Starting the 2nd May 2021, Salt Church will be looking into the Old Testament book of Hosea!
The book of Hosea shows us that Ancient Israel is smothered in their sin and is guilty of the ugliest spiritual adultery towards God. They’ll face judgement – inevitably Assyria is coming. But God’s relentless love for His wayward bride will pursue and renew them.
God loves His people, the bible tells us so. The book of Hosea will show us just how ugly and loveless we really are, and just how relentless and boundless the love of God is.
Every week at Salt Church we open the bible to hear God reveal reality to us. We need to see the shape of reality as God does, so we can live rightly in His world and as His people. In fact, we desperately need to see this, for otherwise we’re trapped in flawed, sinful, error-filled human ideas of reality only; and as Jesus tells us: ‘What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight’ (Luke 16:5)
At one level, this is true of any part of the bible, for ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim 3:16-17). But giving God’s perspective on reality is especially the power of the book of Hosea. The 1st of the 12 books of the minor prophets, Hosea says of itself (14:9)…
Who is wise? Let them realise these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand.
The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
Hosea gives us wisdom and understanding about how right God’s ways are. It gives God’s perspective on reality, so we can walk in it. How we respond to Hosea shows if we want to be righteous or rebellious.