“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
Hosea 1:6
She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
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.
Isaiah 62:1
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
2 Corinthians 6:16
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Hosea was a prophet during a time when the norther kingdom was living in a time of peace and prosperity. Unfortunately with this peace and prosperity they did not stay close to God but rather had moral decline and the people chose to forget the living God to worship things made from wood, iron and stone. I keep reading scripture like this and wonder how I/we differ from these people. If you travel very far out of the US you know we are truly a blessed nation. Prosperity and for the most part peace, when compared to other areas around the world. Do you see a moral decline? Do you hear of alternative things to worship? Do you hear people talk about how all religions point to the same god? There is one God and only one path to Him. He sent His only son to redeem us through his sacrifice, to all who would cling to, rely on, and trust in this redeeming work of grace and mercy.