknowledge their offense. These offenders will not only acknowledge their sin, but will seek the Lord's face -- His favor and blessing. When will they do these things? The answer is, " In their affliction" -- the Great Tribulation which is called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). At that time the people of Israel -- the faithful remnant -- will seek the Lord earnestly, with all their heart.

This prediction is followed by an unusual prophecy:

Hosea 6:1-3 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth

An examination of these verses shows that they are a continuation of the prediction found in Hosea 5:14,15. Seeing the close connection, some Bible students insert the participle saying. Undoubtedly the insertion of this word shows the exact connection."  … In their affliction they will seek me earnestly, [saying], Come let us return unto Jehovah." (Hosea 5:15-6:1).

In light of all the facts, stated and implied, in this context, Hosea 6:1-3 is a call issued by certain ones to others to join them in returning to God; "for he [Jehovah] hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." The "tearing" of this verse is obviously the tearing of Ephraim and Judah mentioned in 5:14. Those issuing the call and those to whom the call is proclaimed acknowledge that God has punished them by tearing them, and that, if they will return to Jehovah, He will heal them. One may believe that those who issue the call are the leaders of the Jewish people and that those to whom the proclamation is made are the masses of Israel. The second verse of this call to repentance mentions three days: "After two days will he revive us, on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him." What is the significance of the words "two days"? What does Hosea mean by saying "After two days will He revive us?" Since their are no indications in the context showing that the expression " two days" is not to be taken literally, one is logically forced to understand that the Prophet means two literal days. Israel will set a date for the repudiation of the national sin. When that day arrives, the nation, possibly with some exceptions, will in sincerity and earnestness begin this public confession and repudiation of the offense which was committed against Jehovah (Messiah) when He came the first time. After the penitent remnant have bowed in deep contrition and genuine repentance for two days, suddenly on the third day God will send the Holy Spirit, who will revive every sincere heart that humbles himself before God and in faith accepts the rejected Messiah -- as Saviour and Lord. Thus on the third of those three days a revival will break out in all Israel. According to verse 2, on the third day Jehovah will go forth. His doing so will be as "sure as the morning." From what place will this going forth of Jehovah be? As has been seen, Jehovah Messiah, after His rejection, returns to heaven and remains there until the people of Israel acknowledge their offense. When they do so, He will go forth from heaven and return to this earth in order to set up His glorious reign of righteousness over all nations. The three days mentioned in this passage are the last three days of the Tribulation.

Filled with the truth by the vision of the solution to all Israel's problems, Hosea exhorts the Jewish people, saying "And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth" (Hosea 6:3). According to Hosea 5:1-6:3, the entire nation of Israel is going to "acknowledge their offense and seek" His face. This testimony of Hosea confirms what we looked at in our last devotional namely that of Moses the great lawgiver. Next week we will look at Isaiah 52:13-53:12 until then please pray for the peace of Jerusalem to unfold as the Bible says that it will. Pray with us that the truth will rise.

II Peter 1:19-21 And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

Hosea 5:1-6:3 Hear this, O ye priests, and hearken, O house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king; for unto you pertaineth the judgment; for ye have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. And the revolters are gone deep in making slaughter; but I am a rebuker of them all. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast played the harlot, Israel is defiled. Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not Jehovah. And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity; Judah also shall stumble with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find him: he hath withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their fields. Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; because he was content to walk after man's command. Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound. For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

In His Service,
Rick & Sandy

liv4yeshua@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org