HOSEA 14
Bible Study Notes Rev. Betsy Perkins
God’s Promises for the Future
- What has given you hope in the bleak times in your life? What are some Bible verses that have given you hope in hard times?
Invitation to Repentance (14:1-3):
- What does “return” mean in these verses? What is Israel being invited to do?
- Why does God bother with these people after all they have done?
Though His people may turn away from Him, God will not abandon them, even though He disciplines them, for He is true to His covenant and His promises. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) ~ Warren Wiersbe
- What do the people need to bring to God when they return to Him?
- What must they admit and confess to God?
Repentance Leads to Restoration (14:4):
- What are the two things God promises to do in response to a sincere expression of repentance?
- Warren Wiersbe uses this analogy to illustrate the process of restoration that follows repentance:
When a person collapses with sickness, it’s usually the result of a process that’s been working in the body for weeks or months. First an infection gets into the system and begins to grow. The person experiences weariness and loss of appetite, then weakness , and then the collapse occurs. When sin gets into the inner person and isn’t dealt with, it acts like an insidious infection: it grows quietly; it brings loss of spiritual appetite; it creates weariness and weakness; and then comes the collapse…
When we confess our sins to the Lord, He forgives us and the ‘germs of sin’ are cleansed away (1 John 1:9), but, as with physical sickness, often there’s a period of recuperation when we get back our strength and our appetite for spiritual food. “I will love them freely” describes that period when we’re back in fellowship with the Lord and enjoying His presence. We see the smile of His face, for His anger is turned away. ~ Warren Wiersbe
- Have you experienced this kind of restoration by God in your life, or seen it in others’ lives? How would you describe what happens? How does it feel?
Repentance Brings Blessings (14:5-8):
- What are the metaphors for this renewed relationship that Hosea uses in verses 5 and 6?
Hosea pictures the restoration of the penitent as the emergence of new life in a dry field on which the refreshing dew has fallen. In the summer and early autumn in the Holy Land, the dew is very heavy and greatly appreciated (Psalm 133:3; Isaiah 18:4). That’s what the word ‘revive’ means: to bring new life. The rich vegetation appears, producing beauty and fragrance where once the farmer saw only ugliness and emptiness. The fallow ground becomes a fruitful garden! ~ Warren Wiersbe
- How will life change for those who return to God? How can these blessings in turn impact and bless those around them?
- Verse 8 gives a final reminder of the true source of these blessings – Who is it?
A Word to the Wise (14:9):
- Hosea concludes with a comment to the ‘wise’ and ‘discerning’, like a final warning for those who hear his words to heed the story of what will happen with Israel and what has happened in his own life with Gomer. What are the two choices that Hosea presents?
The closing verse presents us with only two alternatives: rebel against the Lord and continue to stumble, or return to the Lord and walk securely in His ways. The first choice is foolish; the second choice is wise. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life.”(Deuteronomy 30:19) ~ Warren Wiersbe
- Which do you choose today? What must you do to follow through with that choice?
In light of this passage and our discussion, what one truth about God and about yourself stand out as something to “take to heart” this week?
Are there steps you will take, by God’s grace, to more fully apply it to your life?
Resources: NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2015
J. Gordon McConville, Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, Volume 4, 2002
Warren W. Wiersbe, BE Amazed: Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship, 2010
Tim Mackie, The Bible Project, How to Read Hosea (RightNowMedia)
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